Volunteers protecting wildlife

     During our May and June expeditions in 2011 volunteers encountered issues with poaching. Men were entering the reserve to cut wood and hunt bushmeat - two activities that could severely harm the delicate ecosystem.

  Tamandua volunteers photographed and documented these activities and even came into direct contact with the poachers on more than one occasion. When enough information had been gathered local authorities were brought in to deal with the problem and send a message to would poachers. Since that time our preserve has been hunter and logger free - allowing the millions of species there to survive in safety! This awesome work would not be possible without our dedicated expedition members, people like you! 

    As we recruit for June and July expeditions we hope to continue working with travelers who want to be a part of helping to protect this incredible ecosystem.

New Tamandua T-Shirts!

This week we are printing new Tamandua Expeditions t-shirts. This image is a preview of what the shirts will most likely look like. They have our new logo and a jungle silhouette on the back. All Tamandua volunteer team members will get a shirt at the end of the expedition, and all non team members can buy shirts for $10 per shirt.

What is a Tamandua?

People all the time ask me what the name “tamandua” means; few know that it is actually one of the most interesting animals in the world. They belong to the order Xenarthra which is made up of a unique group of animals which occur only in the Americas. They are the anteaters, sloths, and armadillos. The group is known for their unique lifestyles and bizarre physical structure, and all bear large claws on their fore-limbs. Other unique adaptations include the armadillo’s turtle-like shell, the sloth’s slowness, and the anteater’s long tongued toothless mouth.

The three species of anteater found in the Amazon are the giant anteater, tamandua, and silky anteater. Tamanduas are small and arboreal. They have a prehensile tail and sharp-clawed front limbs that aid in climbing and opening ant nests. Evolution has given them a tongue that can reach over ten inches in length and a toothless mouth. Perfect adaptations for an animal that loves slurping ants and termites right out of their holes. Affectionate and smart, tamanduas are sometimes kept as pets. And although I have never cared for a tamandua I have had the opportunity to nurse an orphaned tamandua grande (giant anteater) to health. They are one of my favorite animals, and the inspiration for the Tamandua Rainforest Expeditions name. They are one of our favorite animals to spot while out in the field!

The Floating Dwarf Forest, Satellite View

While searching over satellite images of the area of our new project I noticed something I had never even thought to look for: a long swamp which ended in a patchy lake - the floating forest! These Google Earth images are of the dense jungle we will be exploring in both May and June and the unique floating forest ecosystem within it. We now know that the swamp-area is far larger than we had previously estimated. Both the great swamp and the dense jungle around it is all area which we have yet to explore.


Left: A view of the vast jungle we will be exploring and mapping, the floating forest is visible in the corner - click for a larger image.


Above: A close-up view of the patchy floating forest that rests on top of the massive lake.

For the people not looking foreward to anaconda infested swamp exploration I am happy to report that in the past week Infierno construction workers have spotted squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, blue and yellow macaws, toucan, sloth, peccary, and a tapir (tracks). Both our transects and our colpa shifts should be rewarding - it looks like a surprising amount of wildlife is existing in this particular stretch of jungle. And although it seems like a healthy ecosystem, it is threatened by hunting, logging, and human encroachment. For this reason during research shifts you will be looking for evidence of indicator species. Bird species such as spix's guan, pale winged trumpeter, and razer pilled curasaow are indicators of primary forest because they are the first species hunted by humans, so their presence will always be valuable to record. Also on our list of indicators are mammals. Jaguar being the most important, we will also be searching for evidence of tapir, peccary, and other species.

Tamandua Expedition Featured on Mongabay.com

Mongabay.com is THE rainforest conservation news site. They are responsible for educating millions on the current issues facing tropical consevation, climate change, and deforestation today. This month, Mongabay.com interviewed Tamandua Expedition Leader Paul Rosolie about the mission of our conservation expeditions:

To read the interview visit:
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0310-hance_rosolie.html