Amisacho

Amisacho Restauración

Quick Info

Location:	Ecuadorian Amazon, Sucumbíos Province
Founded:	Approximately 2014-2016
Focus:	Ecosystem restoration, health restoration, and community healing through mycoremediation
Contact:	Through Mushroom Revival Podcast and bioremediation networks

About Us

Amisacho Restauración is a grassroots ecological restoration project based in the Ecuadorian Amazon, led by biologist Lexie Gropper. Named after the old Kofan Indigenous word meaning "the bamboo used to cut umbilical cords of newborns," our project embodies regeneration and new life emerging from contamination. We are dedicated to three direct lines of action in our region: restoring ecosystems, restoring health, and restoring community. Operating from a reforested jungle and food forest island in the middle of ongoing contamination from petroleum extraction, cattle ranching, and cash crop monocultures, we use mycological knowledge and Indigenous wisdom to heal the profound environmental and social damage caused by decades of oil extraction in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon.

What We Work On

Pollutants We Address

• Legacy petroleum contamination from Texaco/Chevron oil operations
• Crude oil-contaminated soils and abandoned oil pits
• Petroleum hydrocarbons in water systems
• Environmental toxins affecting Indigenous communities
• Soil degradation from industrial agriculture
• Deforestation and ecosystem fragmentation
• Community health impacts from environmental contamination

Methods We Use

• Mycoremediation - Using indigenous fungi to break down petroleum hydrocarbons and restore soil health
• Community healing - Integrating traditional knowledge with scientific approaches to environmental restoration
• Mushroom cultivation - Growing edible and medicinal fungi for food security and health restoration
• Ecological surveys - Documenting indigenous fungi capable of surviving in contaminated environments
• Bioassays - Testing fungi's ability to reduce toxicity of contaminated soils
• Traditional medicine integration - Combining fungal remediation with indigenous healing practices

Current Projects

Indigenous Fungi Bioremediation Research

Ongoing research to identify and cultivate local fungal species capable of degrading petroleum contamination while supporting ecosystem and community health.

• Location: Family's reforested island property in Ecuadorian Amazon
• What we're treating: Petroleum-contaminated soils from abandoned Texaco operations
• How: Isolation and cultivation of indigenous fungi, bioassays for toxicity reduction, community-based restoration
• Status: Active field research and community implementation

Community Health and Food Security

Developing mushroom cultivation systems that provide both bioremediation services and nutritious food for local communities affected by environmental contamination.

• Location: Indigenous communities in Sucumbíos Province
• What we're treating: Food insecurity and health impacts from environmental contamination
• How: Edible mushroom cultivation, traditional medicine integration, community education
• Status: Ongoing community partnerships and implementation

Ecosystem Restoration Through Decomposition

Understanding and enhancing natural decomposition processes to regenerate degraded landscapes using fungi as primary agents of restoration.

• Location: Degraded lands surrounding oil extraction sites
• What we're treating: Ecosystem fragmentation and soil degradation
• How: Fungal inoculation, native species restoration, food forest development
• Status: Long-term restoration project with measurable ecological improvements

Past Success

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation Documentation

Successfully documented indigenous fungi capable of surviving and thriving in heavily petroleum-contaminated environments, providing foundation for community-scale bioremediation.

• Challenge: Limited scientific documentation of local fungi's bioremediation potential in extreme contamination
• Solution: Systematic ecological surveys and laboratory bioassays combining scientific methods with traditional knowledge
• Result: Identified multiple indigenous fungal species with proven petroleum degradation capabilities, creating replicable protocols for community use

Reforestation and Food Forest Development

Transformed degraded land into thriving food forest island demonstrating potential for ecosystem restoration in contaminated landscapes.

• Challenge: Severe environmental degradation from decades of extractive industries
• Solution: Long-term restoration using permaculture principles, native species, and mycological partnerships
• Result: Created productive ecosystem providing food security, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity restoration model

Community Knowledge Integration

Successfully bridged Indigenous traditional knowledge with scientific mycoremediation approaches, creating culturally appropriate restoration methods.

• Challenge: Disconnect between academic research and community needs in contaminated areas
• Solution: Collaborative approach respecting Indigenous sovereignty while contributing scientific documentation
• Result: Developed restoration protocols that honor traditional knowledge while providing scientific validation for broader application

Get Involved

We're Looking For:

• Research collaborators interested in tropical mycoremediation
• Volunteers for field research and ecosystem restoration work
• Funding for community-based bioremediation projects
• Academic partnerships for documentation and publication
• Indigenous communities interested in mycological restoration
• Mycologists and ecologists passionate about Amazon conservation
• Support for legal advocacy against ongoing environmental destruction

We Can Offer:

• Hands-on experience in Amazon mycoremediation research
• Training in tropical mushroom cultivation and identification
• Integration of Indigenous knowledge systems with scientific research
• Documentation of successful community-based restoration methods
• Mentorship in ecosystem restoration and community organizing
• Access to unique contaminated research sites and indigenous fungi
• Collaboration with established networks in Amazon conservation

Contact Us

• Primary Contact: Lexie Gropper (Field Coordinator and Project Lead)
• Location: Reforested jungle property, Ecuadorian Amazon
• Podcast Features: Mushroom Revival Podcast Episode 54 "Growing Mushrooms in Ecuador"
• Network Connections: Earth Repair project networks, Amazon mycoremediation community
• Research Collaborations: Available through bioremediation research networks
• Best way to reach us: Through established mycoremediation networks and podcast platforms

Last updated: June 24, 2025
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