Greetings from Peru amid the rainy season! My name is Flynn Vickowski and I am a Fulbright grantee studying the Spectacled, or Andean, bear, classified by the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable to extinction. The Spectacled bear is the only bear native to South America, is mainly herbivorous and has spectacle-like facial and chest markings that are unique to each bear. Main threats to the species include human-bear conflict (poaching), habitat fragmentation and lack of knowledge of distribution. Through the terrific help of ACA, I am working on capturing images of the bears to identify presence and habitat use in an area not previously researched. ACA aided me with establishing a connection with the indigenous Queros community of the Wachiperi tribe and the Queros welcomed me to do my research in their conservation concession located in the Amazon River Basin.

The Conservation Concession Haramba Queros Wachiperi extends over 6,975.99 hectares (~27 sq. mi, or 17,240 acres) and is situated between two of the most biodiverse protected areas in Peru, Manu National Park and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. [ACA was a key partner in helping the indigenous community establish the concession]. Studies show bear presence in both areas thus the concession may serve as a biological corridor between the two that promotes movement and genetic flow.

Camera traps are an excellent, non-invasive way to monitor wildlife. Over the course of three field trips in the fall, I explored the concession and looked for sign of bears such as footprints, claw marks on trees, bear trails, scat, food scraps and resting platforms in trees. I deployed a total of 12 cameras in possible bear habitat. Now I need to wait for the rain to stop so I can check the data collected.

On my final fall field trip, I replaced the memory cards from cameras deployed in previous field trips and got some previews of the magnificent wildlife in the concession. Although no bears were detected in those first two months, the cameras captured some photos of puma, armadillo, tapir, birds, anteater, paca, agouti, tamandua, deer and jaguar! 

Additionally, I presented at the Queros monthly meeting in December and they were very engaged to see camera trap photos of the wildlife. The Queros expressed their continued desire to support my project and to work together to promote the concession so that more researchers will come to conduct studies.

Villa Carmen was my home from August to November between field trips and I feel so lucky to have gotten to know the wonderful staff. I feel welcome every time I return. It is a stunning atmosphere tucked away in the jungle with miles of trails for observing monkeys, birds or taking a swim in the river. I am looking forward to returning in March!

Check out a full recap of Flynn’s field trip and experiences in the Amazon at her blog: https://bearfootperu.wordpress.com/

Today ACA’s Villa Carmen Biological Station & Reserve celebrates its third birthday! In 2012 alone, Villa Carmen welcomed over 800 researchers, students, government officials, conservationists, volunteers, and birders, while steadily enhancing facilities to include a new lab and dorm space, an extensive trail network, organic gardens, and more.

Villa Carmen rounds out ACA’s network of three biological stations, which are strategically positioned to span the vast array of unique ecosystems from the high Andean cloud forest to the lowland Amazon basin.

In just three years, Villa Carmen has established itself as a bustling hub for scientists and conservationists. Over 150 researchers have visited the station from institutions around the world, cataloguing more than 590 species of plants and animals, and leading 38 research projects to date, studying everything from native fish and ants, to woolly monkeys and spectacled bears. Villa Carmen has also hosted numerous field courses on biodiversity, climate change, conservation, and culture, such as this group from the University of Minnesota (right).

Villa Carmen is also a living laboratory for best practices in sustainable agriculture, and shares lessons learned with residents from surrounding communities. Villa Carmen grows its own local organic crops, while researchers study ways to enhance soil fertility using biochar. Last year, Villa Carmen hosted an international workshop on sustainable agriculture where world experts and local Amazonian farmers shared techniques and experiences.

Motion-Sensing Cameras Capture Elusive Wildlife

Villa Carmen’s camera traps photograph a diverse array of wildlife, allowing researchers to catch a glimpse of many rare and endangered species in their natural habitat, including:

• 10 individual jaguars, including 2 pregnant females
• A female giant armadillo with her pup
• Lowland species including tapirs, giant anteaters, short-eared dogs, and curassows
• Rare birds like the white-cheeked tody tyrant, rufous-vented ground cuckoo, and grey-bellied hawk
• 28 different species in total so far!

Innovations in Biochar

Research at Villa Carmen has focused on biochar, a form of charcoal made by cooking plant biomass under reduced oxygen levels, producing a porous surface ideal for the growth of beneficial soil fungi and bacteria. When introduced to tropical soils, biochar not only sequesters carbon, it also boosts plant yields by as much as 40%, which reduces deforestation and carbon emissions, all while making use of the abundant but underutilized resource of fast growing bamboo.