We’re Going to the Jungle!

2023 will be a hugely exciting year for BCC. In addition to the usual excitement of the campout and fundraising shop we have been asked by the SËRA Foundation to join them in developing their means of sustainable income that involves both tree climbers and herbalists.

Not to shy away from a challenge, BCC has compiled a team of 7 to undertake this ambitious new venture, living and working with the Seikopai community for two weeks to further support this incredible community.

So why is BCC sending a team, made up of arborists, herbalists and videographers, to the Ecuadorian rainforest!?

The Siekopai have been undertaking many initiatives to become financially sustainable and self-sufficient, and something that has shown great promise is a fruit that grows on the morete tree, found in abundance in their territory.

Historically, the morete trees have been felled to harvest the fruit due to the danger involved in climbing their branchless trunks. In recent years this felling has been stopped in order to conserve the trees, and the goal now is to find a more sustainable solution of harvesting the fruit.

This is where the BCC comes in. Thanks to our presence within the international tree climbing community, we have contacts that can help devise a solution. After extensive searching we have gathered a small team of arborists; Nora, Sven, Puk and our very own Vicki, to provide a week-long workshop at the request of the Siekopai community, teaching them how to safely harvest the Morete fruit. This will not only provide tuition to the people of the community as to how they can safely ascend and descend these trees, it will also give ample opportunity for us to harvest a good supply of the morete fruit during the harvest season.

After these workshop days, it will be time for herbalists, Bex and Lies, to get fully involved. Our herbalist team are excited to be involved in the distillation process of the morete fruit, creating a variety of natural products that the Siekopai will ultimately use or sell at markets. The community have already produced some products from the fruit and it’s proven to be a big seller, with morete being highly sought after in Ecuador. This early success has given them assurance that such an abundant resource could provide them with an income well into the future, provided the fruit is harvested sustainably from this year on.

The videographers, then. What is their role? Mat and Bex have the task of chasing everyone around with cameras, and ultimately compile the footage into a feature length documentary that will show the beauty and strength of the Siekopai to the world whilst providing a front row seat to the challenges and wonder experienced by our team members! By documenting the initiatives being implemented by the community, with a focus on the morete harvest, we will create a compelling narrative of their present day endeavours. SËRA Foundation youth leader, Jimmy Piagauje, has produced some exceptional video content on the ongoing struggle of his community, and we are delighted at the opportunity to contribute to the telling of the Seikopai story with productions of our own.

For three years now we have endeavoured to support the Siekopai Remolino in their fight to preserve their land and culture, and this has culminated into what is our most ambitious year yet. We have already begun raising funds for the SËRA Foundation to set up what will be the first indigenous-owned laboratory in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and the profits from selling our bespoke merchandise are going towards this. In addition, the funds raised this year will contribute towards sending our team on this incredible expedition.

We have a lot to do between now and September, but right now we’re full on with fundraising, planning and getting our hands on the necessary equipment. In addition to running the shop, promoting our cause at events, and raffling off gear, we are chasing up potential sponsors and chatting with companies about donating gear. Some truly amazing companies have come through for us already and provided equipment and support that make this endeavour possible.

Fundraising shop is now open!

Head over to our online shop to check out what we’re selling this year!

We are going to great lengths to try provide equipment and skills best suited to the needs of the Siekopai and their environment however with all first time expeditions we are treating this year as a pilot study to assess the suitability of our ideas for the long term success of the project. This will include continued meetings with the community once we have left and monitoring of the equipment and techniques through the harvest season. We don’t expect to have all the answers and are excited to work with the Siekoya Remolino to find the best means for them. We are in this for the long haul!

Planning for an expedition of this scale is an immersive process! It’s safe to say that the BCC team is being kept busy this year, but through our talks with the SËRA Foundation we remain committed to persevere and ensure the expedition comes together. Inspired by their optimism and our mutual excitement for the successes that this year will bring the Siekopai Remolino, we continue to plan, prepare, and fly the BCC/SËRA flag at every opportunity.

We are hugely grateful for the support that our BCC community gives us each year, and by creating a blog we hope to keep you all informed with where this year takes us, and the twists and turns we encounter before, during, and after this exciting expedition.

If you would like to know more about the campaign or how you can support head over to the Campaign page here.

We look forward to bringing you more updates in the coming weeks.

- Mat