The Amazon Rainforest is perhaps the most uniquely biodiverse system on the planet which is considered a hotspot. A biodiversity hotspot is a location biologically rich in species which is also highly threatened with extinction. Only 36 regions of the planet qualify as biodiversity hotspots and this area is particularly rich.

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You are about to embark on a journey to one of the most biodiverse regions of the planet - the Tambopata National Reserve - located within the broader Madre de Dios Region of the Peruvian Amazon. The Tambopata National Reserve boasts over 1,000 species of butterflies, 632 species of birds, 169 species of mammals, and 10,000 species of plants.

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In addition to the rich biodiversity, there are diverse indigenous communities inhabiting this region such as the Ese’Eja peoples which were traditionally nomadic individuals that traveled throughout the forest sustaining themselves through fishing, hunting and gathering for survival. Although they continue to inhabit this region of the Amazon, their livelihoods are in constant jeopardy. Due to receding forests brought upon by expansion of urban areas, former rubber plantations, gold mining, logging animal agriculture, and the lure of the big city, the Ese’Eja peoples and other indigenous communities have been confined to pockets within the forest. Both indigenous community.

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In twenty years, the Tambopata National Reserve has lost approximately 77% of its total tree cover loss and the destruction continues today. Like natural spaces around the world, this area is being heavily impacted.

 

How can you, how can I, how can we, explore and engage with these natural areas, appreciate their beauty, respect their cultures, understand their intrinsic and economic value in a global society, and advocate for protection?

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