Guardian Medicines

19/01/2022

Support our project down in Colombia from afar! 🇨🇴

Hola 👋🏼 we’d like to ask for your help!

Guardian Medicines is our international program where we host cultural backpacking expeditions that focus on sustainable tourism. Currently, we support local Colombian and indigenous farmers with various projects the sustain their essential ways of life. Projects include organic coffee farming, reforestation of degraded landscapes by cattle farming, and eco-friendly ways to dispose waste.

This trip we were hoping to fund and build a cultural house in the indigenous village of Caracoli to help them maintain their traditions and spread the message worldwide for ecosystem protection in this UNESCO Bioreserve. We need your help to execute the build of this cultural house for the Kogi of La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

🍃You have the ability to make change!🍃

With a $10 -$20 donation to our Venmo at you can help support the project by funding the materials needed to complete this cultural house. Our goal is $900 USD. The funds will be used to purchase the palms needed to construct the roof. Normally the roof is made from nearby grasses, but due to cattle farming these grasses have nearly gone extinct. The indigenous are having to adapt to changes and purchase materials they can’t afford.

Your support is greatly appreciated and is vital to keep projects like this going!

In your donation please comment your email if you’d like to be updated on the project directly to see where your donated was used or just keep following along through Instagram here!

Thank you so much for your support!

24/11/2021

Backpacking is hard. Loading up everything you have to live, survive, and thrive into a heavy pack and walking for multiple days in the jungle is no easy feat. However, what you gain along the way leaves a lasting impression on your life. The pace of life slows down, you start to notice the birds, the trees, the flow of water, and the changing weather.

We set up our tents under the jungle canopy, cook our meals along the edge of a roaring river, and reflect upon our human impact as we help to reforest degraded landscapes. While living in the jungle you finally discover, maybe for the first time, that you are not separate from the natural world but an integrated part of the system.

On January 7th, we embark again into the “the heart of the world” to learn how we can step into our role as planetary stewards, aligned with the true feelings and messages we receive as the mind slows down to the natural rhythm of nature.

Sign up for our next expedition along the northern coast, January 7th-26th, 2021.

Hope to see you all in Colombia soon.

22/11/2021

These lands are not meant to be grasslands. This once was a complex ecosystem of thriving rainforest before cattle farming was introduced. Trees were cut to make way for grazing and in a blink of an eye, an ecosystem was destroyed.

During our next expedition with Guardian we will be working with to begin restoring these lands back. We will begin by building a nursery to grow seedlings that will eventually be planted in these vast, open spaces.

Join our next expedition Jan 7-26th and begin to make an impact in restoring lands in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world.

To learn more head to our website at guardianmedicines.com

See you in the jungle.

16/11/2021

COLOMBIA. Alright friends we are live! Join us this Jan 7-26th for a backpacking expedition through the Northern Coast that focuses on sustainable travel.

The mission of the expedition is to discover the magic and beauty of one of the most biodiverse ecosystems found on Earth. This is a multi-day cultural expedition in South America that is focused on adventure, reforestation, and supporting indigenous communities to maintain their traditions and beliefs.

The aim is to usher in a new era of international tourism that directly benefits the sustainability of rural conmunities and the environments they depend on. Throughout our time living in the jungle, participants will partake in an unforgettable adventure while also harmoniously working with the land and protecting wild spaces.

The vision for the expedition is develop participants into guardians of the natural world, or in other words, global citizens that actively work to sustain the continuance of ecosystems around the world. We give people hands-on skills to create environmental resilience while they learn about the ethnobotany of Colombia, how to backpack in a jungle environment, wilderness first-aid skills, sustainable design, the Spanish language, human history of the Caribbean, and reforestation of degraded lands. The cap- stone of our expedition is an extended solitude experience where participants spend time alone in nature to reflect on their life.

Head to the website to learn more!

11/06/2021

We are so ecstatic to be partnering with our brother over at and his organization We R Groot. Join us as we run to raise money for our tree planting project this summer down in Colombia.

Once we restore harmony in nature in one part of the earth, it’s like transforming the earth as a whole.

Join for the marathon run June 26th to be a ripple in the change we wish to see.

Or join us in Colombia as we plant with the change we wish to see! 2 spots left for the expedition portion!

Marathon Run Sign Up

Planting Project Sign up - link in bio.

27/05/2021

6 short weeks until we embark on our journey to the Heart of the World. Will you join us? 🍃 Few spots left on our Colombia Expedition. July 10-23rd.

13/05/2021

This is how we will become Guardians of Mother Nature.

12/05/2021

In the face of global unrest, inequality, and a desire for fair representation in Colombia, there is a seed that is being planted from this conflict.

Colombia is an amazing country with a people that love the diversity of each region. When corruption displays it's ugly face, the nation responds because the citizens know there is a more beautiful future.

They also recognize the need to protect the environment and the ecological abundance that has been sheltered through years of fighting with left-wing groups and the government. As these remote areas of nature open to development for the first time in 50 years the country and people in power are asked a simple question, "what type of world will be left for the next generations?"

At Guardian we believe in the development of planetary protectors/stewards who actively work to ensure our world is left in a suitable condition for the future. To us it's quite simple, learn from our ancient teachers about the physical and spiritual connections cultures have to the environment. Only then can we accurately design and formulate sustainable communities of the future that put our world first

Join us this summer July 10th-23rd as we create the actionable change that we all wish to see. Our service projects were created from the requests of the communities we work with --- we plan to plant more than 300 trees in a three-day period and install two dry composting toilets, all while learning how to promote a true form of sustainable travel.
🍃
Work with us and rediscover the planetary steward that is engrained in your bones. Become a Guardian of mother nature and it's people.

See you all in Colombia

03/05/2021

Any guesses what this gourd and white powder is?!

It’s not what you think. Pictured above is a ceremonial gourd and powdered seashells used to chew the sacred coca leaf. In the Kogi culture, the indigenous call this gourd a poporo. Pronounced po-po-row.

The ceremonial object is given to an individual when they turn 18 as a coming of age ceremony. In an ancient trifecta, a man will chew the coca, dip the stick attached to the Poporo into the vessel and extract the seashell powder that he will then rub onto
the wad of leaves in his mouth. Together the seashells, saliva, and coca are left on the stick which he then continues to rub on the outside of the Poporo to form a yellow “rock.” Every Poporo is a visual representation of a persons thoughts, beliefs, prayers, and dreams.

In developed countries the connection of co***ne, war, and cartels is synonymous with Colombia. However, the Kogi show us a different form of the coca leaf as a food and ceremonial plant of South America. While the leaf is a mild stimulant, the difference between coca and co***ne is astronomical.
🌱
The plant is a delicate leafy tree. The women are the only ones who are allowed to pick the sacred leaves and the men are the only ones who are allowed to chew them. Once the the leaves have been picked, they are toasted in a ceremonial process. A softball size stone is thrown into the fire until hot. The stone is then added to the mochila (woven bag) filled with fresh coca. The stone is tossed around in the bag for 20 minutes or so until all the leaves have a nice crisp. Once the stones are cool, the coca has been toasted.

The ancient act of coca cultivation and utilization has been practiced for millennia. The crushing of the seashells is another process. They take a plant that’s similar to what we know as a bamboo stalk and cut it into small fine strips. It’s then stacked side by side creating a small shelf. The seashells from the ocean 30 miles away are laid across the shelf and then topped with another bamboo layer followed by another layer of shells.

Continued in comments 🐚

20/04/2021

Are you ready to connect back to the authenticity in life?

Join us as we journey to the heart of this world to experience and rediscover where we all came from!

We are looking for expedition members to travel to the jungle for a 2-week backpacking trip into world renowned UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

As we develop a new form of eco tourism, our purpose is to set a new standard of international travel while participating in a life-changing opportunity. We are looking for motivated individuals that are determined to get the most out of life, leave a positive impact in the places they travel to, and learn how to full-heartedly become guardians of Mother Nature.

With our local and indigenous partners, we will collaborate and implant tangible methods to rehabilite degraded landscapes and reduce the impact of tourism on the environment.

Expedition dates are July 10-July 25, 2021 and will begin in Santa Marta, Colombia. Link in bio to learn more!

*Managing COVID -19*
We are aware of the potential to spread COVID-19 when traveling abroad. As a COVID-free pod that has been tested and/or vaccinated, we will reduce the risk of transmitting any illnesses to the communities we interact with. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, the work to sustain the cultural heritage of indigenous communities and the planet must continue.

18/08/2020

Colombian pride. A culture that emanates it and shouts it through the roofs. We are honored to be in the presence of their culture and learn so much about their history & people. Colombian culture holds a magic that is indescribable... you just have to feel it for yourself. Join us for our next Guardian trip December 28-Jan 17. Click the link in bio for more details.

17/08/2020

Viento que viene de la montaña
Viento, tráenos la claridad

Viento que viene del mar
Viento, tráenos la libertad

Viento que viene del desierto
Viento, tráenos el silencio

Viento que viene de la selva
Viento, tráenos la memoria

Vuela, vuela, vuela, volá con nosotros
🍃✨🌊💨

Wind coming from the mountain
Wind, bring us clarity

Wind coming from the sea
Wind, bring us freedom

Wind coming from the desert
Wind, bring us the silence

Wind coming from the jungle
Wind, bring us the memory

Fly, fly, fly, fly with us

Words by Danit, Cuatro Vientos
All photos taken in Colombia on the Guardian Medicines expedition. @ Colombia

17/08/2020

Viento que viene de la montaña
Viento, tráenos la claridad

Viento que viene del mar
Viento, tráenos la libertad

Viento que viene del desierto
Viento, tráenos el silencio

Viento que viene de la selva
Viento, tráenos la memoria

Vuela, vuela, vuela, volá con nosotros
🍃✨🌊💨

Wind coming from the mountain
Wind, bring us clarity

Wind coming from the sea
Wind, bring us freedom

Wind coming from the desert
Wind, bring us the silence

Wind coming from the jungle
Wind, bring us the memory

Fly, fly, fly, fly with us

Words by Danit, Cuatro Vientos
All photos taken in Colombia on the Guardian Medicines expedition. @ Colombia

28/06/2020

Guardian works directly with coffee farms in Colombia like our friends at Eco Finca Akasha Permacultura.
http://ecofinca-akasha.org/
While we all love the idea of fair trade coffee, we need to recognize our role in creating a more fair world. We buy this coffee for about $7 a pound and talk directly with the farmers to decide on a “fair” price. The owners of Eco Finca Akasha, Marlon and Paula are our friends!
We believe that as consumers we need to be more conscious of the types of coffee farms we would like to promote.
Eco Finca Akasha is a shade grown arabica coffee grown in a diverse food forest that works to regenerate degraded soils from excessive cattle ranching in the region of Santander, Colombia.
Every bean of coffee is picked by hand and bought by large companies like Nestlé and Starbucks for pennies on the dollar. We pay a premium in developed countries for our coffee which primarily goes to the profit of these large companies and not the farmer.
We add to the destruction of our pristine world by buying coffee from these large companies. All coffee drinkers have a responsibility to educate themselves on where their coffee comes from and how the farmers are compensated.
What other coffee farms do you all support and how do they add to the sustainability of our planet?

03/12/2019

On the top of South America at the beginning of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD2sUjPEmiY

The Department of La Guajira is located in the northwest of Colombia in the Caribbean region. The areas covered by desert run into the Caribbean sea. This am...

03/12/2019

On our January expedition, we will be visiting Punta Gallinas, Riohacha and Cabo de la Vela.

We have 3 spots left for our Northern Coast Backpack, contact now to reserve yours.

08/10/2019

We are happy to announce our first expedition on the Northern Coast of Colombia January 27th - February 9th, 2020.

Visit www.guardianmedicines.com/expeditions for more information.

13/09/2019