in the field: perú

Fauna Forever & Wilderness International
Lowland Rainforest, Peruvian Amazon · 2024 · 7 episodes

In the Field: Perú‍ ‍began with a simple idea: to follow the people doing the work, and to bring their stories to an audience that would otherwise never see them.

Fauna Forever has been conducting biodiversity research in the Peruvian Amazon for nearly 30 years, yet the scientists and volunteers behind that work remain largely invisible to the outside world. This series was made to change that.

Filmed in the Tambopata region of southeastern Peru in early 2024, the seven episodes accompany researchers and volunteers across seven distinct areas of conservation science, from nocturnal caiman surveys on the Río Tambopata to mist netting sessions for bats deep in the lowland rainforest.

Each episode puts a human face on the science, revealing not just what is being studied, but why it matters and who is doing it.

A colorful parrot or macaw perched on a tree branch with green leaves in the background in the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru in Madre de Dios close to Chuncho Lodge

Episode 1 · Tropical Ornithology

The Amazon is legendary for its birdlife. But how do you actually study it? Accompanying Fauna Forever's field research coordinator Chris Ketola and the ornithological research team, we discover how birds are caught, what data is collected, and what it reveals about the health of the forest. Filmed in the lowland rainforest of the Peruvian Amazon.

Close-up of a crocodile's or caiman's head with its mouth slightly open, showing sharp teeth, partially submerged in water of the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru.

Episode 2 · Caiman Surveys

Caimans are among the Amazon's most important bioindicators. Following Hallie Cowan Barrera and Chris Ketola on nocturnal surveys along the Río Tambopata, we learn how these ancient reptiles are studied, and what their presence, or absence, reveals about an ecosystem increasingly threatened by gold mining and mercury contamination.

Looking up at a tall tree (Lupuna, Ironwood or Brazilnut tree) in a lush green forest with sunlight filtering through the leaves of the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru in Madre de Dios.

Episode 3 · Botany

The tropical rainforest is the engine of Amazonian biodiversity. Accompanying Peruvian forest scientist Gabriela Veneros from Wilderness International in the Madre de Dios province, we explore what threatens the forests around Tambopata National Reserve, and what research is needed to understand and protect them.

A bat flying to a flower stem at night, with its wings partially open and tongue out, against a dark background of the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru.

Episode 4 · Bat Research

Bats are the only actively flying mammals on Earth, and among the least understood. Joining Fauna Forever on nocturnal mist netting sessions in the Peruvian lowland rainforest, we explore how bats are caught and studied, what makes them unique, and what their presence tells us about the ecosystems they inhabit.

A close-up of a green cacao fruit hanging from a tree, with a water droplet at the bottom. The background is blurred with green foliage, filmed in the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru.

Episode 5· Agroforestry

Tropical rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, largely driven by unsustainable agriculture. In this episode, we follow a pilot project by Wilderness International exploring how already degraded land can be farmed sustainably, supporting local communities while enhancing biodiversity rather than depleting it.

A colorful tree frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus) with black, yellow, and orange markings sitting on a mossy branch in a lush green jungle of the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru.

Episode 6 · Herpetology

Reptiles and amphibians are among the most overlooked inhabitants of the Amazon. Together with Fauna Forever's field research coordinator Chris Ketola, we follow nightly transects deep into the Peruvian lowland rainforest. What species are out there, what do they reveal about the health of the ecosystem, and how do researchers navigate a safe coexistence between humans and wildlife?

A young brown and beige capuchin monkey sitting on a branch, gazing thoughtfully into the distance, with blurred green foliage in the background in the lower cloud forest of Peru close to the Cock of the Rock Lodge in Manu National Park

Episode 7 · Mammal Research

Mammals are the animals we feel closest to, yet studying them in the Amazon is rarely what you'd expect. Researcher Nadine Holmes has coordinated mammal research with Fauna Forever for two years, offering a candid look at what fieldwork in the Peruvian rainforest actually involves.

stills

  • Chris Ketola, a person in a forest with a headlamp, wearing a beige t-shirt with a logo that reads "Fauna Forever" and a head strap for the headlamp in the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru doing ornithological research at Fauna Forever

    Episode 1・Tropical Ornithology

  • Close-up of bird rings with multiple colored wires connected to a panel in the lowland amazon rainforest in peru by the NGO Fauna Forever
  • Close-up of a person holding multiple small caimans with their mouth open, showing sharp teeth, and has a textured, patterned skin. The person's fingers are gently gripping the caiman's body at the NGO Fauna Forever with Chris Ketola in the Amazon

    Episode 2・Caiman Surveys

  • Close-up of hands injecting a PIT Tag into a caiman with a syringe as part of Fauna Forever's caiman monitoring by Chris Ketola in the lowland amazon rainforest in Peru, Madre de Dios..
  • Gabriela Veneros, a peruvian woman with black hair braided over her shoulder measures a tree trunk's circumference with a measuring tape in a forest for Fauna Forever and Wilderness International

    Episode 3・Botanical Research

  • A laptop displaying a document titled 'Carbon Sequestration' with scientific formulas and data. The laptop is placed on a table and part of a hand is visible in the bottom left corner. NGO Wilderness International und NGO Fauna Forever working togeth
  • Close-up of a bat resting on a soft, yellow surface, a leather glove with black background showcasing the research of NGO Fauna Forever in the lowland amazon rainforest of Peru in Madre de Dios.

    Episode 4・Bat Research

  • A person wearing gloves mending a torn piece of fabric with a needle and thread, with a small bat caught in a spider web in the background as part of the research of Fauna Forever in the lowland amazon rainforest in Peru.
  • Simon Hrbek, a coordinator at Fauna Forever and Wilderness International planting a small tree in the ground outdoors, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and green shirt, surrounded by green leaves and plants in the lowland amazon rainforest in peru

    Episode 5・Agroforestry

  • Young plants growing on an agroforestry field or plot with wooden stakes supporting them, surrounded by green grass and trees in the background, a pilot project by Wilderness International and Fauna Forever in the amazon rainforest of Peru
  • A person holding a small snake (Pseudoboa coronata) while another person looks closely at it at the NGO Fauna Forever in the lowland amazon rainforest in Peru.

    Episode 6・Herpetology

  • A toad (rhinella margaritifera) partially hidden among leaves and forest debris on the ground in a natural forest setting in the lowland amazon rainforest in Peru on the properties of Wilderness International, explored by the NGO Fauna Forever
  • Nadine Holmes, a woman with long brown hair and light skin looking up, standing in a lush green forest, wearing a tan T-shirt with a logo and text about Fauna Forever, a NGO in the lowland amazon rainforest in Peru

    Episode 7・Mammal Research

  • Two wild woolly monkeys hanging from a tree in a lush, green forest, looking upwards with a curious expression in the lower cloud forest of the Andes in Peru, close to the cock of the Rock Lodge in Manu National Park.

Credits

Director & Camera Marc Ferrum
Camera Assistants Šimon Hrbek, Lauren Webster, Ana Paula Bezzolo
Edit Marc Ferrum

Featuring Chris Ketola, Hallie Cowan Barrera, Gabriela Veneros, Šimon Hrbek, Nadine Holmes

In collaboration with
Fauna Forever
Wilderness International


© 2024 Foggy Lens Productions

Music licensed via Artlist.io:
Episode 1: Come Back Alive by Ian Post · Land of Wonders by TURPAK · A Tender Heart by The David Roy Collective · Hidden Heart by Lux Inspira · Shaping the Future by TURPAK
Episode 2: New World by Ian Post · Turning Around the Enemy by Max H. · Timelines & Chasing Horizons by Charlie Ryan · Fractured Timeline by Semø Episode 3: Finding Paradise by Roman P · Earth by Jordi Dalmau · Synergy by TURPAK
Episode 4: Class Act by Adrián Berenguer · Land of Wonders by TURPAK · A Tender Heart & Eternity Awaits by The David Roy Collective
Episode 5: Up in the Andes by Max H. · Hidden Heart by Lux Inspira · Presto (Slowed & Reverbed) by Adrián Berenguer
Episode 6: Beneath the Surface by Jeremy Chontow · Song for Heather by Alon Peretz · Memento by Nobou · A Tender Heart by The David Roy Collective · Grindelwald by C.K. Martin
Episode 7: The Dawn of a New Era by Brander · Golden Sunrise by Ian Post · Road Less Traveled by The David Roy Collective