“Los Secretos del YasunÔ, based on research at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, was awarded first prize by the municipality of Quito for best contribution in the category of biological sciences for 2017.
Dr. Swing notes that the project is distributing a few thousand copies of this 343-page book, which includes hundreds of color images from nature, gratis (publication financed by the German government) to a series of community high schools (mostly indigenous, Kichwa and Waorani primarily, some extremely remote) across eastern Ecuador where the information may be applied most directly. Contents are intended to provide local people with scientifically-based information that incites pride and appreciation while justifying conservation of the Biosphere Reserve. Although these students all have access to regular school texts, they are uniformly commenting that no one has ever given them a book before.
To read more about the award (in Spanish), click here.