TARUMÃ SANCTUARY

Global Eco Journey has initiated a number of local practical conservation projects to enhance the countryside around the local community.

These have been pursued through the efforts of GEJ trip participants, volunteers, local people and the members of Tarumã Sanctuary.

Our main project is:

The Tarumã Sanctuary Project

Tarumã Sanctuary is a safe, supportive environment that provides an excellent base for deep inner personal work, relaxation, reflection, and energy renewal. This special place will increase our appreciation and compassion for the environment through example and education. This private preserved land will be our home base in the rainforest.

Founded in 2000, Tarumã Sanctuary is privately owned and operated by a small group of people who value eco-spirituality. Our focus is on a few simple goals: sharing knowledge of ecological preservation, contributing to research and teaching, engaging people in eco-spirituality education, offering presentations and/or collaborating with diverse organizations and people to promote and protect Mother Earth and ourselves.

Tarumã Sanctuary is nestled along the coast of the Rio Negro (Black River) near the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Community. It is 38 km northwest of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas-Brazil, at the mouth of the Tarumã River. Accessible by riverboat or car, the sanctuary comprises almost 25 acres of tropical rainforest and will be expanded in the near future. The topography varies from very steep to very gentle. There are open fields, trails, igarape (small lagoons), swamps, and plains areas. Tarumã sits in the midst of a wonderful neighborhood community, where wildlife finds refuge.

SANCTUARY RESTORATION

Reforestation
There are numerous reasons why the rainforest in this region has suffered severe deforestation over the past few decades. A lack of understanding about the importance of replanting trees when others are cut has been a major underlying reason for the deforestation that occurred in the Tarumã area. Others reasons for the deforestation are foreign logging operations, the use of wood for cooking, and slash and burn farming operations.

Community efforts
Having an unspoiled area where people can observe wildlife in its natural habitat and assist with biodiversity projects helps to improve both local and global communities. Residents of the neighboring communities, along with visitors to Tarumã, will learn the value of conservation and can then make positive changes towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Conservation and restoration work within the community are the primary focus. In order to achieve natural biodiversity and to protect the integrity and natural beauty of the region, a "help-plan" was created. The help-plan is a database of information on the various plant species in the region and is used in conjunction with lists of plants, fish, birds, and mammals in the region to help guide the restoration work.

In the year 2000, a small effort was started with neighboring communities to replant medicinal plants and native fruit trees that have disappeared from the area. News of this work spread around the community and now more local people are bringing seeds and teaching others how to collect seeds for replanting. The community members have a renewed understanding and appreciation of the importance of protecting and maintaining biodiversity in the region.

MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

PROPOSAL

Participants will research the use of traditional plant medicines of the Tarumã Sanctuary region. Selected plants will be cultivated at the demonstration site where wild land, adjacent to developed rainforest land will be reforested. Documenting the economic feasibility of such land use will encourage conservation and sustainable use of land otherwise at risk of deforestation.

Exposure to indigenous community volunteers working side by side with educators, students, researchers, and scientists will stimulate support for frontline ecological issues. These issues will include, but not be limited to, rainforest loss, alternative use of land, plant cultivation, and reforestation.

Encouraging local community development of ecologically sound alternatives to lumbering, monoculture, and wild forest will provide jobs for rainforest indigenous people. This will encourage interdependence and intellectual growth, while allowing these people to remain in their natural surroundings.

GOALS

• Documentation of the location, gathering, processing and administration of traditional medical plants by indigenous experts.
• Work with local healers and healthcare professionals to provide a cross-cultural exchange of information about primary care medicine.
• Reinforce incentives to preserve and reforest areas on the margins of existing native forest and clear land.
• Preservation of local knowledge about otherwise endangered plant species that are shown to be desirable and valuable.

In the future we see Tarumã Sanctuary as a wild ethno-botanic knowledge center of information about local medicinal plants. By informing our local community and visitors about our rare endemic plants and ways to use them, the Sanctuary will encourage environmental awareness visitors’ and young students’ support for ecological preservation. As part of this effort, Tarumã Sanctuary also plans to introduce the environmental subject "Rainforest Traditional Plants" to the Manatee Eco-School, and offer a course "Medicinal Plants from the Rainforest".

Database
Tarumã Sanctuary maintains a small reference database of trees, plants and medicinal herbs. This database is the result of on-going work by our staff and our land caretakers and is available for review by our guests.

Book - Self Guide-Database-Taruma’s Medicinal Plants This Self-Guide Database book will be in PDF format. If you are interested in receiving this, email us. We are presently doing an upgrade on it, and as soon as posible we will send it to you.

WELCOME TO TARUMÃ SANCTUARY
As a visitor to Tarumã Sanctuary you are asked to follow certain rules designed to protect the area, the natural environment, safety and enjoyment of fellow visitors. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. Download and read the General Rules.

VOLUNTEERING
We encourage enthusiastic people to devote their time and services to conservation and nature education activities in any possible way. Contact us at info@globalecojourney.com.

SUPPORT TARUMÃ SANCTUARY PROGRAMS

If you find our program worthwhile, you can help us to make it matter with a donation.