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.
Since 2017, our tree nursery has had ups and downs, but through trial and error, we managed to grow and plant hundreds of trees. It took a while to find a way to incorporate this experience into our tours. Today, in almost every tour there is a moment where we ask our travelers to put their hands in the ground to transplant a seedling and “change the world at arm’s reach” by giving back to nature.
In the end (I think this is just the beginning!) these little efforts in every tour turn into a yearly planting day promoted by the local community (Associação Vezeira de Fafião). On this day, travelers, the team of Oporto Adventure Tours, and the local community all gather together to share their passion for nature, to eat delicious traditional food, and to have fun conversations and big laughs! This is the moment when the two tips of the line end on a circle that can spin over and over again.
This day is a reminder to us that every day and moment counts for “changing the world at arm’s reach.”
Luis Moreira
