Continuing on the theme of animal restoration, we paid a visit to RAREC (Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center). We walked through the property and learned about different animals rehabilitated in enclosures spread throughout the jungle. Our group favorite animal was the mini anteater, Maki. We moved on to the enrichment projects for the different animals. The group split in half, some weaving palm branches for monkeys and others creating a ladder for Samara, the ocelot. After an eventful day with the animals, we went to bed and woke up ready to move on to the rainforest. We boarded a boat for our two and a half hour long excursion across the Amazon and Napo rivers, even seeing some dolphins on our way. Our first stop was the community of Auca Cocha, where we met the children and community members we will be learning from for the next few days. The children met us with beautifully decorated signs and many cultural dances that they had us participate in. To return the favor, we taught them the Hokey Pokey. Once the singing and dancing died down, we learned from a community member about the different foods important to them. She was kind enough to offer us a sample of each dish. To finish the day, we learned ethnobotanical medicine from a community shaman at our lodge. We learned the history of their medicine, such as which fruits cure which ailments, which roots serve as antivenom, and the cultural importance of hallucinogens. At the end of his lesson, he performed a traditional blessing on all of us and sent us on our way. After dinner, he came back to show us the amazing fruit which serves as their communities’ equivalent to henna. Each of us received a different design, including toucans, snakes, butterflies, flowers, and the sun. As the night came to a close, we got together to play one last game as a group before preparing ourselves for the next day’s activity. One of our biggest takeaways of the day was to embrace what we can learn from other cultures and that sharing knowledge is power.
Authors: Ana (Gabby) O. & Betsy J.
