Jungle roofing
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
Evil leaves
One of the heaviest days of work for our volunteers involved hauling and collecting leaves from the jungle. These leaves, which resemble palm fronds, were bundled in masse for roofing for a new traditional hut.
Much of the construction material used by the Shuar community comes from its reserve and this is no different. Local materials, locally harvested sounds more sustainable.
The “rope” used to bind the bundles of leaves is actually the husk of young plant stems. See below. Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: arutam, construction, en la selva, oriente, photography, shuar, sustainable, volunteering
Life in even the smallest streams
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
My little buddy whose name we can't spell
Mean my favorite Shuar boy, a four-year-old named Sing Sang or Thing Thang or Tsing Tsang. Blame the uncertainty on my poor Spanish and inability to understand his accent.
Sing Sang accompanied us on trips occasionally to the jungle alongside his father Jaime. He was energetic little scamp here fishing for river shrimp and crabs in a tiny stream.
Tags: arutam, ecuador, en la selva, environment, kid, oriente, photography, shuar, stream, tiny, volunteering
Plantas de la selva: Vol. 12
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
High, high above the forest
Palms in the Oriente are some of the most useful trees for the Shuar community.
Palms of varying types are used at different stages of their growth: Seeds are actually collected for planting as well as for jewelry and crafts. Leaves are used for covering and roofs. Palm heart — an incredibly tasty but not so sustainable produce — is collected from some trees for food. The roots harbor all manner of insects for eating. And the hardwood of a full-grown tree is precious and durable.
As volunteers, we spend several afternoons gathering their seeds and then dispersing them on to open fields.
Tags: agriculture, arutam, ecuador, en la selva, oriente, palm, palm heart, photography, tree, volunteering
Graduation day
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
Arutam’s school caters to a handful of village children, staffed both by Domingo Vargas, one of the older Shuar brothers, as well as volunteers. At the end of the semester, the school celebrated a graduation of sorts before a holiday. Parents and children attended, and Domingo read aloud the accomplishments of each child.
Edgar, above, who will next year attend the government school, was cause for particular celebration. Education levels are abysmal in parts of rural Ecuador, like much of the rest of the developing world. His graduation and chance at higher education is a big deal. Such an accomplishment has replaced old Shuar rights of passage, and it is a happy occasion worthy of donning traditional clothing. Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: arutam, children, culture, ecuador, education, en la selva, photography, poverty, volunteering
Mira! Hay perrito cansado! (Look, there is a tired puppy!)
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
My favorite Shuar dog
There are various communal dogs that roam about the Arutam village. More than a few would come with us into the jungle daily for work. Or for screwing about while we worked. Or for nearly getting killed by falling trees, swinging machetes and poisonous snakes, while we worked.
This one was, in my opinion, the cutest of the Arutam dogs. Though this was debated by various volunteers.
The photo was perfect for my ongoing tribute to street dogs.
Tags: arutam, dog, ecuador, en la selva, photography, shuar, volunteering
Orchids of the Oriente
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
Succulent
Wild orchids are in abundance here. They’re beautiful and diverse and even odd. Here are couple of the most common, and also most accessible. Many also grow far higher up the canopy. Of course, as beautiful as they are, more than a few have been felled by a volunteer’s machete. We’re conserving crucial parts of the forest and working in subsistence agriculture for a poor community, which sometimes takes precedence over pretty flowers.
Hairy
Tags: arutam, ecuador, en la selva, environment, flowers, orchid, oriente, photography, plants, volunteering
Grubbing about
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under ecuador
Dirt is good
This little guy, unfortunately captive, is the absolutely adorable pet of one of the members of the Arutam Shuar community. He was allegedly found in the forest and is being reared into strength before he is released again.
He is however, pretty much domesticated, climbing on humans and following them as they work. Makes me doubtful he’d ever be wild again.
In Spanish, he is officially a cuchucho, a typical animal found in the Oriente, Ecuador’s Amazon basin. He is rather fun to watch, as he digs about for grubs and insects. Note: His claws are exceptionally sharp, as I found out when I got too close while he was mid-grub.
Tags: arutam, cuchucho, ecuador, en la selva, environment, oriente, photography, shuar, volunteering, wildlife
