2004 – Sita was studying Traditional Amazonian Medicine near to the village of Varillal, located outside of Iquitos.  She stayed in an encampment without running water and a couple of times per week, walked to the little river of the Fundo to bathe.  During the walks she became acquainted with Renato, a campesino (settler) who lived in the jungle and made his home in the land of the Fundo.

Although the land –70 acres of old growth forest – had never been issued a title, Renato had a “Constancia” (certificate of possession – a right to stay in the land). It is important to remember that this is the forest, where there were no titles, per se.

2006 - Renato decided to leave the land and move to the city. He approached Sita and asked if she wanted to purchase the land. She was aware the land was not titled and knew it could be difficult to get one, if and when needed, however she acquired the land with the intention of conservation.

It had been custom throughout the years, that other campesinos would cut trees to make a buck (literally). They produced charcoal out of majestic trees, which sold for as little as one dollar for thirty to fifty pounds. Although it was heartbreaking to see the poverty that created this problem in the first place, it was concerning to see the deforestation that was taking place. And that’s where the conservation intention originated.

People continued to walk through the Fundo, but they stopped cutting trees for many years once they learned that it was a conservation land.

2012 – A fire in the Belén area near Iquitos displaces over a thousand people and over one hundred families.

2016 – The local government resettle families from Belén in the area near the Fundo

2018 – People again start coming onto the land, carving paths and cutting trees.  With no other access, the new settlers are carving a pathway to get to a nearby river, and people are felling trees.

2019 – Amidst divergent interests – the new settlers who want to get to the river to fish and conservation efforts to maintain the forestry, tension rises which is subsequently resolved through community meetings.  However, border areas of the Fundo now require more active oversight to prevent further encroachment. The rising population requires more diligent efforts in the care of the land. The current requirements exceed the capacity of the current caregivers. As more people move into the area, the land becomes more vulnerable. 

A fence was never required.  Now, it is clear that the area, all 70 acres, must be fenced if the trees and ecosystem are to be preserved. 

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2020 – Although approximately 90% - 95% of the trees remain in the Fundo and the waterways are still clean, medicinal plants have been taken along with some important equipment used for the upkeep of the land.