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Today on Adventure Diaries, we welcome Nina Helen Watson—a bright, inquisitive young explorer who turned a school assignment into a beautifully told podcast on one of the world’s greatest rivers: the Amazon.

At almost ten years old, Nina guides us through the source of the Amazon near Mount Quehuisha in Peru, its astonishing biodiversity, and a few facts you may not believe—like how it once flowed in the opposite direction. She talks jaguars and giant otters, pink river dolphins and capybaras (her personal favorite), all while threading it together with the clarity and confidence of someone twice her age.

What starts as a geography lesson quickly unfolds into something bigger: a celebration of curiosity, family support, storytelling, and the way learning can become magical when it’s shared.

We talk about:

• Where the Amazon River really begins—and how close it is to the Pacific
• The complex ecosystems that sustain some of Earth’s rarest wildlife
• How the river flows through nine countries and multiple indigenous cultures
• Nina’s personal favorites: from capybaras to rain-soaked camping trips
• Why local river cleanups matter—and how you can take part

Her ‘Call to Adventure’ is a gentle one: go camping, reconnect with nature, and bring good snacks. And her ‘Pay it Forward’ is equally grounded—help clean up a local river and notice what grows around it.

This episode is packed with joy, insight, and the reminder that wonder doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes, it sounds like a capybara pencil case and a story well told.

📚 Resources & Mentions

• 📍 Apacheta Valley & Mount Quehuisha, Peru – Source of the Amazon
• 🐬 Pink River Dolphin – A unique Amazonian species
• 🐊 Black Caiman – Apex predator of the Amazon
• 🐒 Capybara – The world’s largest rodent
• 🐍 Green Anaconda – One of the world’s biggest snakes
• 🧭 Francisco de Orellana – Spanish explorer who named the river
• 🌿 Indigenous river names like Riomar Tama
• 📖 Dork Diaries – Nina’s favourite book
• 🎬 The Lion King – Her favourite film
• 🌍 Local River Cleanup – Nina’s Pay it Forward suggestion
• 🏕️ Go Camping – Her Call to Adventure

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating, share it with a curious soul, or ask a young person what they love about nature. You might be surprised by the answer.

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