Where We Are
The project site is located in the town of San Roque de Cumbaza, a village in the district of Lamas on the northern tip of Peru’s San Martin region . San Martin is the most deforested region in Peru, with over 120,000 acres of forest cut down each year due to unsustainable farming practices like slash and burn. What they call the “eyebrow of the Amazon”, the provinces of Lamas and Tarapoto extend 50,000 hectares of cloud forest near the border of the Peruvian highlands and the Amazon basin. San Roque’s close vicinity to both primary rainforest in the Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservancy area and to the booming jungle city of Tarapoto makes it a particularly fragile environment for ecology and biodiversity. There are many endangered plants and animals which currently live in the district, including the Jaguar, Spectacled Bear, and the Phragmipedin Orchid. The Cumbaza river, from which the town owes its namesake, begins in this district, eventually supplying over 200,000 people with water, and feeding into what becomes the Amazon River. However, only 32% of the population in the San Martin region lives with potable water, due to pollution and inaccessibility. Since 1977, the water flow has been cut in half after a surge in migrant populations, who are also largely responsible for unsustainable agriculture techniques in the region.
San Martin, and particularly the province of Lamas was hit hard in the 1980s and 1990s by violence associated with the increase of coca crops in the zone. Drug trafficking and terrorism boomed throughout the region, as more and more farmers engaged in the production of coca, largely to supply the ever-expanding international market of cocaine. Although the production of coca has largely decreased in the past two decades, the remnants of that era of deforestation still remain, as large portions of the Lamas district are struck with soil degradation, a decrease in agricultural productivity and shortened fallow periods.
The region is kept alive by its bright and resilient people. Fueled by a rich cultural tradition, the Lamas district houses a strong native population, the Kechwa-Lamistas, as well as a large population of mestizos and migrants. The Kechwa-Lamas people trace their roots far before the Spanish invasion, preserving their culture through their unique language, arts, and belief systems. The mestizo village of San Roque de Cumbaza is surrounded by multiple Quechua native communities including Alto Shamboyacu and Chirikyaku. Speaking various dialects of Quechua along with Spanish, these communities are notable for their delicate handicrafts and unique shamanic rituals using native plants of the surrounding forest. These communities, however, lie below the international poverty line, many families earning less than $1 USD per day. The pressure to earn enough to feed and support their families leads many to abandon their native cultural practices and communities in hopes of making it in more developed urban environments. R.U.N.Amazon is working to combat this trend by supporting traditional artisans, farmers, and families working to preserve their culture.
San Roque de Cumbaza is one of the best destination for excursions heading to the multiple waterfalls throughout the Lamas region, some reaching heights of over 150m. The waterfalls, or “cataratas” are sacred spaces of energy and spirits for the native people, and hiking to them provides a once in a lifetime experience for anybody willing to get their boots a little muddy on a real jungle trek. And, getting deeper into the primary forest provides more opportunity for seeing wildlife including over thousands of bird species native to the high amazon region. Since the numbers of these animals have severely decreased due to overhunting, the native people will recommend you channel the runa energy for better chances of catching a glimpse of these forest dwellers.