Ecuadorian Rainforest (ER) Began…in the everyday practices of people—people who lived day-to-day restoring and healing themselves with naturally grown food and medicinal herbs. Nurtured in her family’s commitment to these very practices, Ecuador native Marlene Siegel founded ER in 1997, assured that her country’s practices could be adapted by people in all hemispheres as a means of improving their quality of life.