Dear Paddlers,

It´s the same story you´ve heard 100 times about any number of rivers anywhere in the world; BUT ECUADOR´S RIVERS ARE IN TROUBLE AND NEED YOUR HELP. This opportunity should be of interest to anyone who has paddled in Ecuador, and especially to those who plan to in the future. But if Ecuador is far from your radar, that`s ok too. I am sure there is some other river out there that you care about that needs some loving!

But onto the story:

Matt Terry of the Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (ERI) has dedicated the last decade of his life to the fight to protect Ecuador`s Rivers. Matt is a pragmatist and he is not trying to STOP Ecuador from progressing with the development they are seeking, he is just trying to help guide this development in a manner which will leave future generations a country that still has beautiful and pristine rivers. The work to reconcile progress with conservation in Ecuador is incredibly difficult, and at times inconceivably frustrating. But the ERI marches on...

Of course, one the biggest challenges that the ERI faces is funding. So, Small World Adventures has teamed up with the ERI this summer to help raise a little money for the rivers of Ecuador.

Small World Adventures is doing our annual gear giveaway-giving away tons of kayaking gear, plus a trip to Ecuador. We draw multiple winners every 2 weeks through the month of October, so there are lots of opportunities to win.   Everyone is entitled to 1 free entry, but if you want more chances to win, you can gain them by donating money to the ERI. For every $5 that you donate, you will get 1 extra entry into the contest. For a small, non-profit company, every little bit helps and no donation is too small!

So, if you would like a chance to win a dry top from IR, a helmet from Sweet, a Jackson kayak, Werner paddle, a week of kayaking in Ecuador with Small World Adventures, a Snap Dragon Spray Skirt, dry bags from Sea to Summit, subscriptions to Kayak Session Magazine, copies of Wildwater, a gift certificate to CKS, and MUCH MORE, go to www.smallworldadventures.com. From here, scroll down the home page and click "win." Sign in to get your 1 free entry. From the thank you page you will see after you enter, you can find the link to the PayPal "Donate" button for ERI. Only donations from from button will count towards your entries into the contest (in the reference section it needs to say "SWA gear giveaway").

Or, if you would like to donate to the ERI, but NOT be a part of the SWA gear giveaway, you can do so here: http://ecuadorianrivers.org/donate/

The current ERI project of the most concern to kayakers is a proposed Jondachi-Hollin-Misahualli "free flowing protected corridor." These 3 rivers are under threat from oil production, gravel mining, and hydo-electric projects. The ERI had a huge emotional victory when the this proposed corridor gained approval in the first rounds. There is still a long road ahead until this approval becomes an actual measure of protection; but it was a big first step in the right direction, and a good boost to the ERI to remind them that their fight is, indeed, worth fighting.

So, sign up to win, and then donate to ERI for more chances to win!

If you have questions about the ERI or conservation in Ecuador you can email darcy@smallworldadventures.com or go directly to the source and email Matt at info@ecuadorianrivers.org

Thanks for your help.