Birdwatching Adventures with ACE

Birdwatching Adventures with ACE

At ACE, we love welcoming teams with all kinds of talents and interests to visit us in Jamaica. Recently, we had the privilege of hosting a group of passionate birdwatchers who experienced firsthand the island’s beautiful wildlife.

Led by local eco-certified guide Dwayne Swaby, Greg, Sarah, Matthew, and Will set out on an early morning expedition, eager to explore ACE’s different properties. Greg mentioned they were “all ‘in it, to win it,’ excited to see what birdlife and nature [they] would see,” despite the muddy trails and intermittent rain they encountered. 

The team enjoyed spotting roughly 45 incredible bird species, including the Jamaican Tody, the Jamaican Woodpecker, and the Red-billed Streamertail—Jamaica’s national bird. The national bird is a hummingbird and, as Greg put it, “unbelievably stunning with its long trailing tail feathers and green body with black and purple on its head.” Greg also mentioned that “God had a sense of beautiful humor when he designed birds.” We have to agree, but more so with all of His creation, including His people.

Our staff at ACE loves connecting people with communities in meaningful ways. Whether through education, healthcare, microbusiness, or even birding, we believe every visitor has something valuable to contribute to our community in St. Mary.

If you have a passion, skill, or hobby you’d love to share, we’d love to host you! We still have a couple of open weeks at the end of July, so gather your team and come experience Jamaica with us. Whether you’re a birdwatcher, a medical professional, a teacher, or someone who just wants to make a difference wherever you can, there’s a place for you at ACE. Email Susan, our Stateside Director, at office@acexperience.org or call 877-500-5768 for more information.

Recycling an Old Tree

Recycling an Old Tree

There are a lot of beautiful over-100-year-old trees on the Green Life Farm. One of the most beautiful and sought-after trees is called a Guango. To us, it looks like the Tree of Life in Avatar, where everything lives in it and under it. A few months ago, Allen and the farm team were opening up the original path where our creek flows through pasture. At one point, Allen noticed a huge Guango that had apparently been struck by lightning who knows how many years ago. While we saw the burnt-out area of the tree, we decided to cut it down since it was already dead.

What a treasure we found when we saw the beautiful wood intact all around the strike area. With the help of many of our staff, we were able to take the Guango to the woodworking shop at GLF. Just this week, after drying out the wood for a few months, we asked members of the team from Orlando, FL, to help us make tables for our dining area at Buccaneers. Take a look at what a little sanding and varnishing can do to an old tree.

Not only do we have some beautiful tables for our guests to enjoy, but we have over 100 pieces of lumber to help with the other projects we have at the farm. Never think because you are “old”, you can’t be used. The Bible has a verse that reminds me of this old tree: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor 5:17)

 

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