Cornell University Esbaran Amazon Field Laboratory at the Amazon Yarapa River Lodge
In 2001, The Cornell University Esbaran Amazon Field Laboratory was inaugurated as a research facility dedicated to education, conservation, and the discovery of novel medicinal compounds. The laboratory was constructed in partnership with the Amazon Yarapa River Lodge with funds granted from Cornell University, the National Institutes of Health, and private donations.
The laboratory is located in the Amazon Rainforest along the banks of the Yarapa River, a remote tributary of the Amazon River in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. Jaldar, the closest native village, has been brought into an agreement to serve as custodians of the land and manage it in a way consistent with conservation and sustainable use. Further upstream can be found the villages of Nuevo Loreto and Puerto Miguel, and on an adjacent tributary the village of Jerusalem where a local shaman leads students in botanical expeditions.
Research at the Esbaran Field Laboratory relies heavily on the collaboration of local guides with native knowledge of the rainforest. Students engage local children in an exchange of knowledge to facilitate the sharing of perspectives and cultural assets. Student groups and scientists from all over the United States and Peru have utilized the Esbaran Field Lab to study the flora and fauna of the rainforest.
Note to our guests: Student groups from many institutions have visited the Cornell University Esbaran Amazon Field Laboratory at the Amazon Yarapa River Lodge. Student group visitations are sporadic and not a constant occurrence. When a group is in residence, the entire lodge is utilized, and non-affiliated visitors are often unable to be accommodated.
