One smashed bug. One gasp around the table. What came next became a documentary.
by Josh Ault, Journalism Teacher, Spring Woods High School, Houston, TX
As an educator, I always feel it is important to gain as much knowledge as you can to share with your students. When I first became a teacher, I had no clue what I was doing. I had come from an outside career (TV reporting) and was like a fish out of water. Then I started to find out that during the summer there were many opportunities for teachers to get professional development. Many of these opportunities were outside the country. My very first teacher development was in Nepal, where we had the opportunity to train teachers there about what we knew about education. I then traveled to Ghana to learn about the history of the enslaved. I went with a Holocaust survivor to Poland and had one of the most impactful experiences of my life. These opportunities were life-changing.
Then I got to go to Peru with the Morpho Institute in 2024.
Honestly, the main reason I wanted to go was to visit South America for the first time. I wasn’t a science teacher and didn’t have a passion for the rainforest. But I knew there had to be a story there. I participated in the Morpho Institute’s Educator Academy in the Amazon. I decided I was just going to dive in and enjoy the experience in the Peruvian Amazon.
I had no idea what to expect!
When I arrived the first time, I was greeted by an excited group in Iquitos. Everyone was super friendly. The next day we were at the headquarters for Explorama, the company that houses us and provides the speed boats to where we go. I remember them telling us it would be a few hours down the river. When you get onto the Amazon River and see how massive it is . . . it blows your mind. It is so wide and muddy. You then see village after village. You see large boats and then small boats with those who call the Amazon their home. My first time in Peru, we stayed at the Explorama Lodge. It was built off the ground, to protect it from flooding. The food prepared there was delicious. They provided everything you would need. They had a generator, so there was light. Starlink was available for Internet access. It was crazy to think that you had Internet access being so deep in the rainforest.
My first night there, I made a huge mistake.
There was a large bug on the table in the dining area. I smashed it. Everyone around me gasped. They were so sad that I had killed an amazing creature in the jungle. I learned from that night on how important every single thing in this ecosystem is and how we should do everything in our power to protect it. Still to this day . . . even in Houston, Texas, where I live . . . I am very nice to any creatures I encounter. I appreciate the environment so much more because of the Morpho Institute.
From that first night until the academy was over, I learned so much. I fell in love with the beauty of the rainforest, the kindness of the people who were fighting to protect their land, and the amazing work of the Morpho Institute to protect this vital ecosystem. I also got to meet Dr. Linnea Smith, a medical doctor from Wisconsin, who had come to the jungle 36 years ago and established a medical clinic for the area where we had stayed. She was so inspiring. I knew I would be back to Peru. I knew it in my heart. The story of the work of the Morpho Institute and the inspirational Dr. Smith. I wasn’t sure when, but I knew I would be back.
Then a postcard arrived.
As the years passed, the executive director of the Morpho Institute, Christa Dillabaugh, would send postcards in the mail. One postcard she sent, which I still have on my fridge, said, “So glad you joined us in the Amazon in July. I’d love to connect in early ’25 to talk about storytelling! Let’s set a date – Christa”. By the luck of the draw, I was chosen as Spring Branch ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2025. With this award, I was given money to be used for professional development. I knew it was a sign… I needed to go back to Peru! I e-mailed Christa and pitched her my idea about creating a small documentary about the Morpho Institute. She seemed excited and allowed me to rejoin them for the Amazon Research Initiative for Educators. I was thrilled!
In July of 2026, I once again got on a speedboat and went to the rainforest in Peru. Once again, I was surrounded by incredible educators who had such a strong passion for science. I got to jump from group to group, recording their research about frogs, birds, tree fall, fish, and butterflies. I was surrounded by amazing animals. I saw my first pink dolphin, held a piranha, and saw a sloth close up on the canopy walkway. I was blown away! We once again got to visit a local village and be greeted by such kindness. They also allowed me an afternoon to spend a day with Dr. Smith and allow me to interview her about her work in bringing medical care for the people here.
What an experience! I am so grateful to everyone at the Morpho Institute for allowing me to come back and experience the magic of Peru. I hope that when people watch the documentary I created, they will be inspired too and want to visit the rainforest.
Documentary: ARIE – Where Teachers Become Researchers
Lastly, I think the two most magical experiences of going to Peru happened at night. The first was on my first trip there. We had gone on a night boat ride to try to find creatures. Our tour guide took us out on the Amazon River. He told everyone to turn off their lights. It was pitch black. He told us to look up… the stars were the brightest I had ever seen in my entire life. It was such a magical experience. Then on my second trip to the rainforest, we went on a night hike. Once again, our tour guide asked us to turn off our lights (which can be a little scary in the middle of the jungle), and he said look around. The entire forest floor was glowing. It was breathtaking. He asked us to pick up one of the glowing objects, and we held it in our hands. It was magical. The rainforest felt alive. When we turned on our lights, it disappeared, and we were just holding a dead leaf. The Peruvian Amazon is magic.
It is up to all of us to protect this magic. When are you going to the rainforest?
Josh Ault
Spring Woods High School
Houston, Texas
Journalism Teacher
Learn more about the Morpho Institute and our professional development courses for K-16 Educators at www.morphoinstitute.org
Bonus Video
Welcome to the Jungle: Dr. Linnea Smith and the Amazon Medical Project