What's the meaning behind this quote?
This is probably what most of our travelers ask themselves when they hear me or one of the other guides using this expression, borrowed from Miguel, one of our former guides.
Well, to explain the meaning behind this expression, we have to go back to spring 2017, when Rui Pedro, another former guide, had the idea for Oporto Adventure Tours to start a reforestation project. Together with our team we built a tree nursery in Fafião Village with native trees to support the local ecosystem.
This is the moment the meaning behind “changing the world at arm’s distance” was born, but it took a few more years until Miguel coined this expression in 2022. It captures very well how we at Oporto Adventure Tours are not just hiking and visiting waterfalls; we also focus on participatory tourism that cares for people and the environment.
Nowadays, in every tour there is a MOMENT, where everyone sets their hands on the ground, gets THEIR tree and transplants it - "helps nature at an arm's distance" - by giving back to the mountains and village surroundings.
An event where all these trees are planted by everyone: travellers, OAT team members, the locals and their families and others related with nature (all the community). This is the MOMENT, the moment when the two tips of the line end on a circle that can spin over and over again.
This day is about giving back to nature, but also to achieve something. Is about sharing the same passion for nature, the same appreciation over a traditional food & wine, having fun conversations and big laughs! It's a reminder to us that every day and moment counts for "CHANGING/HELPING THE WORLD AT ARMS DISTANCE".
Luis Moreira
