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Earthwatch - Life on the Amazon

Dear Earthwatcher,

Here at Earthwatch, we thrive on stories of the amazing work the researchers we support are doing internationally. Earthwatch sends thousands of volunteers into the field each year, to help scientists conduct important environmental research and conservation projects around the world. We’re thrilled to support these scientists, some of whom have been collecting long-term datasets for decades, and today we’d like to share one of their inspiring stories with you.

Dr. Richard Bodmer has conducted research in the western Amazon Basin since 1984. Based on a historic riverboat from the Rubber Boom era of the early 1900s, the work of Bodmer and his team spans not just years, but also species and landscapes.

Join us as we offer a glimpse into nearly three decades worth of hard work, important science, and an unsurpassed understanding of Amazonian biodiversity.

Dr. Richard Bodmer: Biologist Extraordinaire

He may be going into his fourth season as Principal Investigator of the Amazon Riverboat Exploration Earthwatch project, but Dr. Richard Bodmer’s interest in biology stretches back as far as he can remember.

For more than 16 years Bodmer has worked in the Lago Preto Conservation Area and the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve of Peru conducting research on monkeys, caimans, macaws and more.

Learn more about Dr. Bodmer

  A Journey through the Amazon Basin

Photo courtesy of Malene Christensen, Earthwatch staffLined with rich rainforest and filled with an array of plants and animals, the great Amazon Basin is like no other place on Earth. The more than 35 species under study by Dr. Bodmer and his team represent just a tiny fraction of the life here – where biodiversity is among the highest on the planet.

In the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and the Lago Preto Conservation Area, Bodmer works to uncover the effects of conservation actions on a number of wildlife populations.

Learn more about the majestic Amazon Basin.

  Working with Local Communities to Conserve their Homeland

Dr. Bodmer is a firm believer in the need to involve local communities in the management of the Amazon Basin’s wildlife and habitats.

Conducting research on a host of Amazonian wildlife, including macaws and other bird species, caimans, turtles, primates and a number of terrestrial and aquatic mammals, Bodmer’s long-term datasets provide crucial information to reserve managers working with local communities to conserve this precious area.

Learn more about the management of these reserves.

Conservation and Research in Action: The Big Pay-Off

Comparisons of data from 1995 to information collected by Bodmer’s team in 2005 show increases in a number of key wildlife populations, from monkeys to otters. Going back into the field for his second season with Earthwatch volunteers in 2007, Bodmer was pleased to report that two years later, populations were faring even better.

Learn about some of the species now thriving in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and the Lago Preto Conservation Area.

“We are really impressed with the level of involvement and help that Earthwatch volunteers bring to the conservation and research of the Lago Preto and Samiria sites.” ~ Dr. Richard Bodmer


Don’t just read about it – join Bodmer aboard the Ayapua and help him conduct research on these species and more! Learn about the Amazon Riverboat Exploration expedition and sign up today. Join one (or both!) of the two summer teams, running from late August through September, and you’ll get a 20% discount!

Earthwatch Volunteers Join Bodmer and his Research Team aboard the Ayapua
Photo courtesy of Malene Christensen, Earthwatch staff

To determine the full impacts of conservation and management within the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and the Lago Preto Conservation Area, more research is necessary.

Learn about important discoveries and exciting animal sightings by recent Earthwatch teams.

 
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