Tech Abstinence in a Wild Place: 7 Benefits

Pre-industrial life at the infamous “Bamboo House” of the Jama-Coaque Reserve. Photo by Carl Schweizer.

One of my jobs is managing a rainforest preserve in Ecuador. In the middle of this forest is a research station, although it’s really more like a homestead. It’s totally off the grid — there is no Wi-Fi or cell signal. We have a phone hooked up to an old satellite antenna but it usually doesn’t work. At night our primary source of illumination is candlelight.