Brought to you by PROAmazonía, a programme implemented by the Government of Ecuador, with the support of UNDP, and funding from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility.
Photos: ©Marco Guilcapi / PROAmazonía & ©Rukullakta
Did you know that Ecuador, the ‘Republic of the Equator’, is blessed with one of the highest biodiversity indices in the world? Around 75 percent of Ecuador’s forests are located in the Amazon region. This incredibly biodiverse ecosystem, which spreads over six Amazonian states, is home to a number of indigenous tribes including the Kichwa people of the Napo Region.
However, since the introduction of logging and agroindustrial monocultures, this vital Amazonian ecosystem has been put under considerable pressure.
To protect the Ecuadorian Amazon, its people, local livelihoods and the planet,the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have combined forces through the PROAmazonía programme. In a number of ecologically important locations, PROAmazonía employs a landscape approach to encourage the production of deforestation-free commodities which includes supporting Ecuador’s REDD+ emission reduction targets as well as a nation-wide adoption of the RSPO’s principles and criteria.
Field trip participants will travel from Tena— the gateway of the Amazon —to Rukullakta where they will have the rare opportunity to be welcomed by the Kichwa people. Participants will learn about the deeply rooted cultural and spiritual connections of the Kichwa people in addition to their renowned bio-entrepreneurship. This will include a visit to Wiñak, a fully indigenous owned and operated chocolate association ,which also happens to be a majority women run enterprise. Read more: https://www.winak.org/.
Itinerary
Where: Napo Province, Ecuador
When: May 10– 12— directly before the Good Growth Conference
Registration Deadline: April 15th – contact Anna-Leena Siliämaa asiliamaa@proamazonia.org
DAY 1. Friday May 10
- Morning bus transfer to the city of Tena leaving from Quito
- Afternoon arrival at Hotel Arahuana Spa & Resort in Tena
- Presentation of the PROAmazonía Ecuador programme
- Dinner
DAY 2. Saturday May 11
- Morning visit to the Kichwa village of Rukullakta
- Lunch in the community of Santa Rita
- Afternoon visit to Wiñak, the Kichwa owned and operated cacao association
- Closing discussion and lessons learned
- Free evening
DAY 3. Sunday May 12
- Return to Quito via bus and arrive at noon
- Fly to Lima ahead of the Good Growth Conference
Expenses
Participants are required to manage their own costs with airlines and service providers.Hotel Arahuana Spa & Resort http://www.arahuana.com/
- Please make your reservation sending an email to reservas@arahuana.com
- Indicate in the topic line: Reserva grupo FIELD TRIP – PROAMAZONIA
- Accommodation approx. 150 USD per person per night / 2-bedroom cabins, 1 person per room
Bus transfer Quito-Tena-Quito, and within Tena: approx. 70 USD, paid in cash on arrival.
Saturday lunch in the Santa Rita community, paid in cash in the community.
