Tree Monkeys Completed its First Course in Ecuador!

 

In November and December of 2015, Tree Monkey Project completed its first Basic Tree Climbing Course in the Amazon in Ecuador. It was a successful and amazing trip.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent 9 days with 9 members of the Kitchwa tribe outside of the town of Tena, located at the base of the Andes mountains. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The course was held at the Tamia Yura Conservation and Environmental Education Center, which is home to and founded by the Tapuy family. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assisting us in the course was Jonathon Miller Weisberger. He guided, interpreted, and assisted in climbing training. Jonathon, an ethnobotinist, author, and environmentalist, was the visionary who inspired this project. He connected the need of the indigenous communities to harvest fruit, medinal plants, and tea leaves, to the use of technical tree climbing as a sustainable way to maintain the natural forest. In the future, we hope to expand the tribes' skills to help in forest canopy research, and provide income through ecotours. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that Phase 1 is complete we plan to go back to Ecuador to continue training so they can progress and become more proficient in their tree climbing abilities.