I will always carry with me the sense of childlike wonder as we sat in silence in our boat, bathed in the rush of air from a seemingly endless flock of cormorants, anhingas, herons and egrets, which had surprised us at a bend in the river. We got into trouble back at the base for not having recorded the number of individuals in the flock. That was indeed the purpose of the excursion that morning, but we hadn’t come back come totally empty-handed. I speak for myself here, but I think the the people I shared the experience with would agree: it had been at that moment that I realised that part of the process in understanding the natural world and advancing science and conservation is letting yourself slip into moments of total amazement and accepting the unexplainable beauty of nature.

That is where Operation Wallacea succeeded. There were many moments of joy and amazement in the 4 weeks I spent on the banks of the Rio Marañon, Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, deep in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. It was moments like the one I described above that convinced me I had made the right decisions, and despite not knowing exactly where I would end up, it would be right for me.

Through my involvement in many research projects centered around the river and its floodplain, such as fishing effort surveys, mammal prey and predator distribution and abundance, primate social structure and mist netting, I gained much in terms of practical and theoretical knowledge, and I had the satisfaction of having contributed to the publication of new research on the ecology of tropical environments. I also gained new insight on the running of large conservation projects.

Conversations I’ve had since have highlighted that such large organisations are often criticised for being prohibitive travel agencies rather than promoting volunteering and research. I cannot speak against the price of the expeditions, as they are indeed very high, but the volunteers cover the running costs of the organisation. What you take home from the expedition is not up to Operation Wallacea. Participating in research and observing these ecosystems and animals up close was and remains a dream of mine. Coming from a city in a Wester European country, exposure to nature is always welcome. What I learnt from my time on the water I kept as motivation for future endeavours. I’m still close friends with some of the people I met in the forest and I have built myself a network of useful contacts.

My studies also benefitted from my expedition in Peru. Knowing how it would work and that I would enjoy it, I signed up for an expedition to Mexico the following year (last summer) to collect data for my dissertation. I have yet to complete it, but I know it’ll be one of the many satisfactory reminders of my time in tropical forests.

My true passion is aquatic ecosystems. I keep tropical fish, so Peru seemed like an obvious choice. As it is now the end of my 3rd year of undergrad, I am looking to take the next step into a career or further studies. Drawing for my experience in Central and South America, I am strongly considering applying to work in Indonesia, in projects focusing of reef ecosystems and sustainable aquarium practices.