Master Gardener Volunteer Service-Learning Opportunity: Volunteer Ecuador Trip with the Tandana Foundation
Embark on an unforgettable week in the breathtaking Andean highlands outside of Otavalo, Ecuador! Join Pam Bennett and Jen Andon alongside passionate gardeners and Ecuadorians in hands-on horticultural projects in local communities. This transformative trip is in partnership with The Tandana Foundation, that has been working in Highlands Ecuador for more than 15 years. The trip blends meaningful horticultural work with cultural immersion. Stay at the La Posada del Quinde hotel, a charming inn offering great food, free Wi-Fi, and warm hospitality. Enjoy Ecuador’s stunning landscapes while exploring a country rich in culture.
Read about the 2026 trip: The Tandana Foundation Blog
| What: | MGV service-learning experience in which you earn volunteer hours and CEs, where we work with various community groups on horticultural projects (i.e., helping a community plant trees, assisting a school in planting food crops for student lunches and learning) and sightseeing and learning about the culture. |
| When: |
Week 1: Leave from an airport convenient to your location on January 15, 2027, and arrive in Ecuador in the evening, no later than 8:00 p.m. A bus takes us to Otavalo, about and hour and a half ride. Depart Ecuador late, January 22, 2027 (after 10 p.m.) and arrive in Ohio on Saturday morning, January 23. Week 2: Leave from an airport convenient to your location on January 23, 2027, and arrive in Ecuador in the evening, no later than 8:00 p.m. A bus takes us to Otavalo, about and hour and a half ride. Depart Ecuador late on Jan 30, 2027 (after 10 p.m.) and arrive in Ohio on Jan, 31st. We need to all arrive and depart Quito together to catch the shuttle to and from our hotel. Travel before or after your Tandana experience is an individual option. |
| Where: | In the Andean highlands outside Otavalo, Ecuador. Lodging will be at La Posada del Quinde in Otavalo, a lovely inn with great food, free Wi-Fi service, and friendly staff. Ecuador is a beautiful country on the equator in South America that is on the Eastern time zone and uses US dollars. Spanish is the major language. Tandana will provide group leaders who are fluent in Spanish. The weather is typically between 60 and 70F during the day, and 45-50F at night. Layering is an absolute must. If the sun comes out, it's warm, if it's cloudy, it's cool! |
| Why: | To bring together diverse individuals united by a desire to learn, grow, share, and contribute to the communities they visit. You will have opportunities to experience life in Ecuadorian communities; exchange ideas with locals of different perspectives, ages, and vocations; and give and receive joy, all while working with various community groups with horticultural projects, such as planting trees or starting vegetable gardens. You will also make life-long friends with other travelers. |
| Cost: | $1550 double occupancy, $150 additional for single occupancy. Plus: airfare and personal expenses. The trip fee covers all the basic expenses (food, lodging, in-country transportation, activities) from when you land at the Quito airport until you return to the airport at the end of the week. You will be responsible for making your own plane reservation. We will share the parameters for your arrival and departure flights. Airfare will be anywhere from $500 to $1100 roundtrip depending on when you make your reservation and from which city you are departing. We do not recommend making reservations until we confirm we have the minimum of 10 participants for the trip. We have never had to cancel, but we like to be cautious. |
| How to Sign Up? | Please complete initial registration HERE to reserve your spot and include a non-refundable deposit for $500 (make the check out to The Tandana Foundation). Only when your deposit has been received can your spot be finalized. Places on the trip are on a first come basis. Final payment is due by October 1, 2027. Jen's address: 675 Park Road, Worthington, OH 43085. Her email address is: andon.1@osu.edu. If you need to discuss anything, my number is: 614-216-4288. |
Expectations for MGV Participants
Our mission on this trip is to provide service to the communities. Through The Tandana Foundation relationships, we are able to help in a variety of settings not available to tourists visiting the area. This is a special and unique opportunity to meet and work with the indigenous people of Otavalo.
| Work | Location | Travel |
| Join in the work and leisure activities each day. The only excuse for not participating is illness. | We are headquartered in Otavalo, Ecuador. This city is at an altitude of 8,000 feet above sea level. | Ride a bus each day to travel to various remote communities. Some roads may be gravel and dirt with rock slides along the way. Consider travel sickness aids such as patches and bracelets. |
| Working with children and adults who will steal your heart and make you admire their way of life. | Some may experience altitude sickness; staying well hydrated will help alleviate symptoms but headaches can occur. Bottled drinking water is provided but it is your responsibility to drink it. | The overall terrain is mountainous, steep and dramatically scenic. However, all of the work we do is in a location with walking on a moderate scale. |
| You will make friends and meet MGVs from around the state and have a memorable experience. | You may be working altitudes as high as 11,000 feet above sea level. Prepare for the potential for altitude sickness. Safe drinking water is always provided. | There may be a possibility that you have to use the outdoors as your bathroom. There are usually facilities, but not always. |
"Being guided by community members while gardening made the experience one in a million. It is one thing to travel to a new country and simply see the sights, but it is an entirely different experience to learn from the people who have spent their whole lives in that country. Being corrected on how to garden, being shown new and better ways to farm, and simply removing a Western view of horticulture was moving. The women, men, and children we worked alongside were some of the most beautiful and welcoming people I’ve ever met."