Agroforestry the Peruvian Amazon

They say that "Every Picture Tells a Story" and this report will be based on two photos which, to me, are emblematic of the work that Alianza Arkana is doing to regenerate the Peruvian Amazon. Both photos are taken at the Shipibo community of Santa Clara where Alianza Arkana has been working for over two years.

The first photo shows a ten month old lupuna tree on one of the five hectares of land that is being reforested at Santa Clara. The lupuna is the tallest tree in the Peruvian Amazon.

This is one of over twenty varieties of medicinal trees and plants that are being used in this project of reforestation. In time, these trees will help to create a new ecosysytem around the community of Santa Clara. These trees have many uses. Traditionally, as well as being used for medicinal purposes, the trees are also used for wood to construct houses and their bark and seeds are used by the women in their handicrafts.

The second photo shows one of our volunteers working with children from the primary school at Santa Clara. The children are constructing 'biohuertas' that is plots of land in which they will grow food. As well as teaching them about the planting and growing of food crops, this activity is also being used to teach them about designs of different shapes.

This year, we are working much more closely with the school at Santa Clara and involving the children more in the permaculture project as well as basing many activities in the permaculture project around the Shipibo calendar, which the teachers have created as a central guiding thread for their educational activities throughout the year.