May, 18 2012

Conserving Nature It is hard to believe that once the second largest jungle in South America, with its superior natural beauty, today suffers from threat of extinction. Due to the agricultural frontier expansion and forest exploitation, in only 50 years more than 60 percent of the original forest has been replaced by crops and farms; the native trees, pines and eucalyptus, providing fast growing timber that was later cleared. Added to this is the change in the dynamics of rivers caused by the installation of dams, sedimentation, illegal hunting and occupation of land, social inequalities and lack of awareness among the population. All these factors are increasing the fragmentation of the forest and its consequent limitation on the ability to not properly disperse seeds, as well as compromising the the genetics of native fauna. Clearly the result may be irreversible, harming the quality of water, the chemistry of the streams and rivers accelerating the disappearance of plant and animal species, which benefits us in many ways, but mainly provides us with nutrients. Much of the jungle is still undiscovered or investigated, and according to experts, biologists, at this rate in less than 20 years the jungle will only be able to be declared as protected air. This means the Iguazú National Park, the Misiones Parks, the Yacutinga Reserve and a few other minor reserves will no longer exist. In this context, Yacutinga is one of the only guardians of the last remaining remanents of this ecosystem know as the Interior Atlantic Forest. The invitation then, is to come to the site to learn, understand, care for and perserve the nature and its inhabitants; and thus build bridges of love and commitment. And even if what has been lost cannot be recovered, the challenge is to preserve what remains, the source that guarantees our existence on earth. For more information visit: www.yacutinga.com / www.yacutingalodge.blogspot.com