March 2008 • Vol. 87: No. 2 : Features Finding balance UGA faculty Bud and Mary Freeman help Ecuador preserve biodiversity while accommodating eco-tourism Bud and Mary Freeman’s September trip to Ecuador was a whirlwind—in 10 days, the couple collected fish from 25 different sites in the Pastaza River Basin. The Freemans serve as volunteer collaborators with the Global Water for Sustainability (GLOWS) Program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The samples, which will help them establish a baseline survey of fish in the area, were the first step in helping those in the Pastaza River Basin protect their rich biodiversity while meeting the needs of growing eco-tourism. “We often had to drive over one-lane suspended wooden bridges and take makeshift cable cars across raging rivers,” says Bud Freeman, faculty member at the Odum School of Ecology and director of the Georgia Museum of Natural History. “And once we reached our destination, a familiar sight would often be the local residents snorkeling, swimming, washing clothes and using spears to capture fish to eat or sell. The rivers are very much a part of daily life for the locals.” In these bodies of water that ultimately flow into the Amazon River, the variety of fish is incredibly diverse. “In North America, we have one family of catfish with fewer than 50 species; in South America, there are multiple families of catfish with the largest having 700 described species,” says Mary Freeman, adjunct faculty at the Odum School and U.S. Geological Survey ecologist. And for the Pastaza River Basin, one of the most rapidly growing areas in the region, having clean water and dealing with regulatory issues is essential. Balancing this growth with protection of the natural world is the ultimate goal of this project. © Copyright 2005 UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA