Submitted by Meghan O’Brien on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Brazil sponsored by the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences…
Hello from Brazil! This is Meghan O’Brien on the landscape exploration abroad program. My first week in Brazil has been incredible and I can’t wait to continue to learn even more about the culture. We first flew to Manaus, Brazil where we spent one day exploring the local parks and restaurants. After one day in Manaus, we departed for our next destination where we spent a week at the Uakari Lodge located on the Amazon River. As we arrived to the lodge by boat, we were surrounded by miles and miles of the river and the tropical rain forest. This breathtaking scenery was truly amazing and we were able to experience what it is like to live along the Amazon. We went hiking, canoeing, fishing, and went on night boat rides to see the pink river dolphins and the sunset. We saw “caiman” (crocodile), snakes, monkeys, birds, and other species as part of the Amazon’s vast wildlife. The members of the lodge are from the local communities along the river and they could not have been more welcoming and knowledgeable. Both the lodge and the communities work together to preserve the area while also showing tourists this astonishing part of the world.
My favorite part of this week was visiting one of the local communities. It was a 30 minute boat ride away and it consisted of about 50 people with about ten buildings. These locals live completely off the land and enjoy fishing, cooking (Tapioca and Mandioca are some of the most popular items used in cooking), and playing soccer. There are insufficient educational services for the children, therefore, they take a boat ride everyday into the city of Tefé for school. This was an inspirational experience and the “president” of the community showed us their many plants and gardens. He could not have thanked us enough for coming to learn about his environment.
Moreover, we also dove into the first week of classes for plants and human culture and field sketching. For plants and human culture, we learned about local plants in Brazil and also those from around the world. We each presented on a Brazilian artist focusing on the elements of art. For field sketching we worked on those elements and incorporated them into drawing in the field while on our hikes or around the lodge. These two classes definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone and I am learning so many new things.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed Brazil so far and the Brazilians have been nothing but welcoming. It was so interesting to learn about our guides and how they grew up. The relationship between the lodge and the communities is so special and it is inspiring to see everyone working toward a common goal of preserving this beautiful part of the world.
I am really excited to experience Rio over these next three weeks.
