John, I didn’t expect to take the trip of a lifetime at 87.

But my recent travels to Ecuador’s Amazon region — a place I’ve only dreamt of visiting — were just that.

It all began when I accepted an invitation from Nemonte Nenquimo, a Waorani Indigenous leader, and her husband, Mitch Anderson, to spend time in the forest, see the damage that oil companies have wrought, and strategize on how we can best help their fight to stop the next oil auction.

Me and Mitch

In 2019, the Waorani people of Ecuador’s Amazon won a landmark climate victory against the government and stopped the impending auction of half a million acres of their ancestral lands to international and state oil companies. Five years later, the Ecuadorian government announced plans to launch a new oil auction that targets 8.7 million acres in the south-central part of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

We have just enough time to help our new friends save the forest, their culture, and the global climate.

Because all we have is each other.

If you have a few minutes, I’d love for you to read the full story from my trip on Substack and see what I experienced in the heart of the Amazon.

xx Jane