Climate Change Mitigation, Agroforestry, and Forest Conservation

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world and has thousands of species of trees, plants, insects and animals. For thousands of years, Amazonian indigenous peoples have lived in the forest and dedicated themselves to agroforestry-style farming to feed their families and generate income. Today, the rainforest is a major producer of oil, lumber, and minerals [e.g. gold, copper], many of which are extracted in unsustainable ways that damage the environment.

This a unique opportunity for interns to learn about the intersection of ancestral knowledge and climate change mitigation and how they can come together to conserve the forest, preserve cultures, generate income for local communities, and combat the effects of climate change.

Potential activities include:

• Contribute to research on how to diversify and add value to chakras (agroforestry farms), including marketing research for up-and-coming exports such as cacao, guayusa leaf tea, and vanilla
• Accompany host family members when they go to their chakras, and plant, weed, and harvest
• Collect environmental data about species of flora and fauna in chakras and protected forests
• Assist with the creation of plant inventories and seed banks to share with communities
• Hike into protected forests with park rangers to assist with biological monitoring
• Attend community meetings and workshops related to farming, tourism, and development
• Design and implement workshops related to climate change, environmental education, or another topic of interest to share with community members or in schools
• Participate in half-day or day-long reforestation projects
• Support communities with their eco-tourism projects
• Organize English lessons with locals who are eager to advance their language skills and receive Spanish and Kichwa lessons from them as well
• Work with farmers, foresters, park rangers, and/or environmental engineers experienced in forest conservation, agroforestry, agronomy, participatory community development, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable farming
• Learn about Amazonian cultures and their connection to ethnobotany, agroforestry, and plant medicine

Interns live with host families, allowing them to forge meaningful connections with locals during their time in the Amazon