Tales from the Rainforest

Greetings from Refugio Amazonas – I have just returned to our research site in Tambopata after a break, and have recently gone through HarpyCam´s footage of the past two weeks.

I'm an explorer, biologist and wildlife photographer specializing in macrophotography and integrated systems ecology. I travel the world's Equatorial rainforests to document and share the earth´s most diverse ecosystems to highlight the tremendous adaptations and diversity of the microfauna.

A tropical rainforest inspires wonder no matter who you are. It is teeming with the bizarre and beautiful, and anyone who has the privilege of visiting these places comes away overwhelmed with amazement. Those feelings are heightened by engaging with the production of scientific knowledge. How do scientists delve into the mysteries of the forest? Can anyone become a scientist of the forest? How does participation in scientific inquiry deepen our appreciation of this place? 

Once you try the waters of Tambopata, you always come back!

Back in 2015, I had just wrapped up the project I was working on and I remember swimming in the Tambopata River. Gazing up at the canopy of dense trees, full of amazing animals species, and one of my friends told me: “Dani, keep in mind, once you try the waters of the Tambopata you will always come back!” At the time, I just laughed.

I step off a boat and set foot onto a beach, my feet sinking slightly into the soft, fine sand. I pause for a second and contemplate the smooth, featureless terrain in front of me...and then I look further beyond and notice the almost solid green wall of lush vegetation, reminding me that I'm far from the coast and the ocean, in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

The world´s first HarpyCam in Tambopata, Peru is powered by Rainforest Expeditions