ABOUT THE CANOPY INKATERRA - in
their own words:
EXPERIENCE THE AMAZON RAINFOREST FROM A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE
Imagine walking high above the rainforest, seeing the
jungle ecosystem in the same way that the birds who fly above see it. Canopy Inkaterra,
opened in 2005, allows visitors to do just that.
This 344-meter (1,135-feet)-long complex of seven hanging bridges, six treetop observation
platforms, and two 29-meter (95-feet)-tall towers-woven through the crowns of the tallest
trees-offers visitors glimpses of rare and unusual flora and fauna, impossible to see from
the ground.
It is considered one of the safest canopy walkways in the world. The ground-level
Interpretation Center is packed with information about the rainforest and its ecology.
Funding for the canopy project was provided by the World Bank and the National Geographic
Society.
THE LAST BIOLOGICAL FRONTIER
This system of bridges, platforms, and towers offers an expansive window onto the world of
the tropical rainforest. It enables us to better understand life, the cycles, and the
interdependent relationships among the various organisms inhabiting the canopy.
Inkaterra Canopy is considered to be one of the most modern and sophisticated in the
world, both due to its camouflage design and because the specialists who built it used
ecological materials to prevent negative impact on the environment. The canopy walk
enables visitors to enjoy an in-depth look at one of the most productive ecosystems in the
rainforest: an enormous food factory where key events for the development of life come
together.
INTERPRETATION CENTER
Here, visitors can learn about the ecological features along the canopy walk, as well as
about the environment, the design, and the construction of the Inkaterra Canopy and the
support work ITA carries out in some of the communities of the zone.
THE CANOPY IN FIGURES
Research and inventories of Inkaterra's Ecological Reserve have been conducted since 1978.
Among the highlights are the inventory of insects by Professor Edward O. Wilson of Harvard
University (who certified that Reserva Ecológica Inkaterra is the area with the greatest
richness of ants in the world), the inventory of plants carried out by Dr. Alwyn Gentry of
the Missouri Botanical Garden (with a registry of 1,070 species of vascular plants), the
study of amphibians and reptiles by Dr. William Duellman (published by Cornell University
Press in a 433-page book), the recording of the songs of the birds of the canopy carried
out by the Peruvian biologist Edwin Salazar, and several studies published by the
University of Kansas. Wildlife studies are still carried out for the purpose of
establishing a continuing plan for tourism.
| 135 mammals |
375 birds |
365 ants |
315 butterflys |
322 inssects |
457 spiders |
30 mollusks |
153 frogs |
