Setting off in October 2017 we plan to cycle 6000 miles  (10,000km) from the bottom to the top of South America on a pair of worryingly wonky handmade bamboo bikes.

A labour of love, sweat and tears, the bikes will carry us through Patagonian peatbogs, up and over 4000m passes and into the steamy tropics.

Along the way we’ll be stopping to meet with some of South America’s most inspiring movers, shakers, recyclers and makers in the form of local conservation heroes, sustainability gurus and generally awesome folk doing their bit to care for the planet. Our mission will be to share their stories and raise money for some great causes. But lets not beat about the bamboo bush, it’s also going to be one hella great adventure.

We're raising funds for Conservation International, a charity at the forefront of protecting our global environment. They can tell you more about their amazing work here: www.conservation.org 

For us, protecting the planet is the challenge of our time. Whether it’s access to clean water, healthy oceans, abundant forests or green cities - it may not impact us all today - but it will impact all generations to come.

There’s been an incredible amount of positive action of late, which we should all be shouting about from the roof tops. But, there remains a long way to go along the path to a sustainable future, and we feel Conservation International has an essential role to play.

Over the years, CI has helped support 1,200 protected areas and interventions across 77 countries, safeguarding more than 601 million hectares of land, marine and coastal areas. 

Conservation International balances pragmatism to protect the here and now, with fostering long-term effective change. They do this through a three pronged approach: 

1) protect the places that we cannot afford to lose; 

2) foster effective governance to protect and sustain; and, 

3) work with business and industry to promote sustainable production.

Aside from that, they’re also pretty damn efficient at corralling funds and putting them to good use for our planet (trust me, I checked, I have the spreadsheets to prove it). 

Any donations to this great cause will be massively appreciated and make each and every one of the 6000 bumpy, saddle sore miles ahead more worthwhile.

Many thanks for your support. 

Emily and Sam x 

PS. Unfortunately at this time donations to CI can only be made in USD as such the transaction fees charged on your donation will be 1.65% higher than for a GBP donation. 

If we make our $6000 target this means the total transaction fees will $99 USD more than if donating in GBP. As we feel very strongly about supporting the work of CI, one of the most efficient conservation charities in the world we will be making a donation to cover this cost.