Based in the Alto Utcubamba area(Amazonas), Landes aims to develop educational, cultural and scientific activities on nature conservation issues, with an emphasis on the unique and distinctive features of this region: its biodiversity and cultural landscape.
Our focus is currently on the ecological restoration of the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird´s habitat, which is being carried out within the Amazilia Bioreserva´s property. This is the first sanctuary dedicated exclusively to the ecological restoration of the habitat of this species, in a living laboratory with over 200 protected hectares.
Biodiversity
The Amazonas region is blessed with an immense wealth: that of the natural order. The rugged geography of the area, marked by the Utcubamba River and its tributaries, is an essential feature of this section of the tropical Andes.
The different altitudes of the mountains, concentrated in a relatively small area, generate a great diversity of ecosystems that are home to extraordinary species. Perhaps the most famous of them is the Marvelous Spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis), colloquially known as the “El maravilloso”, which in addition to being an endemic bird of the area, is also an endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation's red list.
Marvelous Spatuletail at Bioreserva Amazilia.
Cultural Landscape
Cultural landscapes are living heritages in which, over centuries of history and evolution, human traditions and natural features have been mixed. The result is a universe that integrates cultural backgrounds, built environments, archaeological sites, sites, biodiversity, geography, past and present traditions and, in short, knowledge and life experience in constant evolution and development.
The Alto Utcubamba Valley is rich in emblematic archaeological remains such as Kuélap, Macro, Revash, and Karajia. They are accompanied by others less known such as La Congona, La Petaca, El Imperio, the Inca trail and its various tambos and ramifications, while many others are still in the exploration phase or waiting to be discovered and placed on the map.
