FRIDAY’S LUNCHEON LECTURE: LIFE ON THE AMAZON RIVER
The complexities of life on the Amazon River will be the topic of a luncheon lecture this Friday, March 28, at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey. The speaker will be Charlevoix native Nancy Dammann, a doctoral candidate at Columbia University’s department of ecology, evolution, and environmental Biology
Ms. Dammann lived for 11 years in small villages in Peru studying the way people in those villages try to manage their natural resources. The communities are located in the floodplain of the Ucayali River, considered to be the source of the Amazon. They are two to three days by boat from the nearest city. While extremely isolated, they are highly connected to the regional, national, and international markets for fish, timber, medicinal plants, agricultural products, and wildlife.
Residents of these communities depend on agriculture, fishing, and timber to meet all of their daily and emergency needs. Most of their land floods for three to six months of the year, many of the fish species migrate long distances, wildlife populations move from community to community, and the river itself carries away whole villages every year.
While many of the villages have banned commercial fishing and limited timbering and hunting, their rules are deemed illegal by the national government which views all natural resources as national property which only the state can manage.
At the same time, the Amazon River is governed by eight different countries. As a result, the resources, livelihoods, and actions of any individual community are affected by many factors out of their control.
Ms. Damman’s doctoral research tries to understand the role that small communities can play in the conservation and management of resources in such large, complex, and interconnected systems. Similar questions could be posed in northern Michigan: How can small communities manage issues such as fishing and zebra mussels when regional to international laws take precedence? How can the needs of local citizens be balanced with international and regional needs and pressures?
Friday’s program takes place at noon in the college library. Cost to attend is $9. Reservations are preferred; call 231-348-6602 or e-mail cmaci@ncmich.edu.
North Central Michigan College is an open-door community college based in Petoskey. Through its University Center partnerships, students can take courses leading to certificates, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from participating universities. North Central’s Institute for Business & Industry Training offers non-credit job skills training tailored to meet individual needs. In addition to its main campus in Petoskey, North Central offers classes, academic advising, testing and other services in Cheboygan, Gaylord and East Jordan.
For more information:
Charles MacInnis
231-348-6839
