what we do

Ecotourism lodges and biological research stations in the Amazon rainforest of south-eastern Peru are now relatively common and cater to a wide array of researchers interested in environmental and socio-economic themes. However, many sites are remote, isolated and direct communication with onsite administrators can be difficult at times. The ability to locate, confirm and guarantee available research, training and internship placements for students and professionals alike is largely dependent on local knowledge and good, effective communication. These are the key elements behind what we do and what motivates us.

Biobridges has established close working relationships with the administrators of numerous lodges and research stations throughout the province of Madre de Dios. Our aim: to identify research priorities at these sites, what placements and other opportunities are available and when, what sort of people would best fit these and to select the most appropriate candidates. We also provide general back-office, logistical and informational support services both before travel and in-country, including obtaining field research permits where required.

Our underlying goals

To increase the local benefits of ecotourism and field research

Biological research and ecotourism in this area of Peru started back in the mid 1970s, when two Peruvian entrepreneurs developed the Explorer’s Inn and the Reserva Amazonica lodges and at the same time inviting research scientists from around the World to undertake their field studies at these locations. The researchers quickly discovered that this corner of the Amazon was extremely rich in terms of numbers of species for numerous types of animals and plants and thus merited long-term protection. The far-sighted entrepreneurs also understood the value of maintaining intact rainforest as part of their business models. The combination of these two forces, biological information and political lobbying, convinced the Peruvian government in the late 1970s to develop the first set of reserves in Tambopata, one surrounding each of the lodges mentioned above.

Since then, a whole plethora of public and private protected areas and ecotourism concessions have evolved encompassing virtually the whole watershed of the Tambopata River, an area of 1.3M hectares (3.2M acres). The two largest are the Tambopata National Reserve (TNR) and the Bahuaja Sonene National Park (BSNP), which are administered by the Peruvian government’s natural resources department (INRENA).

Ecotourism and research has led directly and indirectly to the protection and active management of a large block of contiguous tropical Amazonian rainforest. Tourist entrance and research permit fees more than cover the current administrative costs of the TNR and BSNP, and some of the profits realized by the lodges are also being channeled to protect rainforest. Studies are currently underway to calculate the economic benefits to the local population of the more than 40 thousand ecotourists and researchers that visit Tambopata every year, a figure which is believed to be in the range of US$ 3-4M per year.
Three of the goals of Biobridges in this context are:

1. To strengthen the links between ecotourism, conservation and local economic development by improving the “bottom line” of lodges and research stations, so that they can invest in forest stewardship and in expanding their conservation areas;
2. To encourage the establishment of new ecotourism enterprises in the region and to increase the flow of funds to manage large protected areas such as the TNR and BSNP for the intrinsic ecological, economic and cultural value they engender;
3. To encourage the spread of economic benefits to local people, and in so doing improve the real value of the region’s wild nature.

By filling up spare capacity in lodges and research stations and directing research effort at answering key ecological and socio-economic questions, Biobridges directly improves the economic value of intact Amazon rainforest, improves our understanding of this vibrant ecosystem, and directly strengthens the links between local people, researchers, ecotourists and conservation initiatives.

 

To coordinate research projects, and collate and share findings

Currently 58 universities and non-governmental organisations from around the World conduct field research through 26 research stations and lodges in south-eastern Peru. Most of this research operates through the principle sites listed on Biobridges. Our purpose is to improve communications between universities and other organisations that lead research and training initiatives across the region, open the doors to institutions wishing to commence projects in this region, and assist and coordinate activities to improve the overall reach and depth of research and training programmes.

To share with our clients the benefits of bio and cultural diversity

An environment full of life and biological diversity, intertwined with a unique array of native and immigrant cultures, inspires a similar scale of reaction in those observing and interacting with it. The south-eastern Peruvian rainforests of Madre de Dios have had a significant and lasting impact on virtually all of those who have had the privilege of visiting the region. Our goal is to widen that experience for as many people as possible. Previous visitors have gone on to become lecturers and professors at leading universities, decision-makers for international conservation foundations, and important thinkers and contributors within biodiversity conservation, global climate change, and sustainable development both internationally and in Peru.