Protecting the Tapiche Reserve.

Protecting the Tapiche Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot in the Peruvian Amazon with an all-purpose patrol boat and motor.

In the Peruvian Amazon, boats are essential. For every mile of road, there are hundreds of miles of navigable rivers, and most communities have NO road connection to anywhere. The same is true at the spectacular but remote Tapiche Reserve – home to giant otters, Amazonian manatees, red uakari monkeys, zigzag herons, tapirs, harpy eagles and so much more. The reserve is in dire need of a lightweight aluminum skiff for patrols of turtle nesting beaches, to access floodplain lakes and ensure that illegal fishers and hunters aren’t wiping out populations of giant arapaima fish and black caimans, and for general transport of reserve staff. The skiff will also provide transport to share the beauty and wildlife of the site with visitors, students and researchers.

We are raising $3,800 for the made-to-order construction of a sturdy 6-meter (~19’ aluminum skiff that can seat 6 passengers plus a guide and boat operator. Included in the total cost is the purchase of a two-stroke 9 HP dragon-tail motor – the type used in the Louisiana bayous and other areas places with shallow water and lots of vegetation. The design of the skiff and motor will allow access to corners of the reserve not accessible by conventional outboard motors, and the two-stroke motors are much more fuel efficient than an outboard, which will result in a substantial drop in fuel use and costs for the Reserve. Eight good quality life-vests, a fuel tank, and an essential tool kit will round out the acquisition.

The first users of the skiff will be students and faculty from Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, Florida, and it is they who are taking the lead in the fund-raising effort. Project Amazonas thanks them for their enthusiastic efforts, and we ask you to respond as generously as you are able. All contributions from US-based donors are tax deductible, as we are a 501(c)3 organization registered in the State of Florida.

If we overshoot our target, we’ll look at getting a similar skiff for use at our Santa Cruz Forest Reserve on the Mazan River