If you have ever taught or written an environmental-themed lesson, I salute you. I have taught many in my lifetime, but somehow there's always an inner troll telling me: 

• This is futile.
• No one cares.
• Students aren’t interested.
• It won't change anything. 

My inner troll has taken a bit of a beating since I visited the Boiling River in Peru. As an author for NGL, I got lucky and managed to visit with National Geographic explorer Andrés Ruzo. This is a guy who has devoted his life to discovering the mysteries of the river and protecting this unique place. If you're not familiar with him, check out his TED talks (or use them in class). I promise you'll be blown away. 

Emily Bryson with Andrés Ruzo at the Boiling River, Shanay-Timpishka, Peru.

The Boiling River

So the Boiling River is indeed a river that boils! It can reach temperatures of 95 degrees Celsius! To get there, you need to first arrive in Pucallpa by bus or plane and then drive for three hours, mostly on gravel roads. It is a hidden wonder of the world that not many people know about or have seen. Personally, it is one of the most impressive places I have ever visited.

My first glimpse was both breathtaking and terrifying. Only a noticeboard with the temperature keeps danger away. One misplaced foot and I'd have been boiled from the outside in, starting with my eyes, according to Andrés! The wellness retreat we stayed at recommended sitting on the rocks less than a foot from the river to enjoy a natural steam bath. Oddly, even when I was sweating profusely in 40-degree heat, the steam from the river was cleansing and refreshing.

The climate crisis: Too close for comfort

As we drove to the river, we noticed a lot of wildfires. We asked our driver to stop and took some photos and videos. It reminded my husband of photos of the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme in the First World War! Whole forests had been razed to ashy fields, mere tree stumps remaining. It was so hot that Andrés's phone overheated and his sneakers melted.

That night, as we slept in our wooden tambo, I could smell the fires still burning. My mind raced as I expected to be evacuated at any point. 

Thankfully, when we woke, all was quiet and the steam continued to rise from the crystal clear waters. 

The aftermath of a forest fire just a few kilometers from the site of the Boiling River

Our visit continued with meetings with local people. The situation is complex and I had to remind myself that Scotland, as well as many other countries, chose to deforest many years ago to make boats and farmland. Of course the quick reward of cash is easier to desire than trees, even if trees give us clean air and reduce the risk of drought and floods.

The remaining lungs of the planet are vanishing rapidly. The World Resources Institute reckons on 10 football fields to be lost every minute! Given that Bolivia just lost 3 million hectares (5.6 trillion football fields) in September, I suspect this rate might now be quicker!

Locals want to make way for crops such as soy and palm oil. Illegal loggers want to cut down and sell the biggest, most carbon-absorbing trees. And land traffickers sell plots of land they don't own to anyone trusting enough not to check.

A positive message

It's hard not to get disillusioned and let the inner troll run riot. But something Andrés said helps my inner angel win.

Every time the Boiling River gets a mention in a book, blog, printable lesson plan, video, or social media post, it's one more piece of evidence to strengthen the conservation case to officials.

So dear ELTers, keep teaching conservation topics, especially about the Boiling River and other undiscovered beauties that need our protection. And if you ever write about the BR, send Andrés a link. He'll want to know!

Keep on teaching, keep on writing, keep on spreading the word that our planet needs help if the human race wants to continue to thrive on it! 

Related

There are 400+ environment-themed resources on Ellii, including these wildfire-themed materials:

• Dealing with Devastation in Fire-Ravaged Hawaii 
• Trudeau Slams Facebook for Blocking Wildfire News in Canada 
• Tourism in Maui after Wildfire 
• Wildfires 

Here are some more related posts:

• Greening the ELT Classroom  
• The What, Why & How of Sustainable Development Goals  
• One in a Million: Plastic Litter Challenge 
• Student Showcase: Earth Day Projects  
• A Quick Activity to Boost Confidence & Well-Being: Inner Troll Vs. Inner Angel

 

Have you heard of BR? Have you experienced a wildfire or noticed extreme climate change? Do you know any other special places that need their profile raised? What have you done to protect places like this? We'd love to know.