Biodiversity Research In The Amazon Rainforest

People with special knowledge in the field of Biology could help us by observing and documenting different species in this rural area of biodiversity. The idea of this project is to be able to document all kinds of possible biodiversity through photos and videos in order to develop different types of teaching materials to share with the community and different Peruvian and international schools.

El Sira Communal Reserve

WILD LIFE

One of the places in Peru that biologists, birdwatchers and explorers cannot miss is, El Sira Communal Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Comunal El Sira).
This is a protected area in Peru created on 23 June 2001 and located in three regions: the Huánuco Region (Puerto Inca Province), the Pasco Region (Oxapampa Province) and the Ucayali Region (Atalaya Province and Coronel Portillo Province).

The whole area is extremely rich in birds including many localized lowland and foothill birds such as Blue-headed Macaw, Curl-crested Aracari, Sulphury Flycatcher, Black-capped and White-bellied Parrots, Wing-banded Wren, Crested and Band-bellied Owls, Solitary Eagle, Koepcke's Hermit, Black-streaked Puffbird, Creamy-bellied Antwren, Peruvian Tyrannulet, Cerulean-capped and Jet Manakins, Fiery-throated and Scarlet-breasted Fruiteater, Olivaceous Piha and Rufous-brown Solitaire.

Of the mammals in the El Sira Communal Reserve, 54 species are of special importance due to a threat category, such as: giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), pacarana (Dinomys branickii), river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), tapir (Tapirus terrestris), Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), manatee (Trichechus inunguis), bush dog (Speothus venaticus), spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth), jaguar (Panthera onca) and otter (Lontra longicaudis).

In addition, 203 species of BIRDS have been registered, especially the Passeriformes with 63 species. The Sira is one of the greatest areas of bird endemism of the planet (Peruvian East Andean Foothills). Among the most representative endemic species of birds is the Paujil del Sira or Piurí (Pauxi unicornis koepckeae), a subspecies of horned curassow that lives only in the El Sira mountain range.
The Sira curassow, a large bird in the Cracidae family is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Also endemic are the Sira tanager (Tangara phillipsi) and the Sira hummingbird (Paethornis koepckeae).

Picture yourself walking among the ear-deafening noise of hundreds of parrots and macaws, an unforgettable cacophonic experience as you explore the Amazon jungle. Imagine having a close encounter with a beautiful male toucan, with his powerful and long beak, or seeing the colorful macaws as they soar above the trees. Experience the overwhelming image of a Marvelous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) hauling his coin-sized tail discs or moving through the bushes at 14,000 feet.
There is also a large possibility of future scientific discoveries of species and subspecies of birds in areas of the reserve that are relatively inaccessible and that, as a consequence of their remoteness, may add new records of species not previously encountered.

In addition, some 105 species of reptiles have been reported, of the families of the Amphisbaenidae, saurians and especially snakes. Also 68 species of amphibians, mostly toads and frogs of the families Hylidae and Leptodactylidae, are known from the reserve. Finally, 111 species of bony fish have been reported, the most diverse being Characiformes.

FLORA
Some 190 species have been collected, including 8 endangered species, such as tall or red cedar (Cedrela odorata), mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), quinilla (Manilkara bidentata), ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), ishpingo (Amburana cearensis) and palo rosa (Aniba rosaeodora). In the high parts the vegetation consists of trees with thin stems and small crowns, with a high presence of epiphytes: Bromeliads, orchids, ferns, Piperaceae, lichens, Sellaginaceae and mosses; while in the lower part there are taller and more vigorous trees with diameters exceeding 1.5m, in whose branches there is a varied plant community, composed of bromeliads, ferns, orchids and anthuriums, among others. There are 44 registered orchid species.

We will spend 10 days in the Amazon Jungle with a experienced guide who have worked with different international expeditions. The Expedition includes porters to transport our gear, enabling us to focus exclusively on looking for biodiversity and increasing the chances of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We will use camera traps to capture as much wildlife as possible.

The following activities for volunteers are included:

-Hiking at the Amazon rainforest - Swimming at local streams and rivers -Visit local plantations -Trek to local caves

-Salsa lessons (1 day, 1.5 hours) - Camping in the rainforest, 10 days (fishing, bonfire, exploring, documenting, etc.) - Fishing at local stream with local fisherman using a net.

 Volunteers can also do the following activities during their free time:

 -Explore the Amazon rainforest - Play sports with locals such as soccer or volleyball - Yoga with our deputy manager, Anne Poenisch -Ayahuasca Ceremony with local shaman - Fruit picking around the village - Bonfire around the Pachitea riverside - Fishing -Swimming - Birdwatching - Visit indigenous communities (with previous permission) -Visit the Boiling River - Visit Austro-German Community - Boat trips and more...