LatinaLista — More and more people around the world raising the alarm over humankind’s impact on the environment.
Whether it’s overdeveloping land for new homes and disrupting the natural habitats of animals or draining underground water tables or polluting the air with chemicals in the name of progress and profit, man’s disregard for the environment is obvious.
The Sanguay national park in Cuenca, Ecuador is another one of those places that has suffered abuse and misuse for hundreds of years by people. However, the park has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.
According to UNESCO’s website describing the Park:
With its outstanding natural beauty and two active volcanoes, the park illustrates the entire spectrum of ecosystems, ranging from tropical rainforests to glaciers, with striking contrasts between the snow capped peaks and the forests of the plains. Its isolation has encouraged the survival of indigenous species such as the mountain tapir and the Andean condor.
Armando, who grew up in Cuenca, works for La Fundación Cordillera Tropical (FCT), an organization that works to conserve the forest.
By career, Armando is a bear research technician, and his job is to trek through the vast forest to set up cameras and check on current ones to document how the Andean bears are faring in the forest.
In the featured documentary, This is My Place, filmed by Actuality Media, a film study abroad program, viewers follow Armando on one of his daily treks throughout the beautiful Sanguay National Park and hear in his own words how he feels about the forest, humankind’s responsibility to take care of it and his fears for the future of a habitat that is home to both people and animals.
This is My Place from Actuality Media on Vimeo.
