At Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans in eastern France, the Rhône river has remained incredibly wild, its celadon-colored white waters and reed-covered banks stand in stark contrast to a river largely corseted by artificial banks, regulated by dams and polluted by industrial activities. The Kogis, the thousand-year-old indigenous people of Colombia, call the confluence of the Rhône and Ain rivers "Munkulaxka: the place to let grow", following a visit led by scientists. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES