The increasing pressure of Western and other economies tapping into the Amazon region’s natural resources, often in a short-sighted manner, is resulting in ecological damage and social problems. These complex problems reveal the urgent need for involving trained experts with specialized skills and knowledge obtained through experiential learning on site.
Juan Carlos Galeano, a native of the Colombian Amazon region, teaches Latin American poetry and cultures of the Amazon basin at Florida State University. Galeano’s publications include Historias del viento (poetry, 2013), Amazonia y otros poemas (poetry, 2011), and Sobre las cosas (poetry, 2010).