Professor Cardelús at high elevation cloud forest, Wayqecha, before she lost her ENST hat to the river.
Written by: Professor Catherine Cardelús.
Over the last two weeks, I've traveled through one of Peru's most remarkable regions - the Manu Biosphere Reserve and Manu National Park, to scout projects and field sites for the Tropical Ecology Extended Study (Fall 2025). Starting in Cusco (3700m; 12000ft), I traveled with scientists from Conservación Amazónica (ACCA) to explore their network of research stations, each offering unique insights into tropical ecology (Figure 1).
Our first stop was Wayqecha Biological Station (2900m, 9500 feet), where mist-shrouded trees create a remarkable upper montane cloud forest landscape (Figure 2). Here, much research focuses on the rare and endangered Spectacled Bears (Ukuku in Quechua; Tremarctos ornatus), considered sacred by the Quechua people. These bears serve as important seed dispersers, and their extensive habitat requirements make them key umbrella species for conservation. This site has remarkable diversity including > 200 species of orchids.
Manu Biological Station (~800m, 2600 feet) is the transition from the eastern slopes of the Andes to the Amazon basin and when the clouds disappear. We met students and researchers studying the impact of climate change on insects along the entire elevational gradient, while local people are working on forest restoration and sustainable agriculture initiatives. I was fortunate to see a Tayra (a large weasel, Eira barbara) climbing down a Ficus tree (Figure 3).
To reach the lowland rainforest, we traveled for two days by boat. On our first day we traveled 200km (125mi) from the small town of Atalaya down the Rio Alto Madre de Dios, one of the headwaters of the Amazon River, to Manu Wildlife Center where we stayed the night. We hiked beautiful trails and climbed to a canopy platform in a majestic Ceiba tree before continuing another 200km to Los Amigos Biological Station (Figure 4).
Los Amigos Biological Station (270m; 800ft) is the oldest field station in the network and where I saw three different monkey species on my first day and a canoe ride around the lagoon revealed four giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis)! We also saw a Tayra eating cecropia flowers. The station is known for its research on mammals and insects and even has a genomics lab. In this region, clay licks are important areas where species obtain essential minerals. The area hosts 10 species of monkeys (squirrel monkeys), jaguars, ocelots, and tapirs, not to mention the many habitat types including flood-plain forest, tierra firme, and swamps, making it an incredible site for understanding rainforest ecosystems.
Join me for the Tropical Ecology course this fall, followed by a three-week extended study in Peru with both me and Professor Watkins. You'll conduct research while experiencing the incredible transition from the high Andes to the Amazon basin, meeting and working with indigenous scientists and local communities. Check out previous extended studies in the tropics (2023, 2019).
For more information about the fall Tropical Ecology course and the extended study opportunity, contact Professor Cardelús (ccardelus@colgate.edu).
Extended study applications open March 1-21, 2025.
