10 He would ask. “Did you know that the people of our village take care of the ecosystem?” “Ecosystem?” I asked. I thought the word sounded funny. I tried not to giggle. “An ‘ecosystem’ is what scientists call a bunch of plants and animals that all live together and need each other. “How long have our people been taking care of the rainforest?” He smiled and ruffled my hair. “For a long, long, time, Marcos. For thousands of years.”