Day 13 (1/13/20):
This morning we took a short flight from Cuenca to Quito. On our way to Mindo we stopped at the Museo de Sitio Intinan. This is the site of the real equator, discovered by indigenous tribes within Ecuador. The most common tourist destination for the equator is actually not the true location of the line but rather where French expeditionists determined the equator to be. Once GPS was developed it was discovered that the French miscalculated when determining the position of the equator and that the indigenous tribes were correct. However, prior to this discovery of the true location (based on GPS coordinates) a monument had already been erected. At the equator site we got to learn about some of the indigenous tribes from the area. The museum had interesting focal points including an introduction to the Shuar people and the process they came up with for creating shrunken human heads. The process involves removing the skull, boiling the head in herbs, and sewing mouth and eyes shut to keep spirit inside. This was done for enemies to not allow them to reach the next step within the afterlife, or for revered members of the tribe so that they may watch over their people. While learning about more indeginous groups, we stepped into a small dwelling made of all natural materials that was surprisingly much cooler than the outside air. This was an example of a dwelling used by the Waorani people. Their name means “free people '' and they truly represent this. All they have comes from nature and they do not wear any clothing.
While at the equator site we also got to participate in some unique activities which included balancing an egg on a nail and walking in a straight line with our eyes closed. There is less gravity on the equator which makes it more difficult to balance. We also saw displays of the coriolis effect (these were over exaggerated intentionally for educational purposes. Due to the coriolis effect, water draining from the South side of the equator will rotate to the right and water draining from the North side will rotate left. After we left the equator, we headed to Mindo to check in at the Sachatamia Lodge. After arriving at the lodge the group decided to go get lunch and then zipline! Ziplining in Mindo was an amazing experience. Being able to view the forest from above the tree canopy was fascinating. We were up very high and I was out of my comfort zone but it was definitely worth being a bit scared. Later in the evening we had two student presentations. Cass and Nick presented first on Cloud Forests. Cloud forests are also known as Montane rainforests and sometimes jokingly referred to as “Elfin Woodland”. They are defined by their thick cloud coverage and abundance of mist. There is no dry season in the cloud forest and this type of forest is associated with mountain ranges (3,000-10,000 ft). The temperature in cloud forest regions are typically lower than surrounding areas. Cloud forests stay contained to one side of the mountain because of pressure changes which result in the clouds unloading their moisture content (relief rainfall) before crossing over to the other side of the mountain. Costa Rica, China, and Ecuador have cloud forests that average about 99.4 inches of rainfall per year. Mindo is the capital of bird watching and it is because of its cloud forest. Mindo cloud forest was named the first “important bird area” in the Americas in 1997. Many butterfly species and epiphytes “air plants” may be found in the cloud forest. The Spectacled bear and the Andean Cock of the Rock are also found in Mindo’s cloud forest. There are a total of 4 cloud forest reserves in Ecuador. Around the world there are cloud forests in Costa Rica, Central Mexico, Yakushima Island in Japan, La Gomera in Spain, and Ethiopia. In Singapore there is an artificial cloud forest “nature park”. Unique habitats like the cloud forest are an attraction for ecotourists. The lodge we are staying at in Mindo is one example of ecotourism. It is located in the cloud forest and nectar and bananas are put out to attract birds and small animals for tourists to observe. One reason that feeding animals is supported in this situation is because we are more likely to care about things we know than those we do not. At first I had mixed feelings about this logic but I realized that it’s true. After bird watching at the lodges in Mindo and Zamora I have a newfound appreciation and awareness for birds that I did not have before my experience. The Cloud forests are at risk from global issues such as habitat loss, habitat degradation, fire, and logging (mudslides). Tourism both helps and hurts the environment. It helps by raising environmental awareness and funds. However, traveling by plane has a large environmental impact and hiking and biking degrades the soil, scares wildlife, and reduces vegetation with the widening of trails. As the sustainable tourism grows, more low impact forms of tourism may be implemented. In addition to ecotourism to raise awareness there is also the Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation to promote conservation, education, and ecological inquiry. The second student presentation was Victoria’s on the Treadmill of Production (TOP) The TOP theory is “a theory which describes the relationships between social actors and their cumulative influence on sustainability”. The key actors in the TOP are the corporation, society, and the state. The corporation is powerful and interested in exploiting the abundant natural resources. The state is interested in increasing its power but, it is generally unstable and limited in economic ability to execute socially and environmentally responsible goals. The state will partner with corporations for financial resources but essentially loses its independence. The social movement actor (SMA) and non government organization (NGO) are components of society. SMAs’ are individuals or groups of actors/volunteer workers that work on a local level to achieve their goals. NGOs’ unlike SMAs are officially recognized by the state and are viewed as professional organizations with paid staff. The citizen worker is another component of society. The citizen worker alongside these social groups (and transnational funders) put pressure on the state to influence corporations and set regulations. Voting is the main power of citizens to put pressure on the state. One major social issue that citizen workers are concerned about is Ecuador’s environment. The state is changing by listening to more environmental concerns. An example of the states effort to listen to the citizen worker is the Yasuni ITT Initiative. This initiative was a proposal to alleviate the international debt by agreeing to protect the biodiversity (a collaboration of state & citizen worker goals). Unfortunately, this initiative failed due to lack of monetary support. Corporations are also feeling the impact of social movements and recently started focusing more on social responsibility. However, “greenwashing” is an issue. This is when a corporation seems to make a change that is perceived as beneficial for the environment but in reality does nothing to help… Overall, understanding the TOP helps one understand the motivations of the key players, reveals the vulnerability of the citizen worker, and shows the dominance of political/economic goals (state/corporation). |
Slideshow of my experience at the Equator
Slideshow of the view from the cloud forest
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