Scientific Expeditions
The neotropical rainforest.
From the inside.
Accompany real scientific field work in high-diversity rainforests — active conservation projects, biodiversity yet to be catalogued, small groups.
For naturalists
Just over a week at an active scientific reserve in the neotropical rainforest. Learn about local biodiversity, ecosystems and conservation projects from the people who work there — with time to explore, unwind and meet people from around the world who share your curiosity.
Groups of 6–11 · 8 nights · from €1,800 · Language: Spanish / English
See details →For groups
For schools and universities that want to give students something a laboratory can't — and for companies and organisations that want their team to do something genuinely memorable. Fully custom format.
Custom format · Contact for conditions
See details →You spend just over a week at an active scientific reserve in the middle of the neotropical rainforest.
During the day, together with the reserve team, I introduce you to the local ecosystem: which species live there, how the rainforest functions as a system, what scientific and conservation projects are being carried out and why. At night, you head out into the forest with me. Night sampling is my work — I explain what I am looking for, how I do it and how I document it, and I bring you into what I find.
The group is small. People from different parts of the world who have actively sought out this kind of experience. Over nine nights you share camp, night walks, meals and conversations — and by the time you get home, some of those contacts are ones you know will last.
The rhythm is built around night work, not a conventional timetable:
Maximum eleven people. People from different parts of the world — naturalists, photographers, biologists, the incurably curious — who share nine nights of camp, forest walks, breakfasts and conversations about what they found the night before. During the expedition the group works like a small family: there is time to talk, to learn from each other, to laugh at what the rainforest throws at you. By the time you leave, some of those connections are already something more.
Accommodation is at the reserve itself: wooden structures in a rainforest setting, with individual tents and camping mattresses. Cold showers, potable water, electricity, satellite internet, and a kitchen run by reserve staff — all meals are covered. It is not a hotel, nor does it pretend to be.
No prior scientific training is required. What is needed is genuine curiosity, a real fascination with nature, and the fitness to move comfortably for several hours on irregular forest terrain, with high humidity. Expeditions run in Spanish or English depending on the group — or a mix of both if the group is mixed. If you are unsure whether you fit the profile, ask me before signing up — it is the most sensible thing for both of us.
Before confirming a place, I speak personally with every participant over a video call — not a bureaucratic requirement, but the way to make sure the expedition works for everyone. Anyone who does not fit the profile will hear it directly from me.
What the fee includes
Not included
This is a scientific participation fee, not a travel package. I do not act as a travel agency or tour operator.
Participation fee
From €1,800 per person
Groups of 6–11 · 8 nights · International flight not included
Join the list →For educational institutions and naturalist associations that want real fieldwork. Not a guided tour, but actual field science at a private, working tropical reserve — with genuine scientific methodology, alongside the people who work there.
If you have students studying biology, ecology, zoology or conservation, you already know there are things a laboratory cannot teach. Running a nocturnal survey in tropical rainforest, learning to identify species that may not yet be described, seeing how an active conservation project actually works — none of that is in any textbook.
And if you run a naturalist association that wants to go beyond local outings: this is exactly that. Real neotropical biodiversity, with someone who knows that reserve inside out.
Every group expedition is designed from scratch: destination, duration, number of participants and the group's specific objectives. Write to me with your idea and we'll plan it together.
Important: collecting or taking fauna or flora from the reserve is not permitted. It is strictly prohibited by law without official collection and export permits, which are the sole responsibility of whoever requires them.
What you take back
Private nature reserve in the transition zone between the Isthmic Atlantic moist forests and the Chocó-Darién forests. One of the regions with the highest density of phasmids on the continent.
Planned for 2027
Reserve in the ecoregion of the montane forests of the Eastern Cordillera Real, west of Pastaza. One of the areas on the continent with the most species still waiting to be described.
Planned for 2027Phasmids are my speciality, but the rainforest has a lot more to offer. This gallery is a small sample of the biodiversity I've personally photographed at the destinations I'm proposing.
Night outings last between 3 and 5 hours on irregular forest terrain with high humidity. There is no climbing or technical load, but there is sustained movement in low-visibility conditions on uneven ground. If you have any doubts, don't worry — we will go through them during our initial no-commitment video call.
The fee covers accommodation at the reserve, full board for all 8 days, transport between the international reference airport and the reserve (return), and scientific coordination of the field work. The international flight to that airport is each participant's own arrangement — it is the only thing not covered.
Dates depend on when a group forms for each destination. Current estimates are: Panama — July/August 2027 and Ecuador — October/November 2026. If you sign up, I will write to you directly once a group has formed, with specific dates and all the information you need to decide.
No. Signing up is just an expression of interest — no reservation, no payment. When there is a group for your destination of interest, I will get in touch to arrange a free video call where you can ask questions and decide whether you want to confirm your place. Payment only happens once the expedition is confirmed and you have decided to go.
I have been going to the rainforest for over ten years — sometimes on my own — and I have never had a serious incident. Neither has anyone who has come with me, beyond the odd mosquito bite. I know what I am doing and I know how to move in that environment. That said, the reserves where we work have emergency protocols and direct contact with local emergency services, just in case — although so far they have never been needed.
The exact cancellation and refund conditions are set out in the participation agreement signed when confirming a place. Payment is not made when joining the interest list — only once the expedition is confirmed and dates have been agreed.
The camp has satellite internet and electricity — you are not cut off. Mobile coverage depends on the destination, but basic internet access at the camp is planned for in all cases. Exact details are provided when confirming each expedition.
No. I am a biologist specialising in entomology and taxonomy, not a travel agency or tour operator. What I offer is participation in scientific field activities that I organise as part of my research work. The international flight is neither included nor arranged by me — each participant books it independently. The agreement we sign is a scientific participation agreement, not a package travel contract.
For vaccinations, I am not the right person to tell you what you need — that depends on your country of origin, your vaccination history and the specific destination. What I will say is: visit an international travel medicine clinic in your country before you go. They will give you the right recommendations. For insurance, travel cover with medical evacuation is required — each participant arranges this independently. Details are provided when confirming a place.
Can't join the expedition but want to contribute to the research?
The Sponsor a Species programme allows you to fund scientific expeditions and obtain naming rights over new species discovered.
Naturalist Expedition
No fixed dates. Spots open once a group is confirmed for a destination. Leave your email and I'll let you know when the time comes — no spam, no commitment.
Signing up is not a reservation. When there's a group, I'll write to arrange a free video call where you decide whether to confirm your place.
Group Expedition
Group expeditions are designed from scratch for each group. If you represent a school, university or naturalist association and want to explore the idea, write to me directly.
No forms. Just tell me who you are, how many people, and what destination or dates you have in mind — and we'll take it from there.
Write to me →