April 21, 2006

Week 5: Where Should We Spend More Time on the Yanayacu River?

We are reaching the end of the Pacaya River, and will soon start paddling down the Yanayacu River. The headwaters of the Yanayacu River are very similar to the Pacaya River. There is a lot of wildlife, and very few people. The lower half of the river is more populated. Last year we did not see as many animals on the lower half of the Yanayacu River as we did on the upper part of the river, but we were able to interact with more people on the lower river. We need you to help us decide where we should spend more time. Would you like us to spend more time on the upper river, and visit Lake El Dorado, which is known for its wildlife, or would you like us to spend extra time in the communities lower on the river talking with people and learning more about how they live? The three communities on the Yanayacu are all very interesting, and would provide us with a lot of information about life in the flooded forest. This is a hard decision; what should we do?

We need to make this decision fast, so you only have until Monday afternoon to cast YOUR vote!