I recently took part in the adventure of a lifetime, swapping my Macbook for a machete to take part in an eye-opening rainforest conservation project deep in the Peruvian Amazon. I am a freelance journalist who has always been fascinated with this majestic jungle, but sadly knew more about shopping on Amazon.com than Amazon deforestation and conservation. I regularly report on combating carbon and supporting green initiatives, so I decided to sign up as a rainforest conservation volunteer to practice what I preach.
With the support and sponsorship of 21 corporate partners, including Voltimum, I travelled to the Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon. Along with conservation work and donations, my project's aim was to increase awareness about
what is actually happening within the Amazon rainforest.
With a camcorder, notepad and dry bag on hand, I had the opportunity (in between grueling treks and hard manual labour)
to report on deforestation and its effects on the incredible biodiversity found within this unique and quickly disappearing
environment.

3 flights, 1 death-defying monster truck ride and a ‘peke peke’ later…

Journey:  London – Madrid – Lima – Cusco – Atalaya - MLC

Last leg of the long journey there
I have survived the long and slightly terrifying journey and have now finally arrived at the Manu Learning Centre (MLC) in the Peruvian Amazon. This is where I will be spending the next three weeks working as a rainforest conservation volunteer.

After arriving in Cusco and acclimatising to the altitude, two of the MLC science experts and I began our road and river journey into the Amazon.

Please refer to episode three of the BBC’s World’s Most Dangerous Roads (which funnily enough was aired and watched the weekend before my trip – big mistake). These are some of the roads I experienced on route to the MLC. Roads along the Andes with breath-taking views and lethal drops into a forest-filled abyss. Despite not wanting to take note of the four inches between the truck wheel and the edge of the road, I couldn’t resist peering out the windows for this 10-hour journey – from cool dry land in the higher altitudes to humid lush tropics as we descended into the basin, my eyes were never short of being mesmerized.

When we disembarked our truck in Atalaya, a motorised canoe (known as a “peke peke”) took us along the Rio Alto Madres de Dios to the site of the Manu Learning Centre. It was here that it all finally sunk in. I was in the Amazon. I was out of my comfort zone. I was in for the adventure of a lifetime.

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