Looking back at my Amazon experience this past summer the
one theme that really stands out is sustainability. Learning about birds and
the rainforest and getting to see an array of amazing wildlife (GIANT RIVER
OTTERS!) was great, but you can’t take them home with you. One of the things I
enjoyed learning more about was how to live more sustainably and to start
thinking about my ecological footprint. We talked a lot about trash and plastic
usage both in Peru and at home and ways we can reduce our ecological footprints.
We also discussed heavily how our actions at home impact the rainforest and the
rest of the world. It was really amazing to see how far reaching simple actions
can have and how disconnected being at home and living our lives we can be from
the rainforest and ecological problems. It was these discussions that have
stayed with me the most since I returned home and that have inspired me to make
changes.
Since returning home I have made two major changes:
1. I started using reusable shopping bags. This is something
I’ve wanted to do for a while now, but would forget to buy a reusable shopping
bag or forget to take the one I had. Not only have I completely stopped using
plastic grocery bags when grocery shopping, but I have also found that I limit
what I buy to what will fit into the two bags I own.
2. I started looking at what I am buying and thinking about
how much garbage I am generating from buying that product. I switched to buying
the larger container of yogurt instead of the individual cups. Not only am I
saving money, but I’m also getting more servings without the added waste. I
have also started buying less microwavable meals like lean cuisines and taking
leftovers for lunch instead. This also has limited the amount of trash I
produce and has saved me money as well.
The Amazon was an amazing experience and I feel like I have
taken more home with me than my previous EEs. I’ve started looking at my
actions in a different light and want to make more ecologically friendly
choices. It’s never too late to make changes. This world is worth saving and as we saw in the areas of secondary rainforest. The rainforest can recover from what we've done to it, we just need to make the necessary changes so it can continue to recover and flourish.
Sunrise on the Madre de Dios River
Giant River Otter-Lago Sandoval
Squirrel Monkey-Lago Sandoval
Secondary Rain Forest
