Manu Learning Centre, Research center in Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru
The Manu Learning Centre is a research facility within a private nature reserve covering about 643 hectares with different forest types including lowland Andean, pre-montane, bamboo, and high terrace forest. The site spans multiple elevation zones with distinct ecosystems that border each other.
The facility was founded in 2002 and transformed an abandoned hacienda into a center for environmental research and education. This transition marked the beginning of new scientific and sustainability work on the land.
The center runs educational programs for local communities and international students while supporting research from universities including Oxford, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. Learning happens through direct experience in the forest and connection with local knowledge.
Visitors reach the center from Cusco by taking a road to Atalaya and then traveling by boat down the Alto Madre de Dios river. The journey takes several hours, so plan for a longer trip to get there.
Scientists here discovered a new frog species called Ameerega shihuemoy in 2017 living in the selectively logged rainforest. This species was identified specifically in this region and shows how much biodiversity remains undocumented.
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