2202111 English One                                                                             Supplementary Reading Unit 2

The following passage is adapted from Rainforest Information, which can be found at http://www.ren.org/info_ceter/ecotourism.html.

Can Ecotourism Save the Rainforest?
     by Kenneth McCormick

Though there are many definitions of ecotourism, the term is most commonly used to describe any recreation in natural surroundings. The Ecotourism Society adds social responsibilities to define ecotourism as "purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem, while producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people." However defined, ecotourism is a force shaping the use of the tropical rainforests. This will be even more true in the future due to ecotourism’s rapid growth.

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If ecotourism is going to be influential in saving rainforests, income from tourism must reach the people who will ultimately decide the forest’s future. Unfortunately, too often the money generated does not benefit these people. Instead it goes to developed countries, where the tourists originated, giving little economic protection to the forests. Profits leak back to the developed nations through tour operators, plane tickets, foreign owned accommodations and use of non-local supplies. The World Bank estimates that worldwide only 45 percent of tourism’s revenue reaches the host country.

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Because we know so little about rainforests, it is difficult to know how many people can visit a rainforest in a day without disrupting the forest ecology. There is some evidence that just the presence of travelers walking on trails through the forest changes the behavior of animals in the forest. But a larger impact on the forest comes from stresses on the environment in accommodating the physical needs and comforts of the tourists. Trash, fuel wood, living accommodations, access and communication routes, etc., all put a large stress on the ecology. In popular Himalayan tourist routes litter has been strewn along the trails and the alpine forest have been decimated by travelers looking for fuel to heat food and bath water. There is now an understanding that there is a limited number of people that can visit an area before that area is adversely affected. But deciding that number is often very difficult.

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The stress of ecotourism goes beyond just the natural world. It can greatly disrupt the local people and social structure. In remote locations it is difficult to bring the benefits of tourist dollars to the more traditional people without disrupting their way of life. Even accommodations for a small amount of tourists can have profound effects on village life. In the forests of Peru some tribes will trade elaborate traditional cloaks, which take three months to make, for an ax. Tourists who will pay far more for the same item bring about a profound change in the economic makeup of the village.

Traveling Westerners bring their modern material comforts with them and, for local people, an un-imagined wealth. Local people acquire a desire to have some of these expensive items but cannot easily pay for them without major changes in their lifestyle. A quality tour center will reinforce to the local people the uniqueness and specialness of their culture, and teach the traveler about it as well.

Local peoples’ use of the forest for firewood, meat, agriculture and selling exotic species sometimes comes in conflict with the tourists’ wishes to keep the land pristine. To protect the tourist industry, regulations are made that protect locals from using these forest resources. They are often unprepared for work in tourism or related industries and are left with no alternatives but impoverishment and resentment. Original inhabitants are pushed out of the area while outsiders move in to try to profit from the tourism.

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A tremendous amount of planning and organization is needed to attract enough tourists to make money and still maintain the unspoiled forest and indigenous communities within them. Opening up an area to tourists without forethought can quickly destroy the forests upon which the tourism is based. Alta Floresta is one example of a tourist project that has been planned with care.

Alta Floresta, a town in the Brazilian highlands, is the home of an innovative research center and ecotourist project. The research center is set up to study sustainable ways of using the forest and to teach people in the area how to use these new practices. The project is centered on community involvement, setting up schools, hospitals and training programs. Local people are trained in sustainable farming practices and the harvesting of non-timber forest products. In addition, instead of being forced out of the economy, they are trained to work in the tourist center and lodge becoming and integral part of the whole project. The tourist center also educates travelers on the biology of the rainforest and causes of its destruction. This project is a positive example of how an ecotour center can be set up.

Ecotourism should be a learning experience. The travelers should learn about the forest and its people and the causes of destruction of the rainforests they are visiting. The rainforests are being destroyed at such a phenomenal rate that by the end of the next decade all but a few major tracts will be gone as well as much of the world’s biodiversity. Only large scale involvement by the general public will affect law-makers, international banks and governments to influence them into making more ecologically sound decisions. A visit to a rainforest will provide a more personal incentive to motivate people than just seeing television documentaries or magazine articles. With a large enough group of knowledgeable travelers, we may be able to convince the policy makers to act in a more responsible manner with respect to tropical rainforests and indigenous cultures.

Answer the following questions. (25 points)

1. (4 points) The following are the section headings taken from the passage. Put each of them back in their appropriate place.

a. Can tourism harm the rainforest?

b. Case Study: Alta Floresta: Research Center

c. Do the rainforests benefit from ecotourism?

d. Does ecotourism adversely affect the people of the forest?

2. (6 points) Three of the sections headings are questions. Answer each of them, and also explain why or how. Base your answer on what you have read in the article.

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3. (2 points) The title of the article is also a question. From the article, it is obvious that the answer to it is yes. In one sentence, explain how, according to the writer, ecotourism can save the rainforest.

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4. (1 point) Why does the writer mention Alta Floresta?

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5. (2 points) What is the writer’s purpose?

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6. (10 points) List five of the vocabulary words you had not known before reading this article. Say briefly how you dealt with each of them, e.g. skipped the word as you could still understand the main points of the article without knowing its meaning, guessed its meaning from the context, or had to look the word up in order to better understand the article. Also, write the meanings of the words as they are used in the article.