Rendezvous With a Rainforest - Tapa blanda

The Hunstein Rainforest I loved as a child is scheduled to be logged. Blissful birds of paradise dance in the mysterious Hunstein Mountains, unaware of their impending doom. The inhabitants of the tiny village of Wagu in Papua New Guinea who own the pristine forest, most importantly the widow Moyali, will decide the rainforest’s fate even though they are not aware of its intrinsic value. I initiate a National Geographic expedition and follow along, trying to understand their struggles. Will they choose to save the trees? What is going to happen to their culture? One year later, I lead a small team on another expedition, a two week trek deep into the uncharted forest, following my tribal “uncle’s” ideas, to gather photographs and challenge Mt. Hunstein. We fight food shortages, leeches and giant cassowaries, while rare birds, exotic flowers and crystal clear rivers fuel my deep love for this delicate forest. I come to realize only the villagers can save the rainforest.

In February of 1994, “Return to Hunstein Forest,” by Edie Bakker was published in National Geographic Magazine, after following a large research expedition. Edie was hired by the magazine to return and lead a smaller expedition up uncharted Mt. Hunstein. “Rendezvous with a Rainforest” is about those two expeditions. Edie’s poems and short stories have appeared in numerous small publications, and she has spoken in schools, churches and Sierra Club meetings. In 1996 Edie Bakker co-wrote a paper with her father, Dr. Wayne Dye. It was presented at the American Anthropological Association. Edie acquired a B.A. in Anthropology in 2003 and studied Papua New Guinea culture at Southern Methodist University. Edie was raised in Papua New Guinea. Her writing career began with winning an international contest at age 15. In her early 20s she put out a quarterly newsletter. It went to 700 people worldwide who paid for it with donations. During that same time Edie wrote her first book manuscript, “When Cultures Collide: Adult MKs,” about the psychological and spiritual effects of cultural differences. In 1987 she spoke at the worldwide conference, ICMK, held in Quito, Ecuador. Edie also was asked to speak on cultural differences at the 1989 national Jesus People USA gathering in Chicago. In 1991, Edie Bakker began a difficult struggle with mission aspects of her childhood. She wrote a third manuscript called “Crocodile Set Free.” A short version has been published in Moon Shadows by Dr. Colin Ross. Edie was the closing speaker at a national conference for Christian counsellors. Presently Edie teaches short courses on creative non-fiction at the Writer’s Garret in Dallas. Edie wrote a bi-weekly column for the Fort Worth online publication, Examiner.com. The online journal Paradigm published a short story. She has written several articles for an advice column in a trade journal called Many Voices Magazine. She has recently won first place in another contest, Pen 2 Paper and been published by the Sun.