So we end our adventure in the city of Iquitos, where we began. What we have seen and done is overwhelming, but some clear themes have emerged. The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve is an amazing resource--home to a vast number of animal, plant and insect species, as well a number of people--all of which can and should be able to continue living together in sustainable harmony. Most of the people are living in relative harmony with their environment, but there are some who are involved with destructive behaviors and working with others outside the park who only want to make a profit from the park's resources.

The people who do illegal logging in the park are inflicting harsh wounds on the environment.

We once again visited with Javier del Aguila Chavez, head of the Pacaya- Samiria National Reserve. Javier has been a huge help to us as we planned our trip made our way through the park. He asked us about the illegal loggers that we saw and we described the area where we saw the most. We began discussing ways we might be able to try and help them stop this activity. It is very expensive for the park to get help from the Navy and police. Sometimes they get assistance from outside organizations and nonprofits that work internationally, but they don't get the money all the time and lately there hasn't been a lot of support.

The illegal logging activities get worse each year and are a big threat to the park. Javier and his crew struggle to do as much as they can, but it is a huge challenge for them. The raids on loggers that they have been able to organize have only been a small and temporary fix to the situation. The loggers are dangerous, aggressive and often armed. In order to wipe out the illegal logging practices, a great deal of money, resources and support will be needed.

It is important to keep in mind that there is also so much positive work being done in the park, and as a result, there are many areas that have hardly any logging activity. Due to the organization and work of Javier's crew and the people living in the park, they have been able to develop sustainable ways to manage resources as well as support themselves economically. The organizations to manage the fish populations, like we saw at Lake El Dorado and other checkpoints, give the people in the park incentive to protect the environment, as it is also a way for them to make money. This is a much better alternative than making money by working for illegal loggers!

Many of the villages we visited had official buildings for their organizations to hold meetings and plan for their resource management. The school in Veinte de Enero was also giving classes on palm reforestation, and Javier gives villagers detailed instructions on how to make rope and board devices to climb palms, rather than cutting them down for the fruits. The people I spoke with have great pride in their involvement with these organizations to help protect their home: the park.

Developing resource management organizations and managing the park checkpoints is a huge help, but it also takes time and resources to build and grow these organizations. We discussed ways we might be able to help Javier find volunteer rangers who might like to come down and work in the park. We also had ideas on how to raise money to fund raids on the loggers, and ways we might be able to get necessary items donated to the rangers--such as flashlights, raincoats, rubber boots, knives, etc. Of course, if we could eliminate the demand for wood from the rainforest, we could make it unprofitable for the loggers and they would stop. This is another great idea that will take quite a bit of work and international cooperation to achieve.

We are hoping that by being able to expose these illegal logging operations in the park, we can find people and organizations who want to get involved and help in the fight. Do you have any ideas or ways you can help out? We'd love to hear from you.

The time we have spent here in Peru and visiting the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve has really made an impact on all of us. The awe and respect we feel for the animals and people in this rich, unique environment have made it clear to us how important it is to preserve this area for all the living things that depend on it. We hope that our experiences have inspired you to learn more about the rainforests and also to do whatever you can to help us protect the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.

-Jennifer

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Javier del Aguila Chavez, the head of Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve

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Javier meets with the team to discuss the adventure and to talk about the logging in the park.

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The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve Rangers work hard to protect the park.

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Many local people work as volunteer rangers to protect the flooded forest around their community.

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Future protectors of Pacaya Samiria? We sure hope so.