IT BEGAN WITH A TORTOISE

GEORGE’S STORY

It began with a tortoise. After living in Ecuador for 10 + years and visiting the Galapagos Islands on several occasions we came across Lonesome George. Its most famous resident and a worldwide conservation icon. As the last surviving Pinta Tortoise, Lonesome George’s cautionary tale of extinction unfolded as a result of human actions and mismanagement of scarce resources. Inspired by his story, we began Lonesome George & Co. to educate tomorrow’s youth and to prevent other Lonesome George situations from happening at a time of frightening and increasing extinction rates. Our triple-bottom-line business model ensures that 10% of every purchase directly funds youth educational programs that teach and empower future generations—to make better choices in our interdependent world. Lonesome George’s spirit and legacy lives on through the clothes we wear and the choices we make. 

CIRCULAR THINKING

Our world is in a rapid state of change. Over the last 50 years, human activities have altered ecosystems more extensively than at any comparable period of time in history. Responding to challenges and opportunities requires new thinking, fresh alliances, and a newly empowered generation that sees itself within the system rather than outside it. This requires a mind shift to acknowledge that we live in a dynamic system and our everyday choices have an impact on our surroundings. Lonesome George & Co. empower's a movement of “change agents” that make choices that protect and preserve our precious resources. 

OUTFITTING LEADERS

In almost every community in the world where our resources are in peril, local organizations are working together to preserve species, cultures, and heritage spots. This network needs a new generation of leaders who will generate awareness and ensure that such treasures are never at risk again. In partnership with Outward Bound, we are funding youth leadership and experiential learning programs to empower communities in the Galapagos Islands and globally to address these challenges. 

INFLUENCING GENERATIONS

Impact apparel that makes a statement  – and create action. Our goal is to empower a new generation of leaders and contribute to a new social business model that reconciles company, community and government—creating a virtuous cycle of prosperity for all. Globally, we are empowering youth and community leaders in a shared effort to conserve local resources in partnership with Outward Bound. We have also partnered with Ashoka, the leading global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs. Proceeds from Lonesome George & Co. apparel fund our work beyond outdoor classrooms to a growing network of change agents—inspiring students, supporters, advocates, and leaders alike

The Come To Galapagos Marathon, half marathon and 10K events!

The annual Come To Galapagos Marathon (half marathon and 10K) event is dedicated to the development of environmentally sustainable economies in the Galapagos. It is a community sponsored event involving to a greater or lesser degree everyone living on the island. Population 6,000.

The 3rd annual Come To Galapagos marathon
will be held on May 13, 2012.

The 21x24 Challenge will join the Half Marathon of this international event to accomplish its 20^th route.

CLICK http://www.cometogalapagos.com/Marathon_Packages.asp for 2012 packages, registration/release forms, 2010 & 2011 results/reviews/photos.

“The Galapagos Islands are considered a natural laboratory in which we can come to understand the evolutionary and ecological processes that sustain life on our planet. The extraordinary natural beauty, biological richness and the ability to observe endemic species of unique terrestrial and marine animals here make this place one of the natural wonders of the world.

Preserving the unique richness of this fragile ecosystem through education and conservation is a very important task. In coordination with the Galapagos National Park, the third edition of The Come To Galapagos Marathon is being dedicated to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We must join forces to run on a clean planet.

The morning after the race, all runners are invited to plant a tree provided by the Galapagos National Park, dedicated to and in thanks for the runner’s participation in this event, a tree they can return to visit in the years and races to come. “ (translated by Rick Schleicher) 

Results of the 2011 edition are available at: CometoGalapagosMarathon.com. We had an unexpected amount of publicity last year; live national TV and radio coverage, the Ecuadorean equivalents of Oprah and Regis showed up, the marathon was featured on an internationally syndicated program “Asi Somos” (this is us, “Oprah’s” show), there was a full spread two page write up in El Comercio, the largest Ecuadorean news paper.

This year we expect the ESPN crew to visit us during the 3^rd Come To Galapagos marathon, among important local media coverage.

RUN FOR YASUNÍ IN CARCHI

We got the Route 19^th of the 21x24 Challenge in Carchi, Ecuador.

27 athletes ran for LIFE on Easter Sunday, from Mira to Juan Montalvo in Carchi, Ecuador’s northern province.
The 21 kilometers were accomplished in less than 5 minutes by km cause the route was flat and downhilled. The weather helped: a little fog and drizzle with a 12 Celsius degrees temperature in the early morning. Then, at 10am the clouds opened a clear view and we could admire the beauty of the Salinas Valley in that natural terrace that is Mira.

Lourdes Hernandez, the Challenge coordinator, said: "we disagree with the development that builds bridges on polluted rivers, or roads that destroy the forest, great neighborhoods with garbage dumps or acres of vegetables and fruit crops with chemical taste. That's not progress, nor life. It is Development of the End of the World ... In the other hand, running is pure and sustainable life."

Eddy Venegas, ultramarathoner who ran north to south of Ecuador in 22 days got to the finish line in the first place. Second place, Alvaro Barrera, -a new friend-. Third, Andres Castillo: legendary 21x24Challenge router; Pato Chavez who has record in attendance, and Lida Chamorro, Banco Solidario elite female runner. They completed the leader group.

The Challenge is supported by Banco Solidario, Vivant, Alamo and Fundacion Amazonia por la Vida.
This initiative is transmitted by El Comercio, www.ecuadorenvivo.com, Radio Comunitaria, Radio Quito, Solidario Magazine, www.ruta42.com and local media.

Next routes are:
20. San Cristobal, Galapagos: Sunday May 13 for more information: http://www.cometogalapagosmarathon.com/
21. Riobamba, Urbina, Chimborazo: Sunday June 10
22. Valle Hermoso, La Abundancia, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas: Sunday July 8
23. Patate - Baños, Tungurahua: Sunday August 12
24. Yasuní, Orellana: Sunday 9 September (end of the challenge!)

WE RUN FOR A CAUSE:
TO PROTECT LIFE IN THE YASUNI NATIONAL PARK
ONE OF THE LAST ECOLOGICAL RESERVES IN THE WORLD AND THE MOST BIODIVERSE

ROUTE #19 IS NEXT! SUNDAY APRIL 8TH

CARCHI IS COMING SOON!!

Meeting point from 7am: Mira (there is an obelisk)
Race Starts at 7:30 am: road Mira - El Hato
Arrival: Juan Montalvo village
Supply points every 5 kilometers.

Characteristics of the route:
1. Asphalt, gravel and dirt road.
2. This route is almost flat with some slopes.
3. Height: from 2450mts to 1800mts.
4. Temperature: 12°C in the morning aprox.
5. No dogs.
6. There will be support of the National Police.
7. It's not a race, everyone is a winner!
We ran to support the Cause: the protection of Yasuni National Park.

SOME HOTELS CONSULTED:
The Kibbutz
Telfs.: (+593) 62 637 140/62 637 141
hosteriaelkibutz@hotmail.com

Tunas and Goats
Telfs.: (06) 2631819 or 095227472 094031467 movistar and Fernando Acosta Katherine

OASIS hostel
Tel 06 2637200
oasis.hosteria @ yahoo.com

Arco Iris INN
Tel: 06 2941135

COMING NEXT:
GALAPAGOS # 20: Sunday 13 May, 2012. San Cristobal International Marathon http://www.cometogalapagosmarathon.com/
CHIMBORAZO # 21: Sunday June 10, 2012.
Urbina

REGISTRATION:
1. At the start of each route - references in the blog http://21kx241provincias.blogspot.com
Contact: mlhernandez@solidario.fin.ec
Tel: 95669133

2. N34-340 PODIUM Luxembourg and Portugal, Braganza Edf Tel: 3331 509 593 2
Quito - Ecuador
Voluntary Cost: $ 25 (T-shirt)

SPONSORS:
Banco Solidario-solidario.com www.banco
Vivant www.azende.com
Podium www.podium.com.ec
Amazonia por la Vida info@amazoniaporlavida.org

CHALLENGE AT PASTAZA WITH RAIN AND FOG

Pastaza Route #18 of the 21x24 Challenge was completed inside the rainforest. Part of the Yasuni National Park is in this province, which goes through Orellana as well. Next time athletes travel to the Amazon jungle, will run within the park, 6 hours from Coca, in September 2012.

20 runners gathered in Puyo on march 11 and from there, they went to the small town El Triunfo, where at 7:00 am, the race started. They arrived in less than two hours through a new road to Arajuno.

In addition to an accident suffered by a police patrol, which felt into a pond, we could see the uncontrolled movement of trees, packed of wood. The beauty of the landscape is harmed by deforested areas in a supposedly virgin and protected forest.

It requires the participation of residents, visitors and authorities to protect the Amazon, a treasure of Ecuadorian people and the world.

Elizabeth Bosquez, Carolina Rodriguez, Alexandra Cevallos and Sisa Calapucha, 15 years old girls, were selected for the Panamerican Games. They run in the 21x24Challenge as members of the Pastaza Sports Federation. They arrived first in the race with Banco Solidario´s collaborator, Patricio Chavez. Aiko Hiromatsu and Genki Nakae, from Japan, both volunteer school teachers in Puyo and Riobamba respectively, run with the rest of athletes.

Banco Solidario sponsors the 21x24 Challenge which is in its final editions. The following route is Carchi, Sunday April 8.


WE RUN FOR A CAUSE:
TO PROTECT LIFE IN THE YASUNI NATIONAL PARK
ONE OF THE LAST ECOLOGICAL RESERVES IN THE WORLD AND THE MOST BIODIVERSE

"We can not let go away the last trace of life to start looking for it." Ethnobotanical Garden, Puyo.

LOJA: WE WENT SOUTH… AND HEAVEN

With this route, we have accomplished 17 tours all over the country, one each month.
Our objective is to spread the 21x24 Challenge’s Cause: to protect life in the 980 000 hectares of nature, pure water and species, called Yasuní. It is a national park which belongs to all Ecuadorians.

Elite athletes as Franklin Tenorio, Silvio Guerra, Diana Landi, the climber Ivan Vallejo and the TV star Maria Teresa Guerrero have supported this challenge for the cause it promotes.

Rather than going south, we went to heaven. Vilcabamba in Loja province is a spot to visit, remain and live. For 50 years visitors passing by, have made Vilcabamba their home.

A group of 17 participants from Quito, Esmeraldas, El Oro and Loja had the privilege of running through this land. They got up early at 6am to make some warmups, before the masses of ‘carnival players’ would gather in the town’s central park to literally wash down people passing by with water and foam.

The runners left at 7am towards Cucanama by the Chamba river. Then went to San Joaquin Farm, a beautiful 6k neighborhood surrounded by trees, gardens, country houses and a spectacular scenery of the valley and the mountains of Podocarpus. Back on the road to Vilcabamba, they could enjoy a blurred vision of mount Mandango. Then they took the water channel road to complete the 21k of the challenge, right into the main park of the town.

This edition of the 21x24 Challenge was accomplished thanks to the support of Banco Solidario, sponsor of the Cause. Other sponsors are: Vivant, Podium and Amazonia por la vida. The National Police provided excellent support in this 17th route.

The next routes are:
• Puyopungo – Puyo, Pastaza: Sunday, March 11
• El Angel / Mira / Uyamá, Carchi: Sunday, April 8
• San Cristóbal, Galápagos Islands: Saturday, May 12. Follow this link to get more info:
http://www.cometogalapagosmarathon.com/
• Riobamba , Urbina, Chimborazo: Sunday, June 10
• Valle Hermoso, La Abundancia, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas: Sunday, July 8
• Manteles, Patate, Tungurahua: Sunday, August 12
• Yasuní, Orellana: Sunday, September 9 (¡¡¡end of the Challenge!!!)

WE RUN FOR A CAUSE:
TO PROTECT LIFE IN THE YASUNI NATIONAL PARK
ONE OF THE LAST ECOLOGICAL RESERVES IN THE WORLD AND THE MOST BIODIVERSE

The Challenge 21x24 arrives to LOJA

LOJA #17 Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 7:00am

Meeting (6:30am) and departure point: Parque Central, Vilcabamba, Loja - 7:00am
Arrival : Parque Central, Vilcabamba
Supply points: every 5k

Characteristics of the route.

1. From Central Park to Madre Tierra hotel (1k and a half), take the road to El Chaupi for 10k and return with a short detour to Central Park (9k and a half).
2. The route is almost flat, green and beautiful. It goes around Vilcabamba.
3. We will have the support of the National Police.
4. Altitude: 1500 msmn
5. Temperature: 12 - 17°C in the morning.
6. We will be supplied by Vivant (water) and other beverages plus bananas and bread.

Bring: sun hat and sunscreen, light shirt and shorts or lycra. Extra and warm clothing will be kept for you in the supply pick up.
Other: energy bars, blocks, gels, Gatorade, Vaseline ... the usual. You won’t need the hydration belt.

About the area:
In Vilcabamba you will feel ‘disconnected’. It is called the Valley of Longevity, the timeless valley, valley of eternal youth. It is extremely quiet. Its name comes from the Indian word "huilco", which is a tree Anadenanthera colubrina (almost extinct) with hallucinogenic properties considered magical and sacred by the Incas, and bamba which means valley or flat surface.

This paradise is also full of energy and has plenty of attractions:
Hiking on Cerro Mandango. Horseback riding. Podocarpus National Park. Bird watching. Spas and relaxation. To meet very old people who live there in healthy and peaceful ways.

Getting to Vilcabamba:
From Quito by bus takes approximately 14 to 16 hours. There are good roads. In private car: 12 hours.By plane: There are three daily flights in Tame, 180dls at a cost of taxes. From the airport in Catamayo, to Vilcabamba is an hour. You have to go through the city of Loja. Cost: $ 30.

SOME HOTELS (there are lots and nice ones)
Madre Tierra. Phone: 07 264 0087
El Descanso de Ramsés. Phone: 07 264 0039
Izhcayluma http://www.izhcayluma.com/

NEXT ROUTES:PASTAZA #18: Sunday, March 11, 2012.
Puyo
CARCHI #19: Sunday, April 8, 2012
El Angel

For those who will not run the Challenge 21x24 and want to support the Cause of the protection of Yasuni, can do the following:
.Write your opinion about oil operations in Yasuni to mlhernandez@solidario.fin.ec or publish it in your FB or Twitter.
.Inform about the presence of oil companies in Yasuni.
.Get information and visit this unique reserve.
.And/or buy the Challenge 21x24 t-shirt

REGISTRATION SPOTS:
1. At the beginning of every route.
2. PODIUM Triathlon Store
Luxemburgo N34-340 y Portugal, Edf. Braganza Phone.: 593 2 3331 509
Quito – Ecuador
Fee: $25 (includes t-shirt, 24 routes, water and fruit stations)

Further information:
http://21kx24provincias.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/lourdeshernande
http://www.banco-solidario.com/
Contact: mlhernandez@solidario.fin.ec
Phone.: 95669133

WE RUN FOR A CAUSE:
TO PROTECT LIFE IN THE YASUNI NATIONAL PARK
ONE OF THE LAST ECOLOGICAL RESERVES IN THE WORLD AND THE MOST BIODIVERSE