My Amazon travel journals, like my Pacific Crest Trail journals, combine excerpts from my journal, which capture the events as they took place, with my ” in-retrospect” reflections or thoughts as they came to me while I wrote this. If you haven’t already, check out:
- Amazon Travel Journals: Day One Headed to the MLC
- Amazon Travel Journals: Day Two, Hummingbirds & Water Sources
About Crees
Allow me to start this entry by detailing Crees’ mission, purpose, and general overview of volunteer roles.
When you visit their website, you’ll discover the heart of Crees’ mission- to provide educational tourism through hands-on learning. As a visitor, you play a crucial role in supporting this mission. Your involvement is integral to the cause; it’s not solely your presence that can make a difference, but your willingness to learn and take what you learn to other parts of the world.
The Manu reserve is the most biodiverse (“variety and variability of life on Earth”) place on Earth. Like so much of our Earth, it faces challenges. For various reasons, the Manu Rainforest is at risk of deforestation, thus threatening the many lives that depend on it to survive… including, you.
Crees offers a range of opportunities for those who want to make a difference, including internships and volunteer work. They also offer short-term stays for guests who want to stay sustainable and learn along the way.
I participated in the volunteer program. Reading my journal entries gives you a glimpse into day-to-day life as a volunteer. However, everything depends on the studies they are conducting and the support they need at the time.
Throughout our lives, we all have moments we can directly relay as life-changing experiences. My time with Crees was absolutely life-changing. I look forward to continuing to share those sentiments with you; we’ve only just begun to delve into the details.
Friday, March 29, 2024
Our group woke at various times before sunrise, myself at 4:55 a.m. We were instructed to wear dark clothing and meet at the boat.
We took the boat for a short journey up the Alto Madre de Dios River, docking on a sandbar before the sun broke the horizon. The sky is a watercolor blend of vibrant pink and violet-blue, glowing against the torrent river and various tones of green from the surrounding vegetation.
We could hear the water, it’s currents raging; the birds as they woke, calling to each other, declaring their survival from the night.
We carried our equipment—binoculars, clipboards, cameras, and information sheets—to the middle of the sandbar, nearest some shrubs. Then we stood quiet, waiting for the routine morning migration of native parrots, parakeets, and macaws.
They come to the clay licks every morning, or at least in the mornings when the conditions are just right. That is why we are here: to determine what conditions are affecting the birds or not affecting them. Do the birds still show when tourist boats are docked? Do the people’s locations (near the water, farther inland) affect whether they eat or not? How does noise pollution from the boats or humans affect the bird’s behavior? How many tourists are too many?
We are here to observe the birds and the people who affect their behavior. The birds are here to feast on the clay, enjoying its nutrient—and mineral-rich properties. This is also believed to be a social gathering since birds are known to be social creatures.
We note various items: the types of parrots, parakeets, and macaws (because there are many species), the numbers we see fly overhead, the amount we observe eating (noting times/duration), the number of boats and people, etc.
Later, after this first survey, we learned how to identify each species of parrots, parakeets, and macaws known to inhabit the area based on their color patterns, but more importantly, their calls. Learning their vocal tones was so much fun. It is most beneficial because deciphering their colors is often tricky when they fly overhead, but their calls are unique. Emma, the field biologist who taught us everything we now know about these animals, was a master at identifying bird species based on their calls. She was a fantastic teacher.
These openings on the edge of the cliff expose burned-orange-colored clay. It is strikingly beautiful against the flora, and while the birds are gathered, their green backs and wings resemble the leaves surrounding them, blending in almost perfectly.
We survey until they are no longer feeding on the clay and the last tourist boat leaves. I’ll share my observations from the surveys when we reach the last few of my journal entries; that way, you know I have a few days to compare.
If you want to learn more about this study: Caring About the Colpa: the Threat to Macaws in Manu Biosphere
We return to camp.
Pre-lunch and post ten-minute siesta we ventured into the rainforest for our first ecology survey and long walk through the Amazon. The ecology surveys are part of the purpose of our volunteering and are undoubtedly my favorite part.
Crees is divided into multiple acres of rainforest. Many years ago, prior to the Manu Learning Center, parts of the land were completely destroyed to make way for unsustainable farming. Throughout the years, the MLC has worked to reforest a previously deforested area.
Ecology surveys tell us what species have returned to this biodiverse area, which, in part, tells us about the health of the rainforest.
Almost immediately after beginning our venture, we spot the footprint of a Tapir. While a footprint may not seem valuable, it is important to note the findings because, as you can guess, they show Tapirs have been in the area.
While we stopped to note the find, I spotted saddle-back tamarin monkeys. We observed them briefly before they went through the tree cover and out of sight. I couldn’t catch a photo of them that day, but our group observed them in another location some days later. I’ll share those photos when we get there. Emma said spotting them was noteworthy as they are rare for the area and are silent creatures that often escape without recognition.
We had one of our best overall days for species observation on this first survey day. Emma was guiding our small group, pointing out all varying plant life, insects, and birds.
While making our way through overgrown vines with deep green leaves, some bigger than half my size, Emma pointed out a species of ant that tastes like lemons when you eat them; being a vegetarian and still unsure of where I fall on the eating bugs scale, I did not partake.
We nearly missed the Xenon Severus Snake, which all but Daan passed on the trail. He called out, and of course, we came hurrying back to get a look at the beauty. From a safe distance, we observed it slithering through the forest floor’s fallen leaves, growing vines, and brushwood. Its camouflage scales had an almost impeccable resemblance to the surroundings.
Apart from the overall joy of being with my group, there were three main magical moments for me, the first of which was seeing the Brown Titi Monkeys.
They were cautious of us, observing our movements. Still, they stayed cuddled together most of the time while we observed and took copious photos.
These Images are Apart of The Wildlife Photography Project | Learn More
Once we returned to camp, showering and changing into clean clothes was routine. It’s vital to have separate clothes for field work than for hanging around the common areas; this is for comfort, but also general hygiene and health. In the rainforest, you encounter different types of germs and bacteria. You don’t want to cross-contaminate bacteria from the field to where you eat your dinner.
After dinner, Pepe, the field biologist specializing in reptiles and amphibians, took us for our first night hike at the MLC. During this hike, we observed our initial set of frogs, four in total. Frogs were one of the animals I was most looking forward to seeing going into the trip. Three of those four were tree frogs, my favorite type because of their squishy toes and, you know, general squishy-looking bodies. They are too cute.
This Image is Apart of The Wildlife Photography Project | Learn More
The night hikes serve as an additional opportunity to observe and report animals (specifically but not solely reptiles and amphibians) more active at night.
Reptiles and amphibians worth noting (typically classified as those not often seen) are handled (never with bare hands) by Pepe. They are placed in a bag with plenty of oxygen, where we document their species, length, weight, location found, and then they are released. Frogs, specifically, are not handled with bare hands as their skin is very sensitive. Their skin has a mucus membrane that allows them to stay moist and breathe. Humans can transmit diseases from their hands onto the frogs, killing them. Similarly, we won’t use the same bag that held one frog twice.
After a few hours of observation and data collection we headed back to camp for an anticipated sleep.
There was a lot to unpack in this entry. I hope you made it to the end and enjoyed reading. Returning to it while writing reminded me of how much we did in only one day. I still have many days, animals, photographs, and reflections to share.
Leave a Reply