Dispatches from the Field & Project Summaries
Amazon Conservation Association – Peru (”Science & Tourism Come Together”)
April 16, 2009
For the first time, Los Amigos Research Station, or Centro Investigacion Capacitacion Rio Amigo (CICRA), is allowing tourists to stay and work alongside researchers in the Amazon. Taking a 5-hour boat-ride from the nearest city, visitors reach the research station and ascend over 200 steps to reach the 160,000 hectare preserve. Up until just a few years ago, this place was an active mining camp. When gold mining ended, the miners packed up and left the infrastructure behind. When officials from Los Amigos found the camp, most of the roofs were caved in and plants were growing in many of the buildings. In spite of this, the officials knew they had found the perfect spot. The kitchen made the camp suitable for researcher and tourist housing. There were also several buildings for offices, classrooms and other housing.
Guests who come to visit can go on several hikes through the rainforest with experienced guides, many of whom come from the local community. This site has a very high concentration of bird, mammal and bug species, so guests are guaranteed to get plenty of good pictures. Many of the species around CICRA are hard to find anywhere else in the world. Though they are typically the first to disappear when development (mining and farming) takes over, spider monkeys and razor-billed curasaos inhabit the area surrounding CICRA. Their presence here indicates a pristine forest.
Guests can also take boat-rides up the Amazon River to tour the area and see what mining and logging are doing to the environment. While both mining and logging create problems, Los Amigos Director Adrian Tejedor explained to us that logging is less problematic because it only opens up small areas of the forest. Mining, on the other hand, opens up huge areas of the forest and invites mercury contamination, which is either dumped in the river or burned and inhaled by the surrounding population. Hunters can devastate animals like the tapir, which only live in clay lakes. There are few of these areas around, so hunters know exactly where to go to find the animals and in one small area can wipe out an entire population.
Many of the guides here, like those from many of the places we visited, used to work in logging, mining or hunting businesses. According to Tejedor, most new immigrants to this area are searching for jobs and have very little connection with the forest and absolutely no conservation consciousness. Whenever possible, community members are hired on for different roles around the camp. Some are even allowed to help out on research projects. Even more importantly, a few people from the community are allowed to conduct their own research projects, like monitoring the short-eared dog and keeping track of species they identify while walking through the jungle.
Another way Tejedor hopes to inspire rainforest conservation is by focusing on educating the youth. Once a month, researchers from the station go out into area communities to educate and play games with the kids to teach them about the wonders of the forest. The kids then go home and spread their knowledge to their families. Tejedor hopes this education program will steer kids away from destructive professions like mining and logging.
Researchers at Los Amigos are trying to identify the types of flora and fauna in the area, the number of species living in the area, threats against them, and their characteristics so they can better understand how to protect them. Guests who stay at Los Amigos are allowed (and encouraged) to go along with researchers to conduct studies, monitor species, and even collect bugs for the scientists while out on walks.
One researcher we spoke to said Los Amigos is special to her because of the high concentration of long-horned beetles, her specialty. She also likes working with the guests, taking them out to her different project sites and teaching them about things they may not have seen before and may never see again. The work she and other researchers are doing here also supports Los Amigos as it quantifies just how many and what type of species can be found in this area. Los Amigos then supports the researchers by giving them a place to stay and work and helping them attain additional funding so they can continue their work.
One guest we spoke with said he appreciated that they hiked for 3 days and only saw 2 other people on the trails – it increased the chance that they would see animals without them getting spooked. He also loved the allure of the place and the feeling that at some point a jaguar had been walking on the very trail he was on, even though he didn’t get to see one while he was there. He also commented on one of the most amazing sights of his lifetime: Standing in the Amazon, looking out towards Peru, but seeing glaciers!
Instead of spending a vacation doing typical touristy activities, why not explore the Amazon and gain a greater appreciation for the rainforest?
Amazon Conservation Association – Peru (”Eat Brazil Nuts, Save the Rainforest”)
April 16, 2009
The highlight of this trip was getting a personal tour of the area from Brazil nut concession owner Patricio de Leon. Patricio began collecting Brazil nuts when he was 15. He became involved in the Brazil nut business for the first time when he saw a man “running through the forest like an agouti (a guinea pig-like creature native to the Amazon) collecting nuts.” Running haphazardly after the man, Patricio strung a sack to his back and collected what he could, trying to make some sort of profit. The rest is history.
From November to February, Brazil nuts fall from 150′ trees. Workers are not allowed into the forest during this time–the shells are the size of small coconuts, or “cocos,” and can be deadly when dropping from such heights. In late February the workers enter the forest, collect the cocos from the forest floor, and put them into piles along the street. One tree typically drops 500 to 550 cocos. The workers use machetes to crack the cocos open, and they get roughly 15-20 nuts per coco. This is enough to fill one 70-kilo sack, which they then carry back out of the forest at the end of the day.
When the workers bring the bags of Brazil nuts back to the central station, they put them into the payol, a building designed to store Brazil nuts. From here, the nuts are put onto large covered trays to dry in the sun. They have to be kept in a payol and up off the ground in order to qualify for organic certification. Once they are dried initially, they’re re-saturated for at least 12 hours. Once the nuts have dried again, the workers sit at a table equipped with four nutcrackers. After the nuts are shelled, the finished product is ready to be packaged.
Last year, Patricio was able to get 8-10 solis per kilo of Brazil nuts, sometimes making as much as 150 solis per bag. This year, the prices are way down and he can only get 4.5 – 5 solis per kilo of shelled Brazil nuts, averaging only 55 solis per bag. Prices are down partly because of the current economic crisis. Brazil nuts only make up 1-2% of the world nut market. They are big, expensive, and oily, making them difficult to sell. They’re often the first item to drop in price when product values fluctuate.
In one season, Patricio typically fills one hundred 70-kilo sacks of shelled Brazil nuts. He has three workers: his two sons and one local Brazilian. He has the rights to 200 hectares for the next 40 years, but he knows he will not live to see the end of this contract. He must find a responsible replacement who won’t be tempted to cut the forest down for profit.
One organization trying to help local concessionaries keep their land is the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA). The area is undergoing a massive influx of workers from the Andes. The challenge is two-fold: to improve conditions in the Andes so current residents don’t leave and to educate everyone about protecting the rainforest. The ACA is also working to establish carbon credits for different areas of the forest. One is currently worth $10 million USD. While there is no official world market, the money is being held in a savings account to preserve not just that piece of land, but also purchase additional areas. Harvesting Brazil nuts sustainably and putting a monetary value on the rainforest protects it. Currently, half the population in the area work as Brazil nut harvesters and roughly 2.5 million hectares are protected through this enterprise.
Organic certification costs roughly $15,000, so harvesters often go in together for certification in groups of 30. They must also agree to annual inspections. To get power to this remote location, Patricio has a solar panel on his site that the government installed a few years ago. He pays 11 solis per month to rent it. Some farmers have cattle and other resources they can sell when profits get lean in the Brazil nut market.
Patricio has noticed that trees in primary forests (where the trees have grown naturally, not by farmers) yield 500-550 cocos. In secondary forests (where the trees have been regrown after deforestation), the trees produce fewer cocos each year. This is partly because certain types of bees–equipped with the knowledge of how to pollinate the elusive Brazil nut flower–pollinate these trees and are happier (thus more abundant) in primary forests. More bees means more pollination and, thus, more Brazil nuts.
No one has been able to successfully grow Brazil nut trees on personal farms – they need healthy forests, as well as rich soil and other flora and fauna, to provide nutrients for the trees. In essence, they need a forest that’s intact and healthy – the rainforest must be protected to grow healthy Brazil nut trees, which creates jobs for the local community. When the community preserves the forest, they preserve their income.
One problem that all farmers like Patricio battle is that of raiders coming into the area to burn down trees and take the land, eventually using it for farming or cattle. Once they burn the forest down and take over, it’s hard to get them off the land. The fires sometimes get out of control and take out even more of the land that is his. Thus far the government has not done much to combat this problem.
One area park ranger, Alan Alexander Barros Torin, has the job of managing the forest. He’s the one who determines where property lines officially fall. He also teaches new farmers how to conserve their resources, and helps people on the rainforest fringes to find other areas to use for farming or cattle. He’s on the front line of defense for this area, though he admits he is limited in what he can do.
Another problem for the Amazon is the recent decline of rainfall in the last couple of years, which Patricio attributes climate change. He has passed on his knowledge of the forest and Brazil nut harvesting to some of the new people interested in harvesting Brazil nuts. In parting, he told us, “I am from this land. I love this land. I could have left before but the deer is always called by the forest, and I love to stay here.”
Amazon Conservation Association – Peru (Brazil Nut Project)
April 16, 2009
This city is up early and the sun came streaming in the windows early, along with the sounds of a rooster crowing so it was time for us to take our next boat ride out to the Brazil nut reserves. A quick ride by go-kart cab and boat and we were at the first concession. A very lively and hard-at-work 74-year-old concession owner named Patricio Leon met us. He easily outdid us when it came to heat, heights, and hiking. First, we went for a two hour hike through the jungle where he told us all about the brazil nut trees, posed for the camera and told us all about his life here. He was born in this concession and lived his entire life there, raising 12 children and is now the proud grandfather of 27, and even a great grandfather of 1.
What makes Brazil nuts so special and what does this have to do with saving the Amazon? Well, first, they grow best in primary forests, thus owners have an incentive to not cut the forest down with hopes that it will re-grow, because the trees won’t produce as much this way. This makes their job harder, as owners have to wait until all of the coconuts fall (the trees can be 150 feet tall and a hit with one of those can be deadly) and then they navigate through all of the trees and vines in the jungle to get to the brazil nuts. In addition, there is a certain bee species that is specifically able to get into the brazil nut flowers to pollinate them and these bees are happiest in primary forests.
Patricio told us that currently prices for Brazil nuts are down to about half what they were last year, so currently he is holding onto the nuts until the price gets a bit better. He estimates that for a 70 kilogram bag of shelled brazil nuts, he can make $700 solis when the prices are high. Currently he can only get about $350 solis. After lunch, we wanted Patricio to take a siesta so we traveled via boat to another area village to find out more about brazil nuts. We met a local female concession owner, who told us about her experience managing a concession. The cost of shipping the nuts to market and paying workers to bag/haul the nuts consumes over half of the money that they get for selling the nuts, particularly now in this slower market. Though she did admit that she is very proud to have a job that is conserving the forest. While they do need help from the government, and it would be better if the market were in her favor, she said she will get by as you never know – next year could be a favorable year.
We also talked to a local park ranger, who helps to monitor the concessions, mediate disputes and find solutions for farmers looking for more area. He is responsible for monitoring visitors to this area of roughly 250,000 hectares, and teaching area concession owners how to better manage their resources. He can also use GPS and maps to determine where property lines end to more accurately determine who has the rights to resources. Another change that has helped the area is farmers have switched from tractors to bulls, which seems counterintuitive, but the tractors tear up the dirt roads, whereas the bulls do no damage.
Then it was back to Patricio’s property to ask him more about his work and to take a few parting shots. When asked about how things have changed over the last 74 years, he said that has definitely noticed a drop in rainfall. Since the 1960s, there has been a definite decline in brazil nut production and around this time there was a very large rain. He thinks its possible that this rainfall affected nut production or possibly that it has something to do with the changing climate. You may have noticed that I am old, Patricio said, and I plan to leave my concession to someone I trust won’t cut it down and will protect it. I could have left a long time ago, but a deer is always called to the forest and I love living here.
Our fearless translator Augosto Mulanovich, from the Amazon Conservation Association, bravely faced all of our questions about both Brazil nuts and CICRA. One goal for both areas is to try and earn carbon credits for the land. If you can make the forest valuable, the owners will have an incentive to maintain it. At this time they are trying to determine a baseline carbon concentration to determine how much carbon each can hold and therefore what it is worth. In addition, there are a lot of people moving here from the Andes for work and they are not as tied to the land. So you have to improve conditions in the Andes, give them an incentive to stay so that this place is not flooded with people. Brazil nuts are one way to sustainably manage a forest because they need a strong, healthy forest to produce. Over 2.5 million hectares of forest are currently divided into roughly 1,200 brazil nut concessions, offering income and livelihood for over 200,000 people.
With that, the sun was setting and our time with Patricio had come to a close. So we hopped back aboard our boat and rode back to Puerto Maldonado under a setting sun.
Next Stop: Bosque Nublado, Santa Lucia; Nanegal, Ecuador.
Amazon Conservation Association – Peru (CICRA), Part II
April 15, 2009
If you want to see animals in their habitat, as we have learned, you have to get up early. So today the team went for a walk-along with one of the short-eared dogs that they are studying. The team had to hide behind trees to get ‘natural’ shots of the dog. It could tell something was there but it just couldn’t find them. When the dog came out and started growling, this brought a bunch of monkeys out to the trees and they were wound up and making a lot of noise so the team got really good photos of active monkeys too. Then back for a quick bite to eat and it was off to see the work of a lead entomologist. She showed us a few samples of her long horned beetles and talked about how the tourists at the site are helping her monitor beetles and collect beetles when they are out bird watching.
Our next interview was with Adrian Tejedor, the current Director of Los Amigos Biological Station (CICRA). He had a lot to say about how mining activities are affecting the research at the station and why Los Amigos is so special in terms of biodiversity. This reserve is 160,000 hectares (and combines three parks in the area – which are not parceled out) and so remote that in a few days stay you can see several monkey species, hundreds of birds, large mammals (including jaguars) and hundreds of bugs. In addition, on a really clear day, this is the only place that you can see glaciers in the Andes from the Amazon Rainforest. The research going on at this site is very crucial as they attempt to find out about the habits of species that are rarely seen and little is known about. Thus far, over 4,631 species have been identified at the site, including humans, says Adrian.
To find out more about these unknown species we talked with a local villager who left logging and mining to come back and work in the forest. Like many villagers we talked to, Emeterio Nuncca Sencia, is a rarity in these parts as he decided one day that he didn’t want to senselessly and indiscriminately kill animals left and right as they rip up the forests and break the earth for gold. He got a job with Los Amigos and now is responsible for monitoring the short-eared dog to learn more about its eating habits, and which habitats it prefers or is not attracted to.
At this point, our time had drawn to a close at CICRA and it was time to walk back down the 238 steps and hop back aboard those skinny boats to Puerto Maldonado. During the boat ride, Adrian pointed out lots of interesting features in the landscape. 
We saw roughly 10 mining outfits while we traveled down the river. Adrian said that right now the river is still high and it’s not as easy to mine. In a few months when the river has dropped, there will be 60-70 additional mining rigs along the banks of the river in the section that we were traveling, as well as an additional 40 rigs north of the reserve. Mining for gold is quite a lucrative business in these parts – 6 months of work can net roughly $60,000, not a small chunk of change by any standard. When the price of gold was quite high a few years ago, everyone was running to the river to setup a mining operation. Adrian also pointed out the Brazil nut trees that we will be seeing tomorrow and noted that they are much taller than the surrounding trees. Harvesters of the Brazil nuts have to wait until after the rainy season to gather nuts when all of the nuts have fallen. The nuts are in a shell the size of a coconut and falling from those heights can kill you, so the harvesters have to wait until the danger has passed.
After the boat ride, we had one more drive down one straight, long, dirt road back to Puerto Maldonado where we would be staying the night. There was lots of construction going on so we were constantly covered in dust clouds during the ride. Wednesday nights in Puerto Maldonado are apparently going-out nights as it seemed the whole city was alive. The streets were full of hundreds of motorcycles zipping every direction. On our way to dinner, we got to ride in one of the motorcycle cabs, which is basically a motorcycle with a bench on two wheels attached to the back and a pod covering the whole contraption. The scooter cab doesn’t go much faster than a go-kart and a few times we thought we would have to get out and push it through the intersection before a motorcycled rammed us. We met up with Miguel Moran from Amazon Conservation Association and talked about the Brazil nut project over a pizza pie and a few beers. Then it was back in the go-kart cab and off to sleep in the sweltering heat.
Mountain Lodges of Peru – Peru (”Awareness in the Andes”)
April 14, 2009
The Inca Trail leading up to Macchu Piccu is currently experiencing heavy traffic due to the influx of tourists hiking the trail. Since there are other routes up to this impressive site, Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP) created several eco-lodges along the 50 km route to promote sustainable tourism while improving the lives of the 200 families living along the route. They created 4 eco-resorts that combine sustainability with high-class tourist hotels, yet this group wasn’t happy just creating luxury. They also wanted to help the community, so they founded Yanapana, an organization that creates income and provides training to help local businesses get started and succeed.
Working with the community, the lodges staff over 80% of their positions with workers from the local community, thus filtering income into the community through multiple avenues. For example, area mule-drivers (the gentlemen that move the mules loaded with guests’ luggage through the area) used to be treated like slaves and required to do an unending number of tasks throughout the journey. MLP, however, decided to double what mule-drivers are typically paid and clarified what their roles are so they’re not abused. They donated 7 new horses (valued at $30,000 USD) to improve the stock and breeding of the horses and also created an office for the mule-drivers. They are also working with mule-drivers to develop a plastic recycling program to create additional income from the plastic they pick up along the trail.
Eco-Team at Mountain Lodges of Peru
So how does MLP ensure that their lodges are environmentally sustainable? First they created an Eco-Team, which looks at the entire footprint of each building. Since the buildings are very remote, it was important to MLP that they not create a giant mess for each community to clean up.
How do you deal with waste when you don’t have a giant landfill or septic system to take care of everything? First, all food waste is composted behind the building in a large pit. Next, they have a greywater filtering system where all shower, sink, kitchen, and toilet water is filtered down through several tanks and then used for irrigation for the local area. The government is also watching this project to measure success and determine if it has applications in other areas.
Deforestation is a problem in the area, so MLP is using the land around the lodges, as well as help from the local community, to come up with a solution. They coordinated with 7 families to grow 100 local trees and plant them in the area. Yanapana essentially gives all the resources and training to the community members and then lets them take the project on themselves. They get seedlings for the trees and containers to grow them in, then use the compost from the kitchen and water from the water filtration system to grow the trees. Next year they plan to work with 14 families and expand the program to the other 3 lodges.
Many of the projects are tested at the main lodge then implemented at the other three lodges. As the eco-programs succeed, scientific tourism is encouraged because scientists realize this area is special and worth investing time and energy in.
Yanapana Peru
MLP, besides building sustainable lodges, works to improve the lives of the 200 families living in nearby communities. They created Yanapana Peru, the social arm of MLP. Their goal is to eradicate poverty in the area; they found a way to work with what they have, i.e. employing lots of community members. Yanapana Peru provides seed funding and resources to purchase materials and pay for training to give community members a trade. For example, all of the Mountain Lodges are staffed 80% by people from the local community. Many other hotels and lodges in the area bring in staff from the big cities, leaving the communities out in the cold. By involving local community members, MLP provides additional income to the community, giving educational training such as hotel management and culinary skills. They also help community members grow local fruits and vegetables (all organic) to increase the variety in their diet.
Their idea of sustainability is long-term and community-wide. To keep a project going you have to work with a community, using their own skills and ideas to give them resources, instead of just a gift or donation, to really implement a project. By investing in the community, they took flat-lined towns and “began to move the economy,” says Ricardo Hernandez, Planning and Compliance Manager of MLP. MLP and their Yanapana Peru Foundation support these local businesses by giving them funding and education to purchase materials and to get started. They then bring the tourists on a hike to Macchu Piccu through the town where they can purchase local crafts. They also give women and children resources and education, which brings the quality of life up for everyone. While there, we got to visit several of the projects that MLP supports, including Local Artisans, a woman’s clothing co-op and a local school.
Local artisans
First we met up with a local marmalade lady who showed us how she was learning to make marmalades and jams out of locally grown produce. She originally made a living by creating a variety of foods, but it was too expensive to purchase all of the ingredients and equipment. She found out about the health benefits of eating natural marmalades and thought this could be a great way for her to earn income for her family while also producing something good for the world.
Since the materials for her jams all come from local farms, the more successful she is, the more successful the farmers are. One fruit she uses – the ahuaymanto (a quetchua word) – is used as a medicine to lower cholesterol and fight osteoporosis and is packed with many vitamins. It has 23 preventative properties and 4 healing properties. The natural pectin inside works as a preservative, so she doesn’t have to add any unnecessary chemicals. She had several of her jams on display when we arrived and we got to try this magical healing fruit. To be honest, it tastes a bit like a tomato when you eat the fruit raw. The community wasn’t even eating it until recently–it just grew wild around the town and everyone ignored it. Now they are growing it to sell and eat. A large jar of her marmalade sells for 10 solis or $3.50USD.
She has been so successful that she has expanded to other towns, teaching other women her process and how to earn income for themselves. She is also teaching some of the local children so they learn more about local foods. She only makes marmalades that are in season and can make special orders by working with her clients. For example, for diabetics, she can make the marmalade without sugar.
Women’s Textile Cooperative – Asociacion Apu Salkantay Huarmicunas de Mollepata
This cooperative started when a group of women saw the many tourists going through the town of Mollepata and decided they wanted to do or make something that would earn them extra income. They went to Yanapana to pitch their idea and succeeded. Yanapana brought in specialists to teach them about making natural dyes, blending colors and how to make weavings, especially symbols that represent local life. Yanapana also helped them get legalized, unionized, organized and licensed. Now the women bring money into their homes to help out their families.
The women members use all natural dyes, many from the local area. For example, eucalyptus is used for a plum color, moss is used for an orange color, and pepper tree leaves are used for a green. There is also a little worm the women use that is ground up, sun-dried, and mixed with oil, water and fixers. It makes up to 16 different shades of purple. Scarves retail for 60 solis ($21 USD) and a poncho sells for 400 solis ($139).
Supporting Area Schools
MLP and Yanapana Peru (YP) also help communities by providing resources and improvements to area schools. In the town of Mollepata, the local school has one teacher and one helper for the 50 children that attend. YP provided school supplies, cereal, and hygienic materials while we were there. Since many homes lack these items, there are serious cavity problems in just about every community that YP works in. Talking with one staff member, she said YP’s goal is to prevent massive problems, so they are working with the children at a young age to teach them about things like proper dental care.
Since this trail system has been so successful, Hernandez wants to use this program as a pilot project for other communities. You too can be a part of this exciting adventure and support communities throughout rural Peru. This trip retails for approximately $3,000 USD and includes stays in all 4 eco-lodges, food, and mules to carry your equipment, and transportation around the area.
Amazon Conservation Association – Peru (CICRA), Part I
April 14, 2009
This morning, we packed up, took the last few photos of Salkantay Peak and drove back down the mountain to Cuzco. With a few minutes to spare, we hopped on the next plane and headed back into the jungle to Puerto Maldonado, Peru. The flight was quick, just 35 minutes, and no sooner did we leave Cuzco than the land below became a sea of trees – no houses, no farms no roads.
Just muddy, brown rivers and trees as far as the eye could see. It was hard even to see the runway, but the pilot found a break in the trees and the runway, and then we were down.
Next, we hopped in two cabs and raced through the jungle for an hour and a half, and then took a 5-hour boat ride through the Peruvian Amazon up the Rio Madre to Dios to CICRA. The first half of the ride we held on through a torrential downpour with just the cover of a small wooden roof and a couple of ponchos. Once the rain passed, it was just the trees, a few birds, and us for the next few hours. We arrived after dark and climbed a very steep stairway (over 238 steps) up to the CICRA research facility and camp.
The site was a very successful mining lodge and so all of the buildings are well made. As far back as 10 years ago the buildings were abandoned, with no roofs and weeds growing inside the buildings. With a lot of hard work, the team restored the site and the buildings and opened CICRA about 8 years ago.
The buildings are all really nice and very energy efficient with open-air, screen walls. The downstairs rooms are all research labs and classrooms, while the upstairs are all offices – picture a restored barn or a cozy, large, thatched-roof tiki hut, with windows. We all agreed that you would be a lucky person to have an office in one of these buildings. We talked to several of the guests and researchers staying here and then it was off to bed to get ready for a very busy day.
This is the first year that CICRA is allowing tourists to come and stay at the site. Guests are treated to not only bird watching, but also many larger animals (including jaguars and anacondas) living right there on the site, and for the very lucky, are possible for viewing. One guest we spoke to said that he saw easily over 250 bird species over his 3 day stay, and that he got to help several researchers with their projects – something that you don’t get to do when you vacation at a standard resort or hotel. The place is very remote, making for better conditions for getting up close and personal with animals, but also great for just getting away and getting back to nature.
Mountain Lodges of Peru – Peru, Part II
April 13, 2009
The morning began with a nice breakfast of homemade bread, jam from the previous evening (yay to lower cholesterol!) and their special coca tea. We then walked down to the local school to interview the teacher and help Yanapana pass out donated school supplies – like notebooks, toothbrushes and cereal. All of the children were very excited. We also saw the bathrooms that Yanapana recently helped facilitate and saw where the new playground will be built. Next, we had a quick stopover with the Mayor of Mollepata to talk about plans for the community.
Next it was time to back our bags and head to the first lodge on the Mountain Lodges of Peru route. The ride was beautiful, as we snaked along very steep, very tiny roads along the mountainside. Several times we had to get out of the truck so that it could make it over rocky, washed-out parts in the road. The views were amazing – with thick clouds, rain in the distance and green in every direction. Throughout the ride, several ladies in the truck kept pointing out local flora and explaining what they are used for in traditional medicine, which made for an interesting and entertaining ride.
We were at the lodge before we even knew it – literally. The lodge is tucked back in a valley and you don’t see it until you are right upon it. The building is beautiful and the backyard is a clear view of snow-covered Salkantay and several other mountain peaks. 
There was even a very thin waterfall, called Bride’s Veil, visible from the lodge. The lodge itself is very upscale and inviting, even more so if you’ve been hiking through the Andes for the last 6 hours. Visitors trekking this route to Machu Picchu typically stay at this lodge for two nights in order to acclimate, and each of us remarked that we definitely could have stayed longer. The rooms have a warm, cozy cabin decor and are very modern. The food was outstanding and they even cater to vegetarians with several faux-meat dishes that are identical to their meat counterparts.
After a quick lunch, we were back out in the field, trying to beat the clouds (and sun) and get as many shots in before our time was up. We talked with Vilma Arcef, the coordinator of the EcoTeam and the many projects they are working on at the four lodges.
They are doing a very interesting forest reclamation project with several families in the local community – they are providing resources and land, and the community members can grow seedlings for native trees and then replant them in the area – thus far over 100 trees have been planted. Compost from the kitchen is used to fertilize these growing trees. In addition, each of the lodges has a grey/black water reclamation system that filters all water from the kitchen & bathroom sinks, showers and toilets. We also talked with a local researcher, Rob Williams from the Frankfort Zoological Institute, who was very valuable in explaining the current situation of spectacled bears, Andean condors and Andean cats, all three of which are currently nearing extinction. They are working with Mountain Lodges of Peru to try to quantify and track the patterns of each of these species to better develop preservation plans. Having species in the area, and having scientific data to back up what visitors are seeing helps bring in more tourism, but also helps justify further protection of the area. After a day fighting the rain, the cold, and a touch of altitude sickness we were all ready for dinner. But first, we were treated to a demonstration on how to make Pisco Sours. The drinks were good and strong, and quickly warmed us up. After dinner, it was back to work for a few more hours and then we all enjoyed a good nights sleep.
Next stop: Puerto Maldonado, Peru.
Mountain Lodges of Peru – Peru, Part I
April 12, 2009
Bright and early, and we mean early, we left for the airport. Luckily we didn’t run into any early morning traffic and we were off to Lima. As we flew over Lima, we could tell it was a big city and right on the ocean, but everything (mountains, buildings, land) was brown and sort of blah, very different from our next stop in Cuzco. As we flew into Cuzco, we were covered in thick, swirling clouds, and then we descended onto a very, very green city. Every direction we looked, there were green trees, mountains covered with trees and generally green everywhere. We were very impressed and despite the very tight landing, we were awed to be in this ancient city. Our guide told us that the city of Cuzco dates back to at least 1200 BC and was a major hub for the Inca during its time. The city was bustling this day, as it was Sunday and everyone was bringing goods to the market. We drove up the steep hillsides out of Cuzco and then for the next three hours tried to acclimate to the altitude as we snaked along scenic, mountain vistas.
Our first stop was the town of Mollepata, where we talked with several programs that Mountain Lodges of Peru (MLP) is supporting. First a little background, the current Inca Trail that is commonly used to get to Machu Picchu is very overcrowded and regulated. MLP knew of an alternative route to Machu Picchu that, if done correctly, could also help several hundred villages along the route earn extra income by providing goods and services to the many travelers that visit this ancient relic each year. To cement this route, MLP created four lodges, each a day’s hike from each other, and also began working with groups in each of the communities to promote local entrepreneurs. In the pueblo of Mollepata, MLP partnered with Yanapana, a community development organization, to identify local businesses in need of some support. Our first night in Mollepata, we went to visit several of these entrepreneurs.
Our first stop was a local, woman-owned business making traditional marmalades. Margarita Pereya Salas needed extra income and was making several different edible products, but the costs to purchase all of the machinery and ingredients was too high. That is when she stumbled upon natural marmalade production. She realized that she could make a product, using all 100% locally produced fruits, and one that would give nutritional benefits to the community, particularly using products that have natural healing properties. In this way, she also supports other local farmers in giving them an additional outlet to sell their goods. One tiny fruit, the aguaymanto, (tastes like a tomato mixed with fruit) is thought to lower cholesterol and fight osteoporosis, with an additional 23 preventive and 4 healing properties. The investment is just a few dollars and she can make double or triple that with the sale of each jar. Now she is working, with the help of Yanapana, to teach local school children how to make natural preserves, as well as teaching women in other communities along the route. Many of the dishes we tried at the hotel were made with marmalades from her shop.
Our next stop was a women’s textile coop, the Association Civil Apusalcantay Warnycuna. Women in the village traditionally don’t have a way to earn income and provide for their families. So, several women in the community organized to make textiles from local materials to sell to the many tourists trekking through the area. Yanapana provided resources, materials and education on how to take raw cotton, weave it into yarn, dye it from locally found plants and berries, and then dye the wool and turn it into scarves, ponchos, belts, coin purses, hats and other local handicrafts. MLP also helps by bringing tourists through the area with their four lodges program, which helps to keep their cooperative sustainable.
Finally, we had a brief meeting with Yanapana (the social and economic development arm of MLP) and a local traditional medicine healer. Yanapana explained how they offer resources to local businesses to alleviate poverty, as well as provide resources for local health care and education to help over 200 families along a 230-mile route north of Cuzco. The local healer taught us about how natural herbs can be used for stomachaches, lotions, salves, and to alleviate other ailments. 
After that, it was late and time for bed. We went back to the Nan Tika hotel, another project of Yanapana and MLP, for a good nights rest. The accommodations were very nice and it was great to hear about how this young couple was given resources to restore their hotel into a very cozy spot. The food was incredible, with several dishes that you would find in any upscale restaurant. The hosts could not have been more friendly or helpful – it was a wonderful rest after a very long day.