Maria Vargas News

Plastic vs. Plantain Leaves: The Hidden Sustainability Fight to Save Colombia’s Sugar Countryside
Join us for a visit to the remote mountains of Colombia, where one family’s handmade sugar and deep-rooted traditions offer a powerful glimpse into how rural communities can preserve culture, protect the environment, and build a sustainable future—one block of panela at a time.

Recharging in the Desert: Our Family’s Big Bend Ritual
Big Bend National Park is like a book that never ends and changes every time you try to read it. It’s enchanted under a spell where the more familiar you think you are with it, the more you realize how little you actually know it and the more it surprises you.

Unseen Stories: The Last Campesinos of Colombia's Coffee Heartland
"As the mountains closed in around us, Hector began telling us stories about their off-the-grid life. Slowly it dawned on me that we were stumbling into a deeper story. One about disappearing campesino lifestyles, the downsides of fair trade, harsh weather impacts, and living in harmony with nature."