The Amazon became an alternative classroom during the pandemic. Now the Batraja educational forest in Bolivia survives to teach the value of nature.
Junior and Yuliana Valverde Choque, brother and sister aged thirteen and eleven, live in the Bolivian Amazon, where the village of Batraja, with the support of the Institute for Rural Development in South America and the NGO Oxfam, has established an educational forest. "It's a forest that children and adults can visit to learn about trees and plant species," explains Junior. "Because people often don't know the names of trees or what their fruits can be used for."
It's a forest that children and adults can visit to learn about trees and plant species.
Junior Valverde Choque, age 13
Batraja is located in the department of Pando in the northern part of Bolivia, near the border with Brazil. Walking through the forest, Yuliana and Junior point out various trees and explain their medicinal uses. "When you cook the leaves of this tree, you get a remedy that helps against malaria," explains Junior. "Our father had it. There's a lot of malaria around here. We learned to recognise this tree and discovered the remedy it offers us thanks to the educational forest."
The village began managing the educational forest towards the end of last year, and during the pandemic it served as an alternative classroom. Teachers had left the village due to the threat of Covid-19, so Yuliana and Junior's father, Luis Gabriel Valverde Mapo, 38, became the new improvised teacher, holding lessons for the children in the forest.
"Explaining the environment and climate change to children has been truly valuable," he says. "We live here in the Amazon, but sometimes we ignore our forest. With this initiative we have strengthened our knowledge. We are also teaching natural resource management and the value of nature."
"What we are doing here is wonderful. People often speak of the severe destruction of the Amazon. It's good to see people working to change that mindset and take care of the forest. We still have time to look after it. If not us, who will? This task belongs to us who live in the Amazon. If we cut down the trees, we will be the ones to pay the consequences. And in order to take care of the forest we need to understand the importance of nature. We still have time to preserve our forests, the plants, the animals, everything."
If we cut down the trees, we will be the ones to pay the consequences. And in order to take care of the forest we need to understand the importance of nature. We still have time to preserve our forests, the plants, the animals, everything.
Luis Gabriel Valverde Mapo
Luis Gabriel's words ring true and are backed up by the latest data. According to Global Forest Watch, the loss of primary forests increased by 12 per cent in 2020. Brazil tops the list, and Bolivia unfortunately ranks third among the countries with the highest deforestation rates.
Returning to Yuliana and Junior in the forest, an orchestra of insects accompanies our walk. When asked about their favourite trees, they don't hesitate to answer, showing them to us. "My favourite tree is the açaí because its fruit contains many vitamins," says Yuliana, pointing to the palm that bears the precious fruits sold around the world as a superfood. At another moment we were able to observe how the harvest takes place: you have to climb many metres up the slender trunk of the tree to reach the small fruit. An impressive technique demonstrated with great ease.
"My favourite is the Brazil nut," says Junior. "It contains vitamins and helps support families around here." Brazil nut harvesting is by far the most important economic activity in this area, another example of an eco-sustainable economic activity tied to the forest. Junior also points out another tree that played an equally important role in these parts in the past: the rubber tree.
The children's enthusiasm highlights just how essential the economic role of the forest is, especially given that local communities often have to choose between deforestation and conservation — a decision that can be complex due to considerations about their own livelihoods.
Grecia Choque Villanueva (32), mother of Yuliana and Junior, is worried about external threats to the forest. "In the past, most people were involved in illegal logging," she recalls. "That's why such a large part of the Amazon is deforested. Cedar, mara and oak trees were felled and sold for export. Today it is also important to reforest in order to allow future generations to enjoy nature. Sometimes economic necessity leads people to engage in illegal activities."
As we continue our walk, Junior points out another plant. "This is palo santo. It's also a natural remedy — it works against pain, for example bone pain. At school we learned what we can take from the forest, and that we must not contaminate it, we must not cut down trees or burn rubbish," he adds. "We learned not to destroy Mother Earth. We have to prevent climate change. And we feel the change — it's much hotter here now."
The educational forest has been a learning experience for everyone in Batraja, says father Luis Gabriel. "Now the students know that our forests need to be cared for in order to function well. We still have clean air around here thanks to the forest. These days the entire community has a stronger relationship with the forest and places greater importance on it. I have truly seen a change."
Yet he too is increasingly worried about climate change. "In recent years the temperature has risen, up to 39 degrees. It gets so hot that we can barely work. What's more, what we sow no longer grows because of the heat. We know that all of this is connected to the large fires. It's important that the forest is no longer burned and that the streams continue to fill as they used to, because in the dry season we have very little water."
The Batraja educational forest has become so popular that neighbouring villages have shown interest and want to develop similar ones. Yuliana and Junior have also helped spread the word. "We've learned the importance of taking care of the forest, of the trees, and of not killing animals," says Yuliana. "We talk to other people, family friends and so on," adds her brother. "We tell them what plants and trees are for. We explain that we need to learn to take care of them. In general, people don't know very much about it."
Their father, too, is increasingly convinced of the importance of the educational forest. "I wish everyone could come to know the value of nature. And I hope that this knowledge will be taught to other people and to future generations as well. We must give value to the knowledge held by the forest, so that sharing it becomes common practice. If we don't make a tradition of it, we'll carry on as we always have."
This report was produced with the support of Oxfam in Bolivia.
Translated by Elettra Tsikoudis