In late October, Dr. Gary Kuenning, a Tulsa-based dentist/oral surgeon/orthodontist, performed the first annual Arajuno Foundation Dental Mission, working two long days, relieving indigenous Kichwa people of dental pain.

Approximately 112 teeth were extracted from 79 patients. A dentist from Tena, the nearest town 40 kilometers from the Arajuno Jungle Lodge, also cleaned and charted teeth for all indigenous patients.

None of these patients has ever seen a dentist.

Three English-Spanish interpreters worked as volunteers to ensure accurate information translated from patient to dentist. Special toothbrushes with embedded toothpaste were provided to each patient, along with a recipe for toothpaste (translated in Spanish) that could be made from simple, inexpensive ingredients.

A temporary clinic was set up and indigenous, from distances of many miles, hiked to the clinic on rainforest trails or came by river on canoes. Everybody worked from sun-up until after dark on both days of the AF Dental Mission.

Dr. Kuenning plans to donate quite a bit of dental equipment to the Tena-based dentist.

All in all, the first annual Dental Mission was a total success.

We just had 23 students from S.I.T/World Teach visit AJL for a couple of days and perform community service activities in one of the local communities called San Pedro.  This is the first action  of the AJL/AF initiative to plant giant bamboo along the eroded banks of the Arajuno River in front of communities and schools where serious flooding could cause loss of property or life.  Giant Bamboo not only provides great stream side protection against soil erosion, but also provides edible shoots, building materials, fire wood and additional habitat for birds and other critters.  Plus, this bamboo is the world’s fastest growing plant and the world’s largest bamboo.  It also serves as a giant carbon sink, effectively fixing three times more carbon from the air than a native forest can.  We will continue to plant Giant Bamboo and a variety of native species along the banks of the Arajuno River wherever needed, especially in front of the communities we are working with.  Great initiative!  Thanks to AJL, AF and S.I.T/World Teach!

My dad used to reference various quotes to try to instill wisdom in my brother and me—to which we responded by vigorously rolling our eyes and making faces, of course.  One frequently referenced adage was “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life.”  I never really saw this principle in practice until I visited the Arajuno Jungle Lodge. While there, I learned that the key to a healthy watershed is an investment in the people that depend on the land, animals, and waters you seek to protect. 

The Arajuno Foundation projects create alternatives for the local indigenous communities so they don’t have to resort to environmentally destructive practices. A guides course equips locals to make money educating tourists about the rainforest instead of cutting down wood to sell from the nearby Reserve.  Cooking courses and new kitchen facilities help to establish an eco-tourism industry in place of mining for gold in the riverbed. And community fish and turtle ponds create a sustainable food source, ensuring that the river isn’t bombarded with destructive fishing practices that use pesticides or dynamite.  With Tom’s work, the future looks bright for the environment and people of the Arajuno River.

Sara Aminzadeh, San Francisco

Well,  the dust settles with the departure of 28 college students and staff from the University of Miami, Ohio, USA; the University of Barcelona, Spain; and the San Francisco University, Ecuador.  We had a very active couple of days taking samples and measurements from the Arajuno river and a few smaller tributaries within the AJL forest reserve boundaries.  We are now formulating plans to establish a permanent monitoring system of the quality and quantity of water streaming through the jungle past and through the AJL  reserve.  The other component of this project will, of course, be to develop more and better alternatives to the continued deforestation and degradation of the aquatic environment along the river while improving the quality of life for all its inhabitants both wild and human.  Photos will follow soon!Tom

A few years ago a new tradition began: if a visitor to the Aranuno Jungle Lodge (AJL) hailed from a new country, his or her country’s flag was hung in the rafters of the main Lodge building. Today, more than 30 country flags flutter in the gentle breeze off the Rio Arajuno. From Australia to South Africa to China to France, guests have trekked to AJL from all corners of the world, making it a truly international destination where the various cultures of the world converge in one of the most biodiverse bands of rainforest. The values of preserving the rainforest and experiencing and helping indigenous cultures and endangered species continue to cross all boundaries. It reconfirms the ongoing commitment and work of both AJL and the Arajuno Foundation. If you have been a part of this experience, I encourage you to blog about it on the AJL blogspot.

John

Last month, Melissa Tukey (right in photo), the Arajuno Foundation Education Coordinator, led a group of U.S. teachers to the indigenous community of Santa Barbara. They worked with the Professor of the school in Santa Barbara (left in photo) to help teach classes. The group of teachers also donated a large amount of books (in Spanish) and school supplies, which were greatly appreciated by the school children. The foundation is proud of Melissa’s work in Ecuador, which has been ongoing for a number of years. (Double click on the photo if you wish to see a larger version.) John

Yesterday, with the help of a couple of British volunteers and a local native, we continued to plant the boundaries of our reserve with a giant bamboo every 10 meters.  The goal of this project is to clearly establish and permanently define our protected area boundaries to help prevent timber theft, illegal hunting and trespass.  We  now have about 80%  of the property boundary completely planted!  It is a lot of hard work, especially way back towards the upper end of the property where the terrain is very steep and slippery.  The bamboo are being propagated from our own plants down on the farm (see photo above; double click on the photo if you wish to see a larger version), established in our nursery, then packed up to where they are planted. Tom

Hey there!  Well, after a week of hard work with 18 young female volunteers all from the same high school in London,  England, first of what will hopefully be many community turtle rearing ponds are installed (double click on thumbnail to see larger photo). The turtles will be presented to the communities this coming week!  We hope this will instill a sense of ownership and stewardship for these baby Yellow Spotted Turtles so that the Indigenous folks and others that live along the Arajuno River will insure the success of this program with the ultimate goal of repopulating the Arajuno River with these wonderful creatures, eventually another protein source for the locals! Tom

Hola! As president of the Arajuno Foundation, I’m happy to report that when the foundation received official approval from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity, a steady trickle of donations began. We hope this trickle becomes a wave. We, of course, appreciate any and all donations at any level. And, as you know, unlike many public charities, 100% of each donation goes directly into Arajuno Founation projects, because all administration costs are paid out-of-pocket by the founders and voting board members of the foundation. I hope all who have visited the Arajuno Jungle Lodge (AJL) and seen the foundation’s work up close and personal, will tell their family and friends about their experiences. And I hope all of those who have yet to visit AJL will have the opportunity to do so in the future. In the meantime: Saludos!

Friends of AJL: It’s taken us over a year and a half, but now, thanks to the long-suffering efforts of our accountant, Rob Crowder, the Arajuno Foundation is now officially a non-profit public charity. That’s right, your donations are now tax-deductible. On another front, thanks to 20 volunteers plus 2 energetic communities, Santa Barbara & Mirador, we will complete the 2 new turtle-rearing ponds ahead of schedule. We will also have time to begin planting Giant Bamboo along the eroded banks of the Arajuno river in front of both communities. Santa Barbara has also finished its new dining hall in time for the event.Looks Great!  Plus Santa Barbara will receive $300 from lunches sold to the group.   Do you have any idea how much money $300 is to a community such as Santa Barbra?  A LOT!