2011 | Day 3 - May 19th

Wow, we learned a lot about ecotourism today! First we sat down and talked to Leandro about a local project he has been working on for the past five years. He is interested in educating the locals about recycling.  Local villages and tribes are used to using natural materials that can be thrown into the jungle and decompose back into the earth.  According to Leandro, because of this, they do not know how to properly dispose of materials like plastic, tin, and aluminum. Leandro goes to villages along the river educating children and adults to reduce, reuse, recycle and properly dispose of trash. He only has limited resources and we hope to come up with some ideas to continue to help him expand his program. It was inspiring how passionate he was about his work, and it was truly humbling how he shared his experiences with us.  

Next, we went to a local town, Novo Airão, and visited the Fundação Almerinda Malaquias. It is a non-profit organization “in search of economical, social, and environmental solutions for the Rio Negro’s riverbank communities.” This organization teaches locals to use leftover materials to create products for tourists. They use scrap wood to create handicrafts and recycle used paper to create new paper. They even create paper gift bags, photo albums, and scrap books using other natural materials like banana leaves, saw dust, and seeds. We were really surprised to learn about the seeded paper, which is full of seeds that can be planted to grow flowers.  Before giving us a tour, the director and cofounder sat down and talked to us about the programs that the organization operates. Among other things, they run after-school programs for children 5-12 to educate them on the environment. They also educate adults on ecotourism and on how to market the products they make, including setting prices and advertising to tourists. For more information, you should check out their website http://www.fam-na-am.com.br/.  

While in Novo Airão, we got a chance to see some pink river dolphins. We learned about a local woman who helps save dolphins who have been attacked by fishermen or hurt in fishing nets. She also educates the local community about the dolphins. Tourists used to be able to feed and swim with the dolphins, but as we learned yesterday, feeding the animals is not a good idea. Instead, we sat at the dock and rubbed their bellies as the local woman fed them. She fed them small amounts of food to avoid making them dependent on these resources.

After lunch, we went piranha fishing. We used bamboo fishing rods because it grows so easily and quickly. After catching the piranha, we released them back into the water. It was a great time! We finished the day with a night hike through the grounds around the lodge. We saw several different types of spiders, even one spotted by our very own Shawndrae. Looks like we’re getting used to the jungle life!