Martin and Mary Jean Paup never knew that watching 60 Minutes could change their lives.

The Paups’ traveled to Bolivia after watching a segment on the Madidi National Park and Indigenous Reserve in Bolivia on 60 Minutes.

“As soon as I saw it,” Mary Jean said, “I thought ‘I just have to go there.’”

The couple, members of the UW Retirement Association, will give a presentation on their Bolivian adventures at the UW Club tonight with biologist Alan Perry, who will discuss his project to bring ecotourism and clean water to indigenous villages in Bolivia.

After seeing the show, the couple then searched for the park on Google, and was led to Perry.

Perry’s indigenous water project aims to reduce disease in Bolivia by minimizing the amount of time it takes villagers to access water and bring better business through ecotourism. The project has received support from the Alderwood-Terrace Rotary Club and renowned explorer Helen Thayer.

Twenty-one indigenous villages are located in the Pilon Lajas Biosphere Reserve, which is bordered by the Madidi National Park at the base of the Andes. This year, the water project will focus on four villages. Perry hopes to complete the project in all villages within five years.

According to Perry’s Web site, madidi.com, bio-sand filters are an “integral component of the water systems being implemented.”

The filters are cost-efficient and remove 95 percent of harmful bacteria and parasites. The materials used for the filters are also locally obtained.

Perry hopes that cleaner water will build a better business environment by attracting more tourists. In addition, it will provide the indigenous people with a sustainable source of income.

“There aren’t too many tourists there yet,” Martin said. “Everyone goes to Venezuela or Peru. Bolivia is a very overlooked country.”

While Perry strives to bring tourism to Bolivia, he is hoping to do so in a sustainable way that will preserve the culture of the indigenous communities.

“It’s the only available way currently to advance the indigenous villages,” Perry said. “One benefit of tourism is that it promotes these people to keep their culture. When they get money for what they’re doing, they will think ‘Wow, this is good. We should keep this tradition alive.’”

All profits made from ecotourism go to benefit community development and education.

For two and a half weeks, the Paups experienced Bolivian ecotourism firsthand.

The couple traveled from La Paz to the town of Rurrenabaque, where they stayed at an ecolodge and visited with the Sani village.

“They’re such happy and good people,” Martin said. “It was quite an experience. One thing I will never forget is when they told us ‘Never forget us.’ They didn’t mean financially, but as people.”

Perry welcomes volunteers to join him in his water project. Future events open to students include an event on March 9 at Agua Verde.

“Most of the work gets done from collaborative efforts between the indigenous people and student groups,” he said. “Many students can come down and learn a lot from the indigenous people.”

[Reach reporter Kim Lee at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]