Monitoring parrots and macaws in the Peruvian Amazon
Project People - the faces of the Tambopata Macaw Project
Dr
Donald Brightsmith (Texas A&M)
Project Director
Don did his PhD in Manu, Peru, and has been involved in parrot and macaw research ever since. He took over the Tambopata Macaw Project in 1999. Since then he has led the project from strength to strength and published a host of ground breaking papers on various aspects of macaw breeding, reintroduction and clay lick ecology. He has been on hand to teach, inspire and lead scores of Peruvian and international students and volunteers. Previously with Duke University, he made the move to Texas A&M in 2005.
Alan Lee (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Project Manager Posada and Refugio
Alan Lee joined the Tambopata Macaw Project under Don as a volunteer in 2002. After working on a research project for the Tambopata Reserve Society for 2 years (TReeS), he decided to get the most of his Peruvian experience and join Don working on the project with the aim of completing his MPhil / PhD. Alan directed research at Posada and Refugio during 2006 and 2007 to this end and is now based between the UK and Peru. Alan loves snakes
Carolina Caillaux (Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina,
Peru)
In-country co-ordinator
Carito joined the Tambopata Macaw Project as a volunteer under Don in November 2001 and worked as field leader during 207. Since then her career has focused on the natural history and macaws of the Tambopata. She has studied, guided and worked for Rainforest Expeditions. She is based out of Lima where she liaises with INRENA and takes care of getting volunteers and researchers onto the permits. Contact Carito if you have any questions about staying in Lima, any general questions, and to make sure your documents to be on the project have arrived and are being processed. proyectoguacamayos@gmail.com
Yesenia Quispe Huanca (UNAMAD, Peru)
Refugio Amazonas Field Leader
Yesenia joined the Tambopata Macaw Project as a volunteer mid 2006. Since then her dedication, hard-working attitude, fun-loving personality and ambition have seen her join the team as a permanent member. Although still finishing her undergrad degree part-time, she is already thinking about her thesis and will be collecting data on the impacts of tourists in observation towers on upper-canopy wildlife.
Vilma Taipe Laura (San Marcos, Peru)
Posada Amazonas Field Leader
Vilma joined the Tambopata Macaw Project as a volunteer at the beginning of 2007. She has a long running interest in the natural sciences, including herpetology and entomology, with experience from different parts of Peru, including most recently Manu. Having fallen in love with the Tambopata in many different ways she has taken over field leader responsibilities at Posada Amazonas as of September 2007.
Adrian Sanchez
Field Leader TRC
Adrian is our much respected field leader at TRC, a keen climber and great guy all-round, easy going with a great sense of humour - so at least you have a laugh when you're working harder than you've ever done before!
Yesmi Hualla
Rainforest Expeditions
Project liason
Yesmi is the big smile at the office in Puerto Maldonado for newly arriving project participants. She is responsible for orientation around the office and town and organising INRENA permits and payments.
Eduardo Nycander
Rainforest Expeditions Projects Manager
The Tambopata Macaw Project was initiated by Eduardo when he formed Rainforest Expeditions. Now along with Kurt Holle he is the company’s principal owner, this energetic family man still has time to visit the project and give ideas and suggestions. We view him as the godfather of the project.
This project is supported by:
The Tambopata Reserve Society
Research has been authorised by the Peruvian Institute for Natural Resources (INRENA)
