Guelaguetza
The Zapotec word Guelaguetza means something along the lines of 'to give and to get.' The principles of this seemingly simple concept are woven throughout every fiber of Zapotec Oaxaca. Ironically, the liberal western concept of this, in most instances, tends to mean a kind of self-less giving that "pays it forward," so to speak. Giving and receiving in Oaxaca includes much more detail, down to recorded gifts going back more than 100 years in some communities. You, and your family, are known for what you bring to the party. Literally. It is a complex for of bartering and crowd sourcing, as well as a means to hold a community together under the same standards of relief and expectation.
Our first foraging adventure brought us to the mountain town of Cuajimoloyas in July of 2019, and we knew what needed to happen next. Kim and I had hoped to move to Oaxaca to begin our 2nd year of adventures--with three already sold--in 2020. We even got rid of both or our apartments, sold our furniture and packed up our valuable things for our move South. Due to rather unforeseen circumstances, our second mushroom foraging adventure in Oaxaca had to wait until September of 2021. We finally arrived to live in Oaxaca in March of 2022, two years delayed by even more motivated. We offered three adventures in 2022, six adventures last year in 2023, and will have worked with or been directly involved in producing ten adventures in 2024.
Since the beginning, Oaxaca (and the people from valley to mountain!) has been an incredible host for us to incubate an idea that has grown into a full fledged business doing what we love, connecting to mushroom enthusiasts no matter the linguistic background, as well as a en emergent mission to help the people who are often all but invisible to the average visitor to Oaxaca. Due to our focus on activities in the community mountains and forests, we have necessarily become dedicated to steering some of the tourist dollars pouring in to Oaxaca in the direction of the rural communities, far from the bustling tourist Mecca that is downtown Oaxaca de Juarez.
This year we are excited to launch our first annual Scholarship Fund! This fund is one of the ways we, as guests in this incredible ancient land, can give back to Oaxaca, to Mexico and to the dedication of mycology itself. Our observation from working with so many people in North America is that the field is so full of younger, passionate mycophiles of all backgrounds whose presence on our adventures would only deepen the experience for everyone. This fund is designed to help offset the cost of our adventures, and we couldn't be more excited to promote our educational work with a broader swath of people, and provide the opportunity to connect to indigenous Mexico in a rich, unforgettable community environment.
Our first foraging adventure brought us to the mountain town of Cuajimoloyas in July of 2019, and we knew what needed to happen next. Kim and I had hoped to move to Oaxaca to begin our 2nd year of adventures--with three already sold--in 2020. We even got rid of both or our apartments, sold our furniture and packed up our valuable things for our move South. Due to rather unforeseen circumstances, our second mushroom foraging adventure in Oaxaca had to wait until September of 2021. We finally arrived to live in Oaxaca in March of 2022, two years delayed by even more motivated. We offered three adventures in 2022, six adventures last year in 2023, and will have worked with or been directly involved in producing ten adventures in 2024.
Since the beginning, Oaxaca (and the people from valley to mountain!) has been an incredible host for us to incubate an idea that has grown into a full fledged business doing what we love, connecting to mushroom enthusiasts no matter the linguistic background, as well as a en emergent mission to help the people who are often all but invisible to the average visitor to Oaxaca. Due to our focus on activities in the community mountains and forests, we have necessarily become dedicated to steering some of the tourist dollars pouring in to Oaxaca in the direction of the rural communities, far from the bustling tourist Mecca that is downtown Oaxaca de Juarez.
This year we are excited to launch our first annual Scholarship Fund! This fund is one of the ways we, as guests in this incredible ancient land, can give back to Oaxaca, to Mexico and to the dedication of mycology itself. Our observation from working with so many people in North America is that the field is so full of younger, passionate mycophiles of all backgrounds whose presence on our adventures would only deepen the experience for everyone. This fund is designed to help offset the cost of our adventures, and we couldn't be more excited to promote our educational work with a broader swath of people, and provide the opportunity to connect to indigenous Mexico in a rich, unforgettable community environment.
