The End of an Era

After over 6 years of intensive research and community development work in and around the Yachana Reserve, GVI Amazon is coming to a close. We have finished our final research project (look forward to our Road Effects paper, coming soon!) and are handing over the project to our partner, The Yachana Foundation. They will continue to maintain and monitor the reserve, using it as an hands-on science education center for students -- we're very excited to see what fabulous things this next generation of scientists find! For more detail on GVI Amazon's closure, and our accomplishments over the years, please read on...
GVI Amazon Closure Statement

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

New Horizons

Arriving in the Amazon is an incredible experience. The trees are all at different level, some really tall, some short, all draped and tied up with vines, twisted and braided together. Inside its darker than I expected, hot and humid, the ground covered in leaves, stilt palms which look like they’re in motion. The sounds of the forest include rustling leaves and twigs, strange sounds, birds which sound like sonar, stalking cackles and electronic gunshot and loud buzzing insect noises. The occasional clearing due to a tree fall, leaves dappled sun flecked islands of light. Beautifully coloured butterflies, lizards, toucans, armadillos, frogs, spiders, sloth claw evidence, aquatic rats, opossums and snakes make up just some of the things that can be seen on the Yachana Reserve on the GVI Amazon expedition. Finally I have to add that I put a spider on my face – it felt weird!


Jo Ridley - GVI Amazon Intern, Jan-Jun 2011


Share/Save/Bookmark

0 comments: