I went to Ometepe Island to visit my family, Guias Unidas Project Directors Jeff and Kate Zylland are devoted to promoting community-based ecotourism, education, and guiding. Since 2010 they have lived the seasonal life, working for up to six months at a time in National Parks and environmental education centers in the US, and volunteering internationally.

While volunteering in Nicaragua during the winter of 2011, Jeff and Kate visited Ometepe Island and met a tour guide named Arlin Hernandez. Arlin spoke of organizing a cooperative of guides on the island to educate and set quality and safety standards for tours. Training and educational resources, Arlin said, could be hard to come by. But as park rangers and environmental educators in the United States, Kate and Jeff had access to training resources. They also saw volunteer opportunities for outdoor professionals who are often underemployed in the USA winter. An idea was born.