🌿 Return to the Rainforest

Description:

The Amazon Rainforest is often called the lungs of the Earth—but those lungs are gasping. After volunteering in the Cuyabeno Reserve in Ecuador, I witnessed both the awe-inspiring biodiversity of the region and the very real challenges the local communities face. I’m now launching a return project with a mission: to support conservation through visual storytelling, community collaboration, and sustainable energy solutions.

This fundraiser will directly fund my return to the Ecuadorian Amazon, where I’ll be documenting the intersection of wildlife, Indigenous-led ecotourism, and environmental resilience. I’ll work closely with local guides and eco-lodges like Dolphin Lodge, capturing the untold stories of the people protecting this land and the incredible species who call it home.

But this project is more than photography—it’s about impact. One of my key goals is to help the community explore expanded solar energy use, which would reduce reliance on fossil fuel generators and support the lodge’s goal of becoming fully sustainable. Through this project, I hope to build awareness around how small-scale renewable energy can work in real conservation contexts.

The funds raised will go toward: 📸 Photography equipment & backup storage

✈️ Round-trip travel to Ecuador

🌿 Living expenses while volunteering (food, lodging, transport)

🔋 Solar energy assessments and support for infrastructure conversations

🧑‍💻 Sharing the journey with you through social media, print sales, and an upcoming conservation photo series

Your support isn’t just helping me get to the rainforest—it’s helping preserve it. Together, we can amplify local voices, raise global awareness, and shine a light on the people fighting for our planet's future.

🌱 Let’s return to the wild—with purpose.