Jardim da Amazônia Lodge - Mato Grosso
Nature Lodge / 1997 - present
Context
Three hundred kilometres north of Cuiabá, in the southern Amazon, inside a significant ecological corridor: a large fragment of forest in the transition zone between the Cerrado savanna and the Amazon. The trees there are markedly lower, which makes canopy species easier to observe, along with a wide range of Amazonian specialities.
Role
Conception and implementation of the lodge, from 1997.
The work
Wildlife watching is the core product, and it depends directly on the forest being left standing. Several of the birds recorded on the property are emblematic, such as the harpy eagle, considered the most powerful eagle on the planet. The cone-billed tanager (Conothraupis mesoleuca), listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, was found in the Alto Juruena basin in 2006, and this appears to be the largest known population of the species.
Outcome
In operation since 1997, with its own registered eBird hotspot. In 2022 the lodge began supporting the Jardim da Amazônia Research Station.
Development: Jardim da Amazônia Field Station / 2022
Raquel Zanchet is involved in creating the Jardim da Amazônia Research Station, an initiative led by Instituto Ecótono in partnership with Brazilian and international institutions including the Applied Ecology Group of Sinop (GECAS, UFMT), UNEMAT, the University of Salford, the Brazilian Primatology Society and ICMBio. Based in São José do Rio Claro, Mato Grosso, with support from Jardim da Amazônia Lodge, the station was conceived in 2022 to study and protect local fauna, particularly birds and medium to large mammals, including threatened primates.
Work began in 2023, focused on monitoring species such as the Mittermeier's saki (Pithecia mittermeieri), the Peruvian spider monkey (Ateles chamek) and rare birds, to understand their behaviour and habitat. The research also aims to promote sustainable tourism by encouraging wildlife watching. Beyond protecting biodiversity, keeping the forest standing is essential to the springs that feed the Arinos river, which makes conservation an economic opportunity for landowners in the region.
