Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

My name is Jessica and I am an American, currently studying at a boarding school in the Amazon region of Brazil. Growing up on the banks of the Amazon River, I have seen the effects of pollution and littering firsthand. Every day, numerous river creatures like dolphins, crocodiles, sting rays, turtles, and fish wash up on the river shore dead or seriously injured because of entrapment in floating trash, or from infection after digesting floating trash.
Long ago, the Indians in the Amazon region considered trash in the river to be a form of evil sent by the gods. Therefore, they did their best to retrieve the trash from the river. As time passed, however, the native Brazilians have grown passive towards the growing amount of litter in the river.
My heart is burdened with the deaths and injuries caused to these animals, and so I offer awareness lessons for the local children each week. We then join to clean up a mile of river bank in front of our houses. Every week, the children and I grab trash bags of litter that have washed up on shore. Since we have begun gathering trash along the river bank once a week, we rarely find injured animals, the plant life has flourished, and the cleanliness of the river bank in front of our houses has inspired other to clean their sections of land too.
Being involved in this economic project has really shown me that when a community unites, they are able to accomplish so much more than the individual alone. Because I joined together with the children in my community, I was able to build a foundation in the community for the future. Even I when leave Brazil, I know that the animals of the Amazon will still be protected by these children. They will take these life lessons of protecting nature and animals throughout their lives. This whole experience has shown me that all it takes is one person with an idea to start a project and make a change.