Rio Palenque, living in the forest science
We entered the forest to the north of the province of Los Ríos find a wildlife refuge where you can enjoy the scientific tourism “natural.”
“Rain in late August? That’s right. The delicate raindrops tumble on the lookout hotel-Rio Palenque science center like a sneeze shy of heaven. “This is one of the few places in Ecuador where it rains in all seasons,” said Freddy Villao, coordinator of this protected area is located three hours from Guayaquil, on the road Quevedo-Santo Domingo.
But the sky sneezing last few minutes, because soon the water stops to let us take the tour of the trails that explore the depths of the high rainforest some 160 meters above sea level. Here you experience the purest sense to address ecotourism, but with a touch very close to science to give the true value to this biodiversity with the help of specialists in biology and botany with us.
That was our first impression when we opened the visit with a stop at the laboratory of the science center to learn, for example, that wild medicinal plants must be “domesticated.” Warning: do not teach about the plant not to bite, to stay very still or not to escape when the door is left open (that the plants are well aware), but for their development in controlled spaces. “Wild plants do not survive so easily in a pot or planter, but you have to provide similar conditions (sun, water and land) they had in their natural environment,” says Villao.
That was our first lesson in botany, he continued to learn that species such as the Justice Pectoralis has anticancer properties and expectorants, a spiny amaranth infusion is good for the stomach and the plant washed pig tail has antidiarrheal properties. Undoubtedly, nature has the complete drugstore to cure diseases of the body.
No rain is better Leave behind the kind of botany at the laboratory, to continue learning in situ. The rain stopped as we move along a path strewn with steps made with cane guadúa, we also observed species in the rustic furniture of the hotel, science center.
The bamboo is widely used in this environment it is natural and friendly woodland, because their appearance combined with the ecological purpose of the site indicates Otto Smith, coordinator of research in Wong’s business group, which owns the reserve since 1998.
Enthusiastic advance our steps down this path of crossed rods, which are replaced every year because they spoil easily and room humidity. So the pieces of blackened timbers replaced also accompany us on the sides of the route by which we descend the mountain.
Suddenly, Villao stops. After a quick look at a clearing in the forest Launches diagnosis: “Here fell two and a guarumo fernansánchez (points to three trees lying on the ground), possibly due to the abundant rain that usually falls in the sector. But the death of these trees has allowed new species to develop, which could not while living in the shadow of the trees that fell. ”
The fall of one allows others to rise. It is the law of life, which now benefits, according to the biologist, the heliconia plants (similar to banana leaves) and Castilla elastica, rubber trees that produce rubber called wild. The course covers these species now occupy about 100 square meters, which contain a very large plant biodiversity. “For every square mile here is nothing less than 3,000 plant species, this is a record in nature,” says Suarez.
And in regard to animal life we ??learn that we can find 43 species of reptiles, 33 bats and 31 butterflies, in addition to ocelots, sloth (a kind of lazy), anteaters, gloves and agoutis. But it is very difficult to see one of these last animals, because during the day in hiding in the woods, fleeing the most of the trails traveled by man.
“The human being is the greatest predator of these species,” says Villao as we on the road with some sadness for failing to observe an animal. “To view them you need to be placed in strategic locations and wait for hours until an animal is found,” he adds, “Unfortunately, that is also the strategy used by poachers, who set up observation points and expect much time to catch them,” says .
Hunting is prohibited in this natural area, but sometimes the guards have found hunters viewpoints used to stalk their prey. This fact makes the sadness of not seeing animals is much lower, because his absence means that these species do the right thing to escape as much as possible of human beings and weapons. With that being evasive collaborate with the custodians of this natural reserve, who continually have to guard visiting the area for the removal of wildlife from the threats of man.
We arrived at the river The trails are meandering in the forest of international scientific interest, as our guides. For example, we have discovered three new species of papyraceous (plant family it belongs to the papaya), new types of orchids, a new species of lizard and a very special kind of electric fish, different to that eel. These findings are still under study because to officially declare these new species to the scientific community requires a good number of genetic tests and reports the results. Neither the nature of bureaucracy escapes!
Some of these findings correspond to Dr. Calaway Dodson, orchidologist world renowned and former owner of this territory, and researchers at the University of Sarasota, Florida (USA), where the U.S. scientist has worked for most of his research career .
As we hear more about the achievements of Dodson for almost 30 years who lived in this territory, our steps lead us to the river Baba, natural forest boundary Rio Palenque. Obvious question: why this book is not called Baba River Forest? Otto Smith replied: “It seems that the tradition has called this stretch of the river (just passing through the property) and Rio Palenque, but along its flow is known as Baba.” Surely this is a curiosity more than forest.
The river is one of the must-see for tourists, who can even take a dip in the summer, as now, when the flow is not very strong. And that dip may include swimming with fish such as catfish, cachamas and rapids, or otters, according Villao also blow across the river arm purring due to the friction of water with rocks.
The walk takes us to the end points of the route, we visited the house of the reserve, where Dodson lived for many years, and the adjoining orchid house, where we could see more exotic species of this type of plant. But the beauty of these orchids may well compete with the benefits offered by the sowing of medicinal plants close more than a dozen species, including lemon verbena, mint, coriander and oregano.
All these plants are well “domesticated” to provide health care to human beings. But a species that never could get that quality is the so-called Big Tree, which dominates the 115 hectares of tropical forest. It lies north of the park, with more than 300 years old, 70 meters high and 25 meters in diameter. Matapalo is a species that was characterized by another tree wrap to absorb almost completely, leaving only a few clues.
Standing in front of a tree that vast certainly provides a unique perception of biodiversity that surrounds us, surprises us and subjugates us, through respect to projects, we also invited the human being “domestique” for stop harming nature.
