Big hairy bugs. Spiders that eat birds. Mosquitoes the size of tennis balls. Those are my first thoughts when I hear the word rainforest. There are many other impressive facts about the rainforests, of course; the main one is its staggering diversity of species and the intricate balance needed to maintain that diversity. Monkeys and macaws, anacondas, sloths and frogs all live among ancient forests that stretch for miles. The trees create a soaring canopy of leaves hundreds of feet off the ground where everything green is competing for a speck of sunlight. The Amazon, the world’s largest river, carries such a force and volume that for several miles from the mouth of the river, fresh water can be found in the ocean. The rainforests cover 6 percent of the Earth’s ground surface, but more than half of the earth’s plant and animal species are found there. One out of four medicines in use today has ingredients discovered in rainforests. The word intriguing doesn’t even come close to describing what visiting a rainforest would be like — but for me, it comes back to the bugs — I am just not sure about those guys.
I thought that only the Jane Goodalls and Indiana Joneses of the world hung out in jungles. But then I realized that several years ago I had been in a rainforest, with nary a bug to be found. My husband and I, very young and newlywed, vacationed in Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. We traveled, among other places, to the Hoh Rainforest, the only temperate rainforest in the United States, which we found to be damp and darkly beautiful, with moss-covered trees and foliage in every shade of green. Despite the bright afternoon sun, it remained in an enchanted gloom and following the twisting trails seemed to lead us further back in time.
Access to Ancient Australia
There are two types of rainforests, temperate and tropical, which can be found on several continents. Should you ever be on a wandering walkabout in Australia (or simply on vacation), head up to North Queensland to spend a day or several at the Daintree National Park. The park, located along the northwest shores of the continent, is home to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation Tropical Research Station, and according to its Web site, Daintreecoast.com, the park is home to the oldest rainforest in the world, existing for more than 135 million years. The biodiversity here, in conjunction with the nearby Great Barrier Reef, is also one of the largest, making it a prime ecological destination. Visitors have options of several different kinds of educational tours. Those without any fear of heights can try jungle surfing, where adventurous souls scoot through the leafy canopy along a zipline hundreds of feet off the ground. There are also expeditions for folks who like to keep their feet on terra firma, such as the day and night walks guided by experienced biological scientists.
Tropical Traveling in South America
If you’re interested in exploring South America, Discover Amazonia — a division of Inti Travel and Tours — can provide you with every stripe of trip. “Ecuador is our most popular rainforest destination,” says Jeff Waugh, CEO and director of operations at Discover Amazonia. Since starting the business in 1979, Waugh says that the numbers of people taking these kinds of vacations have only increased, and that more and more families are signing up all the time.
Environmental awareness, says Waugh, is at the forefront of their mission, and most vacationers are already somewhat environmentally conscious, adding that, “… if they are not before the trip, they will be afterwards.” All of the lodges follow fairly strict environmental practices to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem and offer two guides, one local indigenous guide and one guide with formal biology training for each small group of guests.
Discover Amazonia has many different packages to choose from, along with detailed itineraries and information on accommodations and answers to traveler’s questions, everything from what to pack in your suitcase to hotels in specific cities along the route, as well as several trips specifically designed for families with young children. If you don’t see something offered on their Web site that strikes your fancy, there is also the option to custom design your own excursion.
Go Now… Before It’s Too Late
Over the past decades, rainforest conservation groups and their messages have been in and out of the news. With the realization that global warming is an actuality and not so much a liberal, tree-hugging hysteria, rainforests have reasserted their importance on the global stage. At the present rate of destruction, they will be wiped out by 2035. More than 71 million acres have already been destroyed in the Amazon. According to the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), the slash and burn of rainforests contributes to the rise of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide. Deforestation contributes 20 to 30 percent of all carbon dioxide released. This means the trees are no longer around to consume it, and the atmosphere retains more pollution, equaling more heat. Eventually, ocean currents warm slightly. Ice is going out three weeks early on Hudson Bay, and polar bears, no longer able to use ice to hunt seals, are starving.
This is the slippery slope we are sliding down. As the climate shifts and hurricanes and stronger storms wreak havoc on the population, people are finally starting to listen to what scientists and conservationists have been declaring for years. We are quickly reaching a point of no return in permanently altering our climate. Listening is key because behavior can only change when attitudes change. And attitudes will only change when there is education. And this is when a trip to the rainforest is by far the best way to ignite learning about and loving what keeps this planet in balance.
Education, not only about the rainforest, but about our planet in general is one of the greatest gifts a rainforest vacation can give. As Waugh says, “I am very concerned not only about the importance of rainforests, but about the importance of protecting and conserving natural areas everywhere!” The lesson, detailed so elegantly in studying rainforest habitat, is that we are all connected. The choices we make today will have effects that we may not see coming tomorrow. There may be results we can barely begin to imagine. Small things, we have learned, can have dramatic impacts. One tiny insect disappearing from a population can affect the migration patterns of birds. One degree Celsius change in ocean temperature can cause coral to die, fish to leave, larger predators to follow, and hurricanes to blossom.
While we are here, it’s important to learn the lessons nature has so desperately been trying to teach us. So that when a tree falls in the woods, we will not be debating whether it made a sound, but whether we will make some noise about why it was cut down in the first place.