Introduction

Image Courtesy of: Uniglobe Tour 'N Travel

HELP! The native chief and community elders of a village deep in the heart of the Ecuadorian rainforest really need your expert opinions on a very important decision they face. They are trying to decide whether or not to allow ecotourism in their native village and area of the rainforest.

What is ecotourism you ask? Ecotourism is taking vacations or trips to places that have unspoiled natural resources.  For example: taking trips to cloud forests in Costa Rica, or exploring the Rainforest in the Amazon.

The chief's tribe needs to feed their families and have to cut down the rainforest to grow food so they can eat.  But the rainforest is endangered and disappearing very quickly. Instead of cutting down the forest, they have turned to ecotourism as a possible alternative to cutting down the forest. The money from vacationers might help the tribe survive so they arenât forced to cut down more of the rainforest.

But there are many considerations before deciding to allow ecotourism. How might this affect the land? The animals in the forest? The plants? The natives themselves? You will be working with a group of experts to decide whether or not to recommend ecotourism in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, where the tribe lives. You will present your combined expert opinion to the Chief and his council. The future of the tribe is in your hands!!