Dispatches
Cristalino Jungle Lodge – Brazil (“Modern Amazon: Business & Conservation”)
April 11, 2009
Established in 1992 when sustainability and eco-tourism were virtually unknown concepts, the Cristalino Jungle Lodge is the product of owner Vitoria Da Riva Carvalho’s labor. It began, as a way to protect the rainforest and her homeland but today it’s so much more. If the lodge didn’t exist, most of the rainforest near Cristalino would have been cut down a long time ago. When something threatens the habitat, the owners pull together to find a way to purchase more land to conserve. They successfully recovered 26 of the 126 watersheds in the area, and they have preserved roughly 2 million hectares in under 20 years. The lodge sits near an Air Force base, which means an even greater area of undeveloped land exists. They have been so successful that the government designated Cristalino as a national park. When land across the river was up for sale, they managed to pull together and purchase it.
Cristalino is a demonstration of both successful green building and sustainability. You may be in the middle of the Amazon, but you don’t have to rough it: Each housing facility comes with running water heated by solar panels. As this is a green building and resources can be hard to come by in the jungle, there is no space for garbage. All of the water (toilet, shower and sink) for each lodge is filtered into a small garden that grows both bananas (which feed guests and monkeys) and birds of paradise. Compost systems and recycling are also prevalent here. All waste materials are taken back into town where they are sorted and disposed of properly.
Guests who stay at the lodge are treated to several up-close encounters with wildlife, including over 600 different species of birds–1/3 of all known bird species in the Amazon live in this area. Local guides, some with over a decade of guiding experience, take guests on hikes through several trails in the jungle. One trail leads guests to a 150’ observation tower, high above the tree line with a clear view of the land. Early morning is best for sightseeing since the animals are really active, making them great subjects for camera-wielding visitors. From here, guides bring high-powered telescopes and show their amazing “Where’s Waldo’ing” abilities by picking the animals out of very dense canopies. The tower was built just 8 years ago through donations from Chip Haven, a bird researcher working at the site. He wanted people to be able to see the birds properly. From the ground, the jungle is so thick that it’s impossible to see very far in front of you, let alone up the 80’ trees. There are 3 platforms on the tower: the first is roughly 50’ in the air, the second 90’, and the third is 150′ at the very top of the tower. For someone afraid of heights, it’s not too bad until the tower sways a bit when other people begin climbing up. This is most noticeable from the top. All that holds the tower up is the concrete base and a couple of guide wires. Yikes.
From the first landing, you can look down to see iridescent blue butterflies floating around the rainforest. When they close their wings, they disappear into the darkness of the canopy. When they open up, they shoot a burst of blue light. This is especially impressive to see as they bob along on gusts of air flickering in and out of sight. From the top of the tower, you can see out for miles and watch as the beautiful thick dark clouds of rainstorms race across the jungle. You can also see monkeys doing, well, what monkeys do – picking ticks off of each other and swinging around the treetops. There are also giant eagles, known to eat those monkeys, scanning the canopy. Parrots and toucans can be seen racing along the tops of the canopy, their colors seemingly more brilliant against the green surrounding them. While standing in the early morning calm, you can hear them calling back and forth to each other from across the jungle. If you’re lucky, you might stumble upon larger mammals, and if you’re exceptionally lucky, you might spot a jaguar (come in the dry season to increase your odds).
While staying at Cristalino, you feel like you’re part of their family and have access to just about everything on-site. The guides are always available and very friendly. The staff is ready and willing to help you out and make your stay as comfortable as possible. During our stay, we were treated to a relaxing drink under a full-moon on the dock – we could not have planned a better night if we tried. On the last night of our stay we were served a beautiful feast, complete with piranha soup, fresh fish from the river, and decorated tables with giant palm leaves. All of the guests feasted by candlelight.
The people of Cristalino really make the experience unforgettable. One of the researchers from a nearby part of the rainforest still lives and works here. For her, it’s very important for people to get to know the forest and the treasures that exist in their own backyard. This area (and the Amazon in general) are under intense pressure from outside forces who want to cut the land–reserves like this are crucial to protecting the area. Cristalino encourages scientists to research on this land not only to better understand this ecosystem, but also to help justify the need for its indefinite protection. In the time Vitoria’s been working in this part of the forest, four new species have been found. As big and dense as this forest is, consider all of the other species that have yet to be discovered.
The guides are all very special to Vitoria because they all have a story to tell and have become some of her most vocal advocates for rainforest preservation. They all originally had other occupations-–miners, ranchers, rubber tappers, etc.–-but most of them decided that those other jobs were unsavory, especially because they harmed the rainforest and killed large mammals.
Now, working at Cristalino, they are trained guides who have become advocates for its preservation. Cristalino Lodge gives them many things: the chance to earn a respectable living in ecotourism, have pride in their job, and do something they believe in and are happy to be a part of. The guides teach guests about the rainforest, but also teach people in their local community that there is another way to live that doesn’t involve destroying the forest. Many now earn enough money that their children can afford to go to school, and many say it is a gift to be able to wake up and work in the rainforest. The guides also have plans beyond Cristalino involving opening up their own rainforest programs and learning English so they can better communicate what they know to visitors. The lodge is helping each of the guides achieve their goals by paying them a living wage and funding their further education in a variety of classes.
If man is one of the greatest threats to the rainforest, it’s partly because he’s continually edging closer and closer, often pushing the rainforest further back as he expands his reach. Cattle farms and soy plantations were two of the biggest threats we heard about again and again while at Cristalino. During our visit we were fortunate enough to stay at the reserve at the same time as local cattle farmer Otavio Franco who had taken his family for vacation. This brought an interesting twist to the experience because for people on the front line working to protect the rainforest, cattle farmers are a direct threat to keeping the forest intact. Cattle farmers are always pushing for more land, encroaching on the forest and cutting it down. When their cattle are killed by jaguars, for example, the disgruntled ranchers see no problem with killing jaguars. When cattle ranchers need more land, they simply parcel out different areas and cut down more trees. Flying over this area, we could see that there were tiny corridors of jungle surrounded by many farms and ranches. None of these corridors were connected and it would be virtually impossible for animals to call any of those tiny forest parcels home.
We were not exactly sure what Otavio would say, but since he chose this lodge to stay for his vacation and was willing to talk to us on camera, we were eager to hear his side of the story. He is an executive in a multinational company and also owns a cattle farm in the area. In his opinion, conservationists have to find a way to demonstrate how the “general stand” (leaving the forest intact) is worth more than the resources obtained after cutting it down. We have to put a price on the forest that is high enough to ensure its protection. Tourism is one way to do this. Bringing people to the rainforest, showing them its value – their business brings money into the rainforest and shows that it’s worth preserving.
When we spoke with Vitoria, she explained another plan for putting a price on the rainforest. She said they are looking to receive carbon credits for the amount of standing forest they have in this area. Getting other countries and companies to pay them to keep the rainforest standing, intact, and healthy is one way to put a value on the area. A third option is to have tourism bring in money to the region and also to do scientific tourism to quantify the amount and types of species that are in the area, especially the rare and threatened ones. Vitoria started Cristalino Lodge with scientific tourism and encouraged lots of scientists to come here to study. She says this area has “alpha-biodiversity,” which means lots of variety in a small area. This is ideal for someone working to put value on the rainforest. You are more likely to show tourists more diverse species and researchers are more likely to come here because of the likelihood of finding new species.
Vitoria likes to use the phrases, “People don’t respect what they don’t know,” and, “You have to practice what you preach if you want others to follow along.” As a fourth method to protect the rainforest, Cristalino established a foundation to work with the community to develop solutions rather than impose anything on them. They also work with children by bringing them into the rainforest to show them its beauty, as well as teach a new generation to protect and preserve the rainforest. As we were leaving, one of the guides summed up his beliefs in the Amazon conservation project: “People in Brazil have to take the rainforest personally – to know and feel that the rainforest is a part of them and a part of their heritage. Especially for locals in Amazonia, it has to be something worth respecting, protecting and fighting for.”
Cristalino Jungle Lodge is a perfect example of a business working to improve the triple-bottom line. By supporting people and the planet while making a profit, Vitoria has established a thriving company that’s expanding its efforts to conserve the rainforest, while improving the lives of area residents and providing a service that people want and enjoy.
