Manu Learning Centre

The Manu Learning Centre (MLC) is located within Fundo Mascoitania, a 640 hectare reserve, encompassed within the cultural zone of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the the largest protected areas in Peru. It is home to a variety of rainforest types including lowland Andean, pre-montane, bamboo and high terrace forests. This geographical complexity creates habitats for a huge diversity of flora and fauna. The MLC is operated by the CREES group who work within the Manu region with local schools and farmers as well as international researchers and volunteers.

History

The MLC was built in 2004 on an abandoned hacienda. The initial concept was to demonstrate that it was possible to use novel land use techniques to rehabilitate large areas of degraded land and to empower and educate local communities throughout this process. There is a large body of work that had been completed at the MLC incorporating aspects of biology, geography, zoology, anthropology, tropical agriculture, politics, and art. Specific projects have focused on reforestation, mammal behaviour patterns, human impact studies, environmental management, monitoring of the blue headed macaw(CITES Red listed), soil & agricultural sustainability, forest dynamics, carbon offsetting, and the legitimacy of local power structures to name a handful.

Facilities

The MLC provides comfortable, airy accommodation, top level research facilities and ample space for the processing of samples, laboratory work and other project needs. The centre boasts an environmentally sound septic system and gravity fed water pumps in order to keep within the stations vision to minimise its impact on the environment and reduce it's carbon footprint.

Accommodation: Comfortable lodging for up to 36 visitors in accommodation 'pods'

Washing Facilities: Bathrooms include showers, toilets and washbasins

Kitchen & Dining Facilities: Well equipped kitchen serves three meals a day. The comfortable dinning room also provides space for lectures and group orientation

Library: A quiet area for study with an archive of useful information

Administration Centre: Office facilities and secure storage for valuable items and equipment

Laundry Facilities: Full service / self service

Satellite Internet: Up to 256kbps download / 56kbps upload (weather permitting)

Fluvial Transport: 16hp lancha for local river transport

Electricity: Solar panels and a 1kw backup generator

Access

The MLC is accessible from Cusco by road until Atalaya and then by lancha until the port at the MLC. During the dry season boats may not be able to navigate the river from Atalaya in which case transport is needed up until the Aguanos settlement on the opposite side of the Alto Madre de Dios River. Crossing is then possible by raft or by lancha.

Latitude: 12° 47' 22.24" S

Longitude: 71° 23' 31.60" W

Biodiversity & Wildlife

Macaw Collpa

The MLC reserve attracts an array of parrots and macaws thanks to the spectacular clay mineral lick, or Collpa carved out by the Alto Madre de Dios river. This collpa is the only one of its type in the zone, and is visited daily by hundreds of colourful and noisy parrots and macaws, the most notable of these being the Blue Headed Macaw. These in turn draw raptors such as the ornate hawk eagle and crested eagle.

The best time to visit the collpa is early in the morning. A 15 min ride upstream in the MLC's lancha takes you to the hide which is maintained and regulated by the MLC.

Mammal Collpa

The MLC boasts two large mammal collpas which attracts smaller mammals as well as large groups of white-lipped peccary and their natural Jaguar predators.

Wildlife Monitoring Array

The MLC's wildlife monitoring array was established in 2005. The array comprises of a 1km² monitoring grid mapped using GPS. It provides a quantified area in which researchers can complete research on plants, animals and birds.

Species Lists & Forest Types

• List of mammal species catalogued within the MLC (by order, family, genus and species definitions)[1]
• Lists of the birds catalogued within the MLC Reserve and the common plant species in forest types can be found on this link[2].

External links

• the official CREES website