John's Story

Eight years ago, I started working to create a private nature reserve. It has been a very long and arduous process, but it has also been extremely rewarding, and I have learned so much from the people who have helped me on this journey, as well as from the plants and animals of the rainforest.

For me, the journey began almost a decade earlier, when I started traveling to the Amazon rainforest to study traditional plant medicine. During that decade of study, I discovered that the rainforest contains cures for all types of illness, including those for which western medicine has not developed effective treatments. Unfortunately, I also realized that these medicines are disappearing fast, as deforestation is rapidly destroying this fragile ecosystem.

In 2012, while in the jungle studying plant medicine, I met my partner and teacher, Borka Cafuk, a brilliant holistic healer, doctor of plant medicine, and dedicated conservationist, who shares my passion for protecting the jungle and its medicines.
The following year, we built a center for plant medicine, located on the Momon River, a small tributary of the mighty Amazon River. During the construction of the center, we began to realize the extent of the destruction of the jungle around us, and we decided that we had to take action immediately to address this problem.

The first step was to create a private reserve on the land we had already purchased. This process is now ongoing, and in the future, we plan to expand the reserve to more than 400 hectares (1,000 acres), and eventually build additional reserve zones all along the river, thus protecting this threatened and fragile ecosystem. At present, there are no protected zones, either public or private, on the entire river. Our reserve is the first of its type in this region, and hopefully will serve as a model for other threatened regions of the Amazon rainforest.

Once the reserve was started, our next step was to begin to repair the damaged areas of the jungle and restore them to health by replanting trees. The process is fairly simple, though labor-intensive. First, we go with a crew of local workers and cut the fallen trees into pieces, which are then burned. The soil in the Amazon jungle is very poor in nutrients, so the burned wood returns nutrients to the soil, stimulating the new trees we plant to grow much faster than they normally would. With some species, we have seen the growth of more than 10 meters (33 feet) in just four years, so we know that the jungle can recover rapidly with a little help.

Each time that a giant tree is cut for wood, it destroys dozens of smaller trees, leaving a huge hole in the canopy above and a tangled mess of destroyed jungle below. Cleaning this is very delicate and time-consuming work. Wherever possible, we salvage those trees that can be saved, and we try to replace those species which have been cut, as well as planting other species of hardwoods and medicinal trees, thus increasing biodiversity to new levels. In the future, these areas will create new habitats for the animals which depend on them for food and shelter.

Every tree in the rainforest is its own small ecosystem. Huge trees may support dozens of species of plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. When one is cut, these plants and animals lose their home and may be lost forever. This is one reason why it is critical for us to help stop this destruction, and repair the damage that has already been done. Through donations to the Rio Momon Conservation Association, private and corporate donors play a critical role in saving this important ecosystem. More than 90 percent of all donations will go directly to the establishment of reserve zones and planting trees.

The association also has projects to aid local communities by establishing sustainable aquaculture and agriculture. This provides local people with long-term solutions that decrease their reliance on illegal wood cutting and slash and burn agriculture for their survival. This is how we can save the rainforest from further destruction.

Planting trees is a labor of love for us. There is no better feeling in the world than to plant a tree and watch it grow into a magnificent home to hundreds of other plants and animals.

If you would like to help us with this critical work, you can help directly by donating.

Either way, you are helping our planet and fighting climate change in the most effective way. From our team in the jungle, we send you our heartfelt thanks for your generous donations. Together, we will save the Amazon rainforest and make the world a better place.