Welcome to Explorama Lodge Explorama Lodge is located 50 miles downstream from Iquitos, Peru on the Amazon River. The facilities have been built consistent with the structures typical of the region. The Amazon rainforest surrounds the lodge and the raised walkways protect the surrounding land from the impact of the tourists visiting the lodge. During my visit to the lodge, it rained every afternoon. The covered walkways allowed the guests to move from building to building without getting soaked.
During my visit to the Explorama Lodge, ACTS, and the ExploraNapo Lodge I became aware of the community outreach programs supported by the revenue generated from the visitors to the lodge. Many resorts and lodges in scenic wilderness areas call themselves claim to be ecotourism providers but Explorama Lodge actually subscribes to the principles of ecotourism. Two principles of ecotourism that I will profile in this blog post:
During my visit to the Explorama Lodge, ACTS, and the ExploraNapo Lodge I became aware of the community outreach programs supported by the revenue generated from the visitors to the lodge. Many resorts and lodges in scenic wilderness areas call themselves claim to be ecotourism providers but Explorama Lodge actually subscribes to the principles of ecotourism. Two principles of ecotourism that I will profile in this blog post:
- It should play an active role in conserving the natural resources which provide the visitors their experience.
- Ensure that the long term benefits- to the resource, to the local community, and to industry (benefits may be conservation, scientific, social, or economic).
A local child with clean water. CONAPAC, the Civil Association for Conservation of the Peruvian Amazon Environment, is a Non-Government Organization formed in July 1990 in Iquitos, Peru, by a group of teachers, forestry engineers, and employees of Explorama Lodges. Registered with the Peruvian government, its purpose is the conservation of the Peruvian Amazon primary rainforest. Though the staff is small, with the help of Explorama’s staff and visitors, it serves those in the rainforest most in need of education and other tools for sustainable living.
Explorama Lodges have set aside 4 conservation areas to ensure the rainforest is protected from deforestation and hunting.
Explorama Inn Reserve is the smallest of Explorama's protected areas, consisting of 100 hectares (250 acres) in total. Of this area, 34 hectares (85 acres) is primary or virgin rain forest, while 66 hectares is secondary rain forest, gradually returning from farm land to forested secondary growth.
The Explorama Lodge Reserve has been protected by Explorama since 1964. This reserve consists of over 200 hectares, or 500 acres, of mainly high Tierra Firme, or non-flooding forest. One small section is lowland or flooded forest. The Missouri Botanical Garden has found this reserve to be one of the highest in biodiversity of trees per square hectare in any area studied by scientists to date. Adjacent to this reserve is a small community of Yagua Native Americans which have clear title to their own reserve of 1,622 hectares (4,055 acres). This property surrounds the Explorama Lodge Reserve, acting as a buffer zone to help protect the area from the continual encroachment of the ever-expanding population of river people. Explorama helped with the legal process of obtaining this reserve for the community, provided the workers and supplies necessary to cut the boundary line around the property, and to obtain the accurate measurements of the land for the Peruvian Department of Agriculture.
Explornapo. Shimigay, and Sucusari Reserve are located near the Napo River consists of 2,000 hectares, or about 5,000 acres. Adjacent to these reserves and acting as buffers are the CONAPAC Biological Reserve and a large 4,770 hectare reserve (11,925 acres) belonging to the Orejone Native American Community.
Explorama Inn Reserve is the smallest of Explorama's protected areas, consisting of 100 hectares (250 acres) in total. Of this area, 34 hectares (85 acres) is primary or virgin rain forest, while 66 hectares is secondary rain forest, gradually returning from farm land to forested secondary growth.
The Explorama Lodge Reserve has been protected by Explorama since 1964. This reserve consists of over 200 hectares, or 500 acres, of mainly high Tierra Firme, or non-flooding forest. One small section is lowland or flooded forest. The Missouri Botanical Garden has found this reserve to be one of the highest in biodiversity of trees per square hectare in any area studied by scientists to date. Adjacent to this reserve is a small community of Yagua Native Americans which have clear title to their own reserve of 1,622 hectares (4,055 acres). This property surrounds the Explorama Lodge Reserve, acting as a buffer zone to help protect the area from the continual encroachment of the ever-expanding population of river people. Explorama helped with the legal process of obtaining this reserve for the community, provided the workers and supplies necessary to cut the boundary line around the property, and to obtain the accurate measurements of the land for the Peruvian Department of Agriculture.
Explornapo. Shimigay, and Sucusari Reserve are located near the Napo River consists of 2,000 hectares, or about 5,000 acres. Adjacent to these reserves and acting as buffers are the CONAPAC Biological Reserve and a large 4,770 hectare reserve (11,925 acres) belonging to the Orejone Native American Community.
Local children at school Since its creation in 1993, the Adopt-A-School program has grown from 10 schools to 57 communities, 98 schools, and over 4,000 teachers and students in 2010. The program will celebrate 20 years in April 2013. Revenue generated from the tourists visiting Explorama Lodge, as well as tourist donations supports a variety of schools, from one room schools to larger schools with kindergarten, primary and secondary classrooms. The welfare of the children is equally important so they also support a clean water program.
Treatment plant under construction Almost all children in the villages along the Amazon and Napo Rivers consume water directly from rivers, streams and ponds. During low water season, the water supply in some villages becomes very limited because beaches form, separating them from the main flow of the rivers, making available water even more contaminated. Therefore, CONAPAC initated a Clean Water Project that builds community water treatment plants. These plants can produce potable water for small villages and significantly improve the quality of life for the people who live there. CONAPAC not only builds water treatment plants in the local communities, they conduct water workshops, monitors the treatment process, trains the water plant operators, and tests the water quality.
You too can contribute to this on-going community project even if you cannot visit Explorama Lodge.
You too can contribute to this on-going community project even if you cannot visit Explorama Lodge.
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