Benjamin Mamallacta is a Kichwa native from the upper Amazonian town of Archidona in Napo Province Ecuador. Benjamin is a skilled jungle guide and wilderness survival expert, he has a keen eye for spotting wildlife and birds and is a avid storyteller, recounting the myths and legends of his people with absolute fluidity. Benjamin, or Iji “Grasshopper” as is his nickname, is the founder of Ungi Ethnobotanical gardens in the outskirts of the jungle town of Tena, where he and his family have been producing and distributing medicinal plants and fruit trees  in their nursery since 1995.