Conservation Monthly Update Files, Peru

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update March 2008 As water levels started to return to their normal levels it was back to business at Taricaya and March was a month filled with new projects, unexpected adventures and plenty of hard work to measure. I shall start this month with the arrival of Hugo Zamora from Arequipa.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update February 2008 This month we have had what can only be described as an unwanted adventure as the heavens opened and the river rose to unprecedented levels leaving Taricaya underwater and forcing the volunteers to Puerto Maldonado for a week’s evacuation. This was the second time in Taricaya’s history that such catastrophe has struck but fortunately the water did not rise as high as the flood levels of 2003.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update January 2008 2008 promises to be yet another year of successes on our conservation project out in the Peruvian Amazon. Last year ended on a high with the official recognition of our on-going work with rescued animals and the completion of our GPS map covering all the trails in the reserve so we had plenty of momentum as we moved into the New Year. As usually happens around this time of year we had just a few volunteers over the holidays but as January progressed we slowly grew in numbers and by the middle of the month we were at fighting strength once again!

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update December 2007 As 2007 comes to an end it is time to look back on a truly amazing year here in the Amazon with numerous successes, various new projects and also some mistakes to learn from. Still it is perhaps the final piece of news from this year that gives me the most pleasure to report. Reserva Ecolgica Taricaya is now the first official animal sanctuary in Peru.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update October/November 2007 After a record year in the collection phase of our turtle project, we keenly awaited the hatching of our first nests. We were very confident that we would have our highest number of hatchlings yet and we were not disappointed. With a grand total of 992 baby turtles the record was smashed and all the hard work over the summer months was justified. In fact we had so many youngsters that the turtle pool from previous years was dangerously overcrowded.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update September 2007 The time has come for the latest from the Peruvian Amazon and as ever I have plenty to report. September has seen us finish the mist netting surveys; receive new residents in the animal release program, the completion of the first phases of the new dining room construction and much more.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update August 2007 August has come and gone and as usual there has been lots of progress in the jungle with some exciting sightings around the reserve, new additions to the animal release program, the completion of the collection phase of the turtle project and much more. Once again the problem lies in where to start...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update July 2007 July 2007 saw the arrival of our first 2-week special volunteers, the commencement of the turtle project, a trip to the world famous Tambopata macaw lick and the continued advancement of our ongoing projects. The problem, as usual, is where to start?

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update June 2007 Once again it is time to bring you all up to date on the latest from the Taricaya Research Centre and, as usual, the problem is knowing where to start. Firstly I would like to report that we have had our 100th booking for 2007 and so we are on track to reaching our highest numbers in any given year since the centre’s conception in 2001.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update May 2007 May has been another full month with plenty to report on from around the reserve and also further a field as Mauricio and I headed off to Venezuela to the VIII Neo-tropical Ornithological Conference. I shall start with my trip to Maturin, Venezuela before reporting on the goings-on back home in the jungle.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update April 2007 Another exciting announcement is that we have officially fulfilled all the requisites to become an official animal rescue centre and in the coming months Taricaya will be announced the first sanctuary of its kind in Peru. The paperwork and bureaucracy of the Peruvian government have been painfully slow over the years but we have persevered, adapted to the observations, both sound and ridiculous, we received on each evaluation and the hard work has finally paid off.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update March 2007 It seems like only yesterday that I was writing the last update but as usual there is a huge amount to report on from the Peruvian Amazon. Before tackling all the latest news from our ongoing projects I am proud to announce the completion of our third and fourth bungalows at the centre and I am very grateful to the more artistic volunteers who have already decorated the new constructions with fantastic jungle animals and forest scenes.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update February 2007 February saw the arrival of our 500th volunteer at Taricaya and that made the month special to those of us who have been involved in the project from its infancy. As the Taricaya family continues to expand, I am still constantly amazed by the dedication and commitment of volunteers at the centre as they create their own part of Taricaya’s history. This month was no different to any other with more than enough work to keep us all busy and plenty more left to be done!

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update January 2007 As is customary at the start of each year I would like to outline our goals for 2007 at the Taricaya Research Centre. As volunteer numbers continue to rise I am confident that this year we will maintain our strong work ethic and that we will do past volunteers proud as we continue their legacy of endeavour and dedication. Every year the bar is raised and my expectations are surpassed as we overcome the many obstacles we face, be they natural or political! I see 2007 as a year for consolidation of the longer-standing projects and for the formation of some new initiatives also.

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update December 2006 It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of yet another year and once again it will be difficult to do justice to all the hard work performed during 2006. As we await the arrival of our 500th volunteer in January 2007 I have become quite nostalgic and struggle to grasp the magnitude of our achievements in the rainforest...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update October / November 2006 There has been an unusually long break between the last report and this one due to my travels to other Projects Abroad conservation projects but I hope I can do all the hard work performed in my four week absence justice. The question, as always, is where to start? ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update September 2006 As expected numbers rose again in September enabling a lot of hard work at the centre but also plenty of fun with a trip to the world-famous Tambopata clay-lick (or colpa). With the termination of the collection phase of the turtle project everyone was ready for a bit of a break before putting our fingers back to the grindstone and an ideal escape was a four day expedition up the Tambopata River ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update August 2006 It gives me great pleasure to bring you all up to date again with the latest from Taricaya and the jungle news. I mentioned in last month's report that August would see us back patrolling the river beaches for turtle nests (Podocnemis unifilis) amongst other projects and with a temporary fall in numbers, for the middle part of the month, the remaining volunteers have worked especially hard to keep everything running on schedule ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update July 2006 Unbelievably another month has flown by and as usual I am very excited to report on our latest goings-on from the depths of the rainforest. July in previous years has seen our numbers start to fall off but not this year. In keeping with the increased interest in the project, we had record numbers for July this year and this enabled us to keep the momentum going with all the projects currently running at the lodge ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update June 2006 Once again I am amazed how quickly the last four weeks have passed and it is time to bring you up to date with the latest from Taricaya. After our adventures in May it was back to routine at the centre and, as I have come to expect, volunteers and staff alike have been working hard to keep the momentum that has been building this year ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update May 2006 The time has come once again to update you on the latest goings-on at Taricaya but before I start I am pleased to announce that we are set for a record year in the jungle as we have officially received reservation number 115 for 2006 and the number keeps rising. With such huge interest in the project it is hardly surprising that we reached capacity earlier this month and have had to build a new bungalow at the centre to accommodate the extra volunteers ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update April 2006 April has not been one of the best months for me with an unfortunate illness sidelining me for the best part of three weeks but life in the jungle has definitely carried on as normal and the advances made over the last four weeks have been tremendous. The rains that seemed so distant finally fell with a vengeance and the swamps started to fill up to their levels of previous years ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update February/March 2006 The heavy rains promised by the storms earlier in January never materialised and so this wet season has been relatively dry thus enabling us to work without delays over the last couple of months. With the lodge filling up to near capacity and the willingness of the volunteers to get stuck in I have been able to advance much quicker than planned ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update December-January 2006 I must first of all apologise for the delay in bringing you all the latest news from the Peruvian jungle. A trip to the UK for Christmas and the tragic death of Eugenio´s son, Mouglas, meant that December and January were hectic to say the least. I am sure that all of you who know Eugenio will join me in wishing him, and his family, all the best in these difficult times and I am pleased to report that he is back at work and trying to put the tragedy behind him ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update November 2005 November has seen Taricaya particularly active compared to previous years as there has been a relatively large number of volunteers and we have been able to accomplish a lot and keep our momentum going. Work this month has included the continuation of the new reserve-border trails, new additions to the animal release program, work at the pilot farm and trail maintenance ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update October 2005 Yet another month has flown by and here I am again reporting the latest goings on in the Peruvian rainforest. October has been a month for consolidating many projects and preparing ourselves for the imminent wet season. It has started to rain more regularly and the river has now risen to cover the dam causing us to remove the wheel and pump until the levels drop again next May ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update September 2005 The time has come again to bring you up to date with the latest goings on at Taricaya and as usual there is so much to report it is hard to know where to start. September had several successes that saw us finish the first phase of the bird monitoring project; receive some new residents in the animal release program; continue to make improvements at the farm and observation walks gave us some truly amazing sightings ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update August 2005 As I mentioned in my previous report, August was to be dedicated to two specific projects; the continuation of the bird monitoring project and the turtle project. I have spoken at length about the bird monitoring project in previous reports and so would like to take this opportunity to outline our turtle project and the improvements we have made from last year's research ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update July 2005 The month of July has flown by incredibly fast as both staff and volunteers alike have been busy. I am pleased to report that the bird monitoring project is continuing to produce some fascinating finds. I take the volunteers out to the mist nets where we spend the day checking for captures; identifying new species and tagging all the individuals. In twelve full research days we have now captured 146 individuals with over 50 species many of which are new to the reserve ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update June 2005 After the successes of previous months it would seem an improbable task to keep the momentum going but once again Taricaya and its volunteers have worked very hard to produce yet more wonderful breakthroughs ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update April-May 2005 It is with great satisfaction that I am able to report two fantastic breakthroughs at the Taricaya Research Centre over the last eight weeks. Both represent the culmination of long and hard work by both volunteers and staff alike ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update February-March 2005 I must apologise for the delay in producing this latest report, time seems to have escaped me these last few weeks and coupled with illness to staff members and a lot of work behind the scenes with the reserve and exciting new projects I can hardly believe we are already at the start of April ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update January 2005 It always seemed that each January was a bit slower to get going as I received our first volunteers of a new year but this year we have been incredibly busy and the momentum has not been lost. With the New Year I like to start some new initiatives as well as continue with the old ones and I feel it is time that Taricaya moves into a new type of investigation coupled with the older projects. It is nice to move forward and develop new ideas and this year I am going to dedicate ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update November-December 2004 It is hard to believe that 2004 has come to an end because the year has just flown by. This time last year at Taricaya the canopy walkway was still a distant dream; the mahogany project was generally viewed as a folly, unaccepted by the majority, and the animal release program was still in its infancy ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update October 2004 It is with great pleasure that I report to you this month the first successful hatching of our turtle eggs. The young "Taricayas" that we rescued earlier this year finally hatched in October and we now have over twenty baby turtles at the Centre. The young turtles are currently in a man-made pool covered in surface plants that constitute their main diet at this age, they are thriving and we hope to raise them all to a suitable size before release back into the wild ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update September 2004 I am very excited that September has been such a highly productive time at the Taricaya Research Centre and morale is high at the lodge. It is hard to know where to begin so I shall start with updates relating to last months efforts ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update August 2004 August at Taricaya saw us concentrating on two of our projects in particular as it was the right time of year to really get them moving. At the pilot farm the volunteers were kept very busy preparing the nursery beds for the planting of the mahogany seeds. The seeds needed a special bed of damp sawdust covered by a roof of netting to prevent excess light from destroying them (see right). We used the local expertise of a forestry engineer by the name of Gustavo who came to Taricaya ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update June-July 2004 The work at Taricaya over the last couple of months has been to consolidate the major projects that have been so exciting during the first half of the year. The animal release program continues to flourish with the addition of two beautiful White-bellied Parrots (Pionites leucogaster), another young male White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons) (see right) and one of my personal favourites a female Night monkey (Aotus azarae) (see below) ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update May 2004 May has seen the animal release program advance more than I could have thought possible. We have been operating the program for over two years now and have had some great successes with the release of unwanted pets and confiscated animals but over the last six weeks we have had to work quickly to accommodate our latest arrivals ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update April 2004 If this seems like a photo taken in paradise then you are not far wrong. This is a photo of the sunset over the Tambopata River just below its confluence with the river Candamo. It was taken from our campsite on the last night of our expedition into the world- famous Tambopata- Candamo Reserve in front of the world's largest macaw clay lick ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update March 2004 The month of March has positively flown by and as I look back now it seems hard to believe that we only completed the canopy walkway six weeks ago. Since that time we have had some of our most exciting wildlife sightings to date and whilst it will be impossible to list them all there are some very exciting new additions to our species lists ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update February 2004 The month of February has seen us become the proud owner of the fourth and largest canopy walkway in South America. We now have access to our second platform in a large kapok tree 45 metres above ground!! Many people told us it would not be possible to make the walkway to such a height but here we are with some of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. I have worked in the rainforest now for six years and nothing compares to the sense of awe at being at the top of the canopy ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update January 2004 January heralds the start of another busy year in the Peruvian Amazon not least with annual increase in the number of volunteers coinciding with the start of our high season. Morale is high and the hard work of 2003 needs to be continued with the existing projects and, naturally, the development of new ideas ...

Conservation in Peru, Monthly Update December 2003 December saw the quietest month at Taricaya this year but still with 15 volunteers for most of the month. The weather started to make its annual change with the rainy season beginning and the associated increase in mosquitoes. However the increased water levels meant that we could re-initiate the canoe observations ...