Pañacocha, Ecuadorian Amazon

After Burning Man 1999, we had a solar-powered kiosk with 2 large solar panels left over.  In the spring of 2000, we made contact with some ecological activists, who said they could use the panels for a remote monitoring station they were setting up.  We gave them the panels and they made it down to Ecuador!

The group is called Ancient Forest International (AFI) and the area is the focus of their Pañacocha Project.

Here is a photo, taken from the tree tower, showing our panels, on top of the entrance to the kitchen of the lodge.  The panels are used to generate electricity to charge the batteries for their cameras, used to document and inventory the rare species in the area.

Some maps, to get an idea of where in the world it is.  Look for the little blue push-pin.  It it at the far back of the Amazon basin.  

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A breathtaking photo of the Pañacocha lake, taken again from the canopy platform, by professional photographer Murray Cooper: 

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Murray has released a new book on the nearby Los Cedros Forest Reserve, called Undiscovered Realms