Rio Amazonas

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The Lovely Nenita

Our boat. Worthy of a blog entry all her own. Last year during our visit to Peru, the Nenita was out of commission, awaiting a motor held up in customs too long to be installed before our trip downriver. To be honest, I was beyond disappointed, as an overnight trip on the Amazon is something out of my dreams. We traveled on the Maikai, a speedboat that took us to the Madre Selva field station in four short hours. The boat ride was enjoyable, but nothing compared to being carried along the river by the lovely Nenita.

We took the skiff to the Nenita, which was anchored downriver a few miles, waiting for us in freshly painted splendor. On the first floor are cabins, each with two bunks, a bathroom, a small kitchen, and deck space. On the second floor more cabins, a wonderful dining room with a big round table, and lots of deck space with chairs and hammocks in which to settle and watch the scenery slip by. Chugging down the Amazon River on the Nenita, life is but a dream.

The Nenita docked at the Madre Selva Biological Field Station

Getting some work done in the dining room - Nenita.

John on the Nenita.

Cabin on the Nenita.

Sunset on the Amazon

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Can’t wait to get back!

Today is December 23rd and in four days I return to Peru. This year we will spend time in the incredible city of Iquitos (can’t wait to visit the Belen market); we will float downriver on the Nenita to the Amazon tributary the Rio Orosa, where we will spend time at the Project Amazonas biological field station working, learning, and visiting friends; and we will then head upland, to the magical Machu Picchu. I’ll keep you posted with stories and photos as time and technology allow.

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Back up the river… and a surprise stop

January 8, 2013

One last hike in the jungle

Before breakfast a few of us go on one last jungle hike with Devon. He shows us massive trees that support an entire community of life in their branches, high above us.  He tells us that more species can be found in one acre here than in all of Kentucky.

We leave shortly after breakfast and it’s a beautiful morning on the Amazon. We are delighted to see pink dolphin. As we cruise upriver, back to the chaos that is Iquitos, I have mixed feelings. I am sad to leave the rain forest behind, but looking forward to getting back to “civilization”. I am anxious to internet chat with my husband. The only way my Amazon experience could have been better is if he had been here to have it with me.

Isle de los monos

On the way back, we stop at the island of the monkeys, a monkey rescue center inhabited by various species of monkeys, parrots, a rabbit, and a dog. Almost all of the critters roam freely, and the monkeys are very funny and will climb up and down human visitors and swing from their arms. My fellow travels are delighted and Brittany especially loves the monkeys. When we try to leave, one sweet monkey boards our boat, and the caretaker must come and get him.

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Devon’s Birthday… Santo Tomas.

January 5, 2013

Santo Tomas

Today we return to the community of Santo Tomas. The first order is to clear an area about the size of an acre between the school and the river to grow some corn, rice, yucca, and other vegetables to sell to raise funds for the school. There is a good turn-out, about 25 people go to work clearing the area with machetes, which are remarkably effective. Group effort in these communities is common, and representatives from each family typically participate. After the land clearing, which takes only about an hour, we gather in the school to talk with Antonio Pacaya, Lieutenant Governor, and Antonio Garcia Delaguila, the President and religious leader. They thank everyone for their hard work and speak about the importance of the school, not only for the education of their young people, but as a place for adult education (literacy classes are offered), for community meetings, and as a place that brings community together. There is some talk of plans for a secondary school to be built in the area, but the most exciting topic is the coming clinic. The clinic, which is being constructed by Project Amazonas, is expected to be opened this summer, and this news by “Dr. Devon” is received with applause.

Other community projects are planned, but Santo Tomas must first receive a title for their land, 650 hectares along the Rio Orosa. This title is expected to come anytime, and when it arrives, so too will come a waste management project, which will allow for composting of organics for local use, and transportation of recyclable waste to Iquitos. A sustainable forest management plan is in the works, so that they can harvest timber for local use and possible sale, without exhausting the resource.

We ask the community leaders about petro activity in the area, and they tell us that a Canadian company has a concession, but after exploration decided to postpone any extraction activity. The leaders state that they found the oil to be too “green”, which likely means that extraction simply isn’t feasible at this place and time. The residents of Santo Tomas did not communicate directly with the petro company, but heard this information by word of mouth. They stated that if the petro company had decided to extract, they likely would meet with residents for discussion first. The members of this community are well aware of the challenges being faced by other river villages that have not been so lucky as to have oil too “green” to extract.

Other environmental concerns include river contamination due to dumping of waste, which will largely be addressed by the waste management project.

Devon’s Birthday

We celebrated Devon’s birthday with a scrumptious cake and jungle cocktails.

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The Rain Forest… and Lucy

The Rain Forest…and Lucy

 

An attempt to describe the rain forest here seems absurd, as there is so much going on in this world. Sound comes from everywhere, rising, falling, overlapping, made by water dripping, beautifully colored birds, countless insects and the sweet charismatic frogs that are often featured in Rain Forest publication materials from posters to coloring books. Our group’s collective favorite sound is the one made by the Oropendola bird. It sounds like a great big water drop. (recording here) It is a lush, dense green forest filled with plants and trees that look nothing like anything I’ve ever seen before. In fact, Devon took us along on an excursion to visit a coniferous tree of which only three individuals have been identified (two by Devon). This individual is the only female of the three, and Devon actually gets naming rights to the species, which is pretty incredible. He is calling her Lucy for short, after the first female. She is enormous. So tall that I can barely make out what her leaves actually look like. Devon measures her diameter breast height (3.5 meters circumference) and finds a seedling on the forest floor to photograph for his documentation. I am in awe of both him and the tree.

The rain forest is the most diverse ecosystem on earth, home to more species that have even begun to be identified and catalogued. But its a difficult place for us humans and we struggle with the clouds of mosquitoes, ants who will cling and bite and set your skin on fire, and a remarkable number of thorny varieties of trees and plants. We all agree that the short hike out to visit Lucy is easily the toughest any of us have ever done. But worth it.

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Comunidad Nativa de Comandancia “Comandancia”

January 6th, 2013

Comunidad Nativa de Comandancia  “Comandancia”

Comandancia (population approximately 248) is a primarily Yagua Indian community just up the river from the field station and we go there for a visit this morning. The community is s0-named because it was founded 50 years b.p. by a “patron” (“El Comandante”) to whom residents were in service. Individuals became liberated from service to El Comandante in the 1970’s and now work collectively farming, hunting, and fishing. Unlike Nuevo Israel and Santo Tomas, Comandancia is not organized around religion.

Devon is greeted enthusiastically by the people here, as he is wherever we go, and there is even a baby named after him. Shauna and Chad are like Santa in Comandancia. They developed relationships with the people here last year, and come bearing gifts. The are immediately surrounded by children as they pull candy, hair bands, stickers, and balls from their backpacks. Shauna has done something brilliant. She printed photos she took last year and has brought them to give to the children. They study their images repeatedly. A game of volley ball begins immediately and the children are really good. When we leave they all follow us, and wave goodbye from the riverbank as we pull away. Now that the community knows we are here with items to trade, they will spend time making crafts. We will return late the next day to trade.

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Rio Amazonas

January 3, 2013
The Amazon, Peru

Today we head down the river.
This is a day I’ve dreamed of since first learning about the Amazon Rain Forest in fifth grade. The river is huge, dwarfing the mighty Mississippi, and brown, full of sediment from the gigantic watershed that drains into it. The elevation drops only 300 feet from Iquitos to the mouth of the Amazon at the Atlantic Ocean, so this big river moves slowly. We travel approximately 125 river kilometers from Iquitos to our destination, the Madre Selva field station where will spend the next five days. Originally, we were to be carried downriver by the Nenita, a large, beautiful white and green river boat. Unfortunately, the Nenita’s new motor was help up in customs, so we were forced to ride by speed boat. I was highly disappointed as I was so looking forward to a slow overnight trip on the river. The speed boat got us to our destination in just under four hours and it was an interesting and fun ride. Each side of the river is lined with bright green forest, and I can see the high water line on the banks, at least five feet above where we floated. It won’t be long before the river reaches that mark, and even on the trip down river, it rains for most of the time. Frequently we pass dwellings along the river, houses built on stilts with thatched roofs, and we wave at the people as we pass. What an interesting life they must have on the Amazon, I think, and how incredibly different from mine. I don’t realize how much I am about to learn about these people that live on the river and its tributaries.

Madre Selva Field Station

Project Amazon, the non-profit organization led by our guide and host, Dr. Devon, has built an amazing field station on the Rio Orosa that includes a kitchen and dining building, a classroom, bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, a dormitory, and cabins. When we arrive, a crew is there working on the new two-story classroom. Its very nice, built with lumber harvested selectively nearby from the forest, and green screen to keep out the infamous rain forest mosquitos (the reason I’ve been taking malaria medicine for the past week and will continue to take for the next two weeks.) Its a beautiful little field station, and the crew that left Iquitos before us with all of our luggage and supplies has not yet arrived. This means dinner is postponed, but we don’t care because we are in the rain forest and are drunk on the air. The Crew. Somehow, Dr. Devon has acquired a crew that is as magical as the place we are in. They manage to unload the supplies from boat, scrub algae off the slippery walking path, settle us all in with mosquito nets over our beds, and start dinner within no time at all. They have brought all kinds of creature comforts including plenty of beer. Dinner is the most amazing meal I’ve ever had, and worth every minute of the wait. Fresh Amazon fish, rice, fresh vegetables and fruit, all presented as beautifully as anything Ive seen in any restaurant. I have heard Chad and Shauna rave about the food at the field station, and they were right. I don’t know it yet, but each meal is better than the last.

My cabina…and the gecko.

My little cabin is simple and screened in, and I’m delighted to sleep in a cabin in the jungle. I can’t wait to lie down for the night and listen to the forest sounds, and especially can’t wait to wake up to the morning sounds of the forest. However my excitement is dampened by an unfortunate accident. I opened my door to enter and heard something drop. When I shined my flashlight on the floor, I see a beautiful little lizard. Its black and white, and kind of chunky, with webbed feet. It is about four inches long, and adorable, but missing its tail. Upon closer inspection, I see that it has JUST lost its tail, as it looks raw and a tiny bit bloody. Immediately I realize that I have somehow injured him when coming in the door. Devon removes it from my cabin, assuring me it will regenerate that tail, but it looks like a painful experience and I am crushed, tearing up even now as I write about it. I am cursed with an extraordinary sensitivity to critters, and every time I remember him curled around to inspect where his tail was severed, I am heart broken. After dinner Devon takes us for a night hike and we see all kinds of creatures including a pink-footed tarantula (gorgeous and furry and, yes, pink-footed), colorful frogs just like those in the rain forest posters and other rain forest paraphernalia, spiders, a disgusting flatworm, and tons of other creatures.

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Iquitos Roars for Water


January 3rd, 2013
Iquitos, Peru

 Iquitos Roars for Water

Proyecto “El Petroleo en La Selva”  (Project “Petroleum in the Jungle”)

Organizations for the protection of the environment and the indigenous peoples do exist in Loreto, and they are working hard to protect their place from the impacts of petroleum  exploration and extraction. Its difficult work, and Andres Sandi Mucushua, the leader of the group FECONACO (Federation of the Indigenous Communities of the Correientes River) sat down with us for a conversation about the challenges facing the region and the work that his organization and others are doing. FECONACO has a staff of eight plus lawyers that they contract with for reasons which will soon be explained. Andres was a teacher at age 19 and at 23 stepped up to a leadership role in his community when existing leaders were found to be pocketing oil money and general corruption. From 2005 to present, Andre has been elected to his post by “Apos” (leaders) of his community to represent and lead. His organization, FECONACO, represents Achuar, Kichwa, and Urarina communitieis on the Correientes River and works on interconnected social, environmental, political, and economical issues.

Andres was trained in subjects of environmental and indigenous rights by the organization Amazon Watch, and went to Ecuador for this training, as it is not available in Peru. The most serious problem, Andre says,is that indigenous people are not prepared to deal with petroleum interests. Language barriers, lack of negotiation skills, and manipulation by the petro interests have indigenous people at a disadvantage and petroleum representatives take advantage of this. Indigenous communities lose their territory to petroleum and forestry concessions, and the Peruvian government is complicit. In fact, there is only one indigenous representative in the Peruvian congress, Eduardo Nayap, so the electorate doesn’t truly represent the indigenous people. The Peruvian government does not support FECONACO’s work because it interferes with progress, Andres tells us.

Once the petro companies gain access to the land, they leave lasting environmental impacts including oil spills and dumping of salt water used in extraction into fresh water systems, both of which result in contaminated water and fish kills. The petro activities have social impacts as well. Children have illnesses as a result of contaminated water such as retarded growth, food resources are destroyed resulting in changes in diet, employees from the camps often have sexual relations with young women in the communities, and petroleum boats often swamp canoes as they pass fisherman causing injury and even death. “We can’t go on living the way we are,” Andres states, “we need intervention”. (This cannot be taken as exact quote, as it was recorded through interpreter.)

Next steps

When asked what are the next steps needed to effect change, Andres tells us that serious studies are needed to document problems and that the Peruvian officials need to enforce rules that state that anyone entering into a community to conduct activity is supposed to consult (meaningfully) with the community members.

Taking action

FORMABIAP is training twenty-one environmental monitors, and have provided GPS to record and track petroleum spills and environmental issues. They are also training bilingual teachers in spanish and tribal languages. Children need to be educated on these issues, Andres tells us, because many adults don’t seem to care.

The organization partners with other NGOs to organize protests, such as Iquitos Roars for Water, a huge protest to raise awareness about protecting the Nanay River, that occurred in March of 2012. Andre describes the protest as twenty-five city blocks in Iquitos, and signs remain throughout the city in the form of graffiti that says, “Agua Si, Petroleum No!”. This protest is scheduled for each March, and I feel strongly compelled to schedule a visit in March to participate. When Iquitos Roars for Water, I want to roar with them.

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The investigation continues…

January 1, 2013

Iquitos, Peru

The Professor enlightens

Today we had the opportunity to meet with a Professor of Ecology from the National University of Peruvian Amazon, Roberto Pezo. An extremely knowledgeable and patient man, Dr. Pezo answered many of our questions concerning petro activity in Peru, and spoke with us about general environmental challenges for the region. Here is what we learned from Dr. Pezo:

Petro exploration began in Peru in 1939, when geological observations suggested that oil was present. Oil shales in North and South Peru are only 5000 to 6000 feet deep, so extraction is relatively easy endeavor. However in the center of the basin that was long ago an inland sea, drilling must go as deep as 12,000 feet. In many areas, the groundwater is so “fluid” that it constantly fills voids as they are created, so submergable pumps must be used to pump water out of the wells, increasing production costs. Still, this oil is worth getting (at least in the minds of the petro companies that have invested in the effort). In fact, this is heavy crude being pulled off the top. Geologist estimate that oil reserves in Peru exist to 20,000 – 25,000 feet and are possibly equal to those in the Gulf of Mexico. Its clear that petro extraction has a potentially long future in Peru.

So, why should we care?

Because much of this oil feeds the insatiable appetites of the United States and other developed countries, and petro extraction is not without impacts, as we have learned.

These are social and environmental, and I will describe the issues in greater detail in following posts. There is an incredible amount of money at stake. While some proceeds from the petro are reinvested into communities throughout Peru, this return is relatively insignificant (later I learn exactly how insignificant) and not worth the potential losses. As Dr. Pezo explained, the people in the communities that are affected by the oil exploration and extraction have no experience in negotiating with big companies like Conoco-Phillips or Talisman or Pan America Energy. NGO’s often step in to “help” but sadly don’t always have the best interest of the community in mind. In one instance, the negotiation resulted in a monthly payment to the community of $10,000 soles. The money was divided among individuals who lost incentive to work and the community actually suffered.

Intangible (untouchable)

A 2008 research paper, “Oil and Gas Projects in the western Amazon: Threats to Wilderness, Biodiversity, and Indigenous Peoples”, by Finer, Jenkins, Pimm, Keane, and Ross, describes the status of oil and natural gas activity in the Western Amazon watershed. How it works is that governments designate “blocks” of area that can be leased to international petro companies for exploration and extraction. An alarmingly large area of the western Amazon, including area in Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, and Bolivia, is designated into blocks. These blocks presently cover 688,000 km2 in the western Amazon and are operated by at least 35 multinational oil and gas companies. In Peru, these blocks cover about 72% of the Amazon region. Many of these blocks overlap areas that have been designated protected, or “Zona Intangible” (untouchable zone) due to high biodiversity or the presence of “indigenous groups in voluntary isolation” (Finer, et. al, 2008).

A new model

There are better ways. Dr. Pezo described a new model in place in a community on the Curaray River, just south of the Ecuador border, that was suggested as part of an Environmental Impact Study. It provides training to people in affected communities to be environmental monitors to help keep watch on the activities of the petro company, making sure they are following regulations. Another model in place is six month training for community leaders in negotiating skills and community development projects. The oil companies provide this training, as well as technical experts to act as consultants and provide support. Scholarships are offered to students to go to college, provided they will return to the community with leadership and community development skills.

Beyond petroleum (And I don’t mean BP, the company)

Many other environmental concerns exist beyond those associated with petroleum extraction. Dr. Pezo describes his worry over a proposal to develop a 40,000 hectare of African Palm trees (Elaeis guineensis) on the Nanay River. Aside from the fact that they rain forest will be cleared  to install a non-native monoculture, the palms cannot grow well without constant input of  agrochemicals, which wash into rivers during high rainfall. Often such plantations are abandoned soon after establishment because they are expensive to maintain, and the rain forest soil cannot support such crops.

Much like the weather extremes we are observing in the United States, Iquitos and greater Loreto  are experiencing extremes too. From 1904 (when record keeping began) to the 1970’s, the river (Amazon and tributaries) followed a consistent pattern of rise and fall. Last year, the river hit a record high, followed by a record low this year. This change coincides with deforestation of the high forest on the east side of the Andes. The high forest regulates water, slowing it down as it moves through the water shed. There is not necessarily more or less water in the years of high and low records; it just isn’t naturally regulated. The high forest provides this ecosystem service, invaluable to the people that live and work on the river.

As with many places around the planet, Peruvian scientists are observing differences in flowering and fruiting phenology of some flora, possibly due to climate change. Rather than the temperature changes we are experiencing in the U.S., the Amazon region is experiencing humidity changes, particularly in the eastern Amazon, where deforestation results in decrease in humidity (estimated 5%).

Next steps for sustainable development.

Dr Pezo comes to the same conclusion as me and sustainabilistas around the world: before we can begin to live, work, and learn more sustainably, social issues must be addressed. It all depends on changing the mindset of people.

Economic generators in Iquitos, Peru:

  1. Oil and gas exploration
  2. Timber removal and exportation (primarily to Asia)
  3. Regional government (Iquitos capital city of Loreto)
  4. Narcotic trafficking
  5. Aquaculture – food fish and tropical fish (although tropical fish exports have reduced due to increase of this activity in China)
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The investigation begins

December 31st, 2012

Iquitos, Peru

The petro investigation begins

Our investigation into petro industry officially began today, with a conversation with some local employees of PetroPeru. Freddy was on hand to help interpret and so was

our official interpreter, Shauna. We met at a little shop around the corner from our hotel, and shared a cool beer and talked. Franklin, Teddy, and Wilter described the work they do, primarily installing electricity infrastructure for Iquitos and for remote villages and for PetroPeru exploration and extraction base camps.

The three men described how PetroPeru promises electricity, improved schools, gardens, soccer supplies, food, clothes, and other such improvements to remote communities in exchange for oil concessions. (I will soon learn that most of these promises are never delivered, and when they are, they are badly executed and ill fated. One of the biggest problems is that the indigenous communities are unprepared for such negotiation, and the trade is unfair, especially in light of the environmental impacts of the petro activities, but more on this later.)

When asked about environmental impacts, the men willingly share a story of a pipeline leak into the Rio Maranon. They describe fish kills and deformed birds and other wildlife. There was little that could be done to clean up the spill, and PetroPeru repaired the leak and contained the spill to the extent possible. Maranon River communities affected by the spill came to Iquitos to protest and request payment for damages. PetroPeru responded with payment (although the men could not say how much) and presently sends potable water, fish, and food to the community that can no longer get these resources from the river.

Our PetroPeru associates explain to us that PetroPeru is not actually a Peru-based company, but rather a subsidiary of Canadian-based company, Talisman (PetroPeru was originally a Peruvian company, started in the 1970’s by the existing dictatorship. Since then, it has been sold, but whether Talisman is actually the parent company is unknown at this time. I will soon learn the that petroleum interests are a complicated and unclear as to origin and relationships.) The oil extracted in the Iquitos region is refined locally, and largely exported.

Franklin, Wilter, and Teddy spend months at a time at base camps in “virgin jungle”, and described how employees and supplies are transported by helicopter. Nearly everything is available at base camps, including internet, television, and even prostitutes that are flown out regularly to “service” the men. The men describe receiving a plethora of vaccinations before leaving for base camp, and spending time in “quarantine” when they return to be checked for good health. Salary for a technician is 2,500 soles per month, and the men receive health care, retirement, and continued training.