"We'll be going to Peru again soon!" 

This sentence always goes hand in hand with long to-do lists, chaotic working days and lots of planning stress. However, there is always that sparkle in the eyes, because none of the fellow travelers can wait to finally stand in front of a jungle giant again (or finally once) and hear, smell and feel the surrounding rainforest. This is my first time in our protected areas - and I can hardly wait! 

When we visit our protected areas and the team of our local sister foundation, we are usually on site for 1-2 weeks - quite a short time when you consider how many tasks and goals have to be somehow reconciled in order to use our time there as efficiently as possible.

This time we have decided on the following: 

• check on the status of our local (research) projects, discuss progress and next steps with the local teams and what is needed for them
• Ambassadors, scientific experts and corporate partners show what we are doing locally and what they are working for together with us
• Media production for our communication channels and with our ambassadors - this time, for example, Jacob Beautemps and Robinga Schnögelrögel are accompanying us - on a voluntary basis, of course!
• Let WI employees (like me) experience the old-growth forest they work so hard for every day for the first time 

Weeks beforehand, everything is bustling, everyone is excited and endless meetings are held to discuss packing and equipment lists, task allocation, schedules, itineraries and plans B, C, D - because on site, nature and the weather decide what works! All we can do is prepare all our fellow travelers for their individual tasks. This will definitely not be a relaxed vacation. 

Everyone who visits our protected areas for the first time should really experience the forest. With all its sounds, smells, colors and textures (although you should of course be super careful what you touch in the rainforest). And preferably without a smartphone. 

Here we are, jetlagged and tired - how many hours have we actually been traveling? - in the middle of the rainforest for the first time. And we can't stop being amazed. Tears well up in my eyes. Complete overload - emotionally and mentally. Down below, the bustle of thousands of leaf-cutting ants carrying harvested leaves back to their burrow; the loud call of some bird that sounds so different from home; and above us, a small group of capuchin monkeys throwing branches at us. The rainforest is simply full of life - and that's what we want to protect! That's why we're all here. 

Over the course of the next few days, we will visit our protected areas and learn about many different facets of the tropical rainforest and the work of our team on site. The majority of the forest in the Amazon region is evergreen tropical moist forest - the "typical" tropical rainforest. Close to the river, however, we occasionally come across so-called "flood forests", where the water is still so high in places now, at the end of the rainy season, that even our rubber boots can't prevent us from getting wet. But that doesn't matter at all. Accompanied by researchers and forest guardian, we explore our protected areas for hours and try to absorb the knowledge imparted. 

A special highlight is the 40-metre-high canopy tower. As we climb up, we can finally see the different levels of the rainforest at eye level - in theory. I have more to do with overcoming my fear of heights. Once on the platform, we are on the same level as the imposing treetops - only the gigantic lupuna, the most impressive tree I have ever seen, still towers above us. Up here we see many of the birds we have been hearing for several days for the first time. 60-90% of the rainforest's biodiversity is found in the treetops - now this figure becomes tangible for the first time.

The rainforest never sleeps - and apparently neither do our researchers and forest guardian. There's no time to spare when the day starts at 4:30 am with bird watching and ends at 11 pm with bat research. This is exactly what our agenda looks like, because we use the time to accompany the team on site as often as possible.  

Our forest guardian usually set off early to check the different areas of our protected areas every day. We are allowed to accompany Stefany and Xiomara on their tour. On the way, we look out for signs of illegal activities, check whether the boundaries of our protected areas (e.g. boundary stones and signs) are still intact or need to be renewed and record animal sightings in a biodiversity data sheet. These excursions are really no walk in the park! The terrain is uneven, some of the narrow paths are heavily overgrown, and towards midday it gets hotter and hotter, even under the protective canopy. We quickly internalized the two most important basic rules: never set off alone and always drink enough water! 

Chris Ketola, Head Field Research Coordinator at WI, starts his day at least as early. Birdwatching in the morning, bat research in the evening, caiman transects or night hikes where he looks out for more reptiles and amphibians. He greets the animals he finds like old friends - "Hey, Buddy!" - and treats them with extreme care. You can see in every second how much Chris loves the rainforest and all its inhabitants. Some scientifically relevant animals are carefully examined, weighed, measured and possibly marked in case of another encounter. The data collected, which also flows into an international database, helps us to gain insights into the biodiversity in our protected areas. This allows us to identify trends and developments, draw conclusions about the health of the ecosystem and the effectiveness of our work - and tell you exactly who lives in the areas you protect.

Nadine Holmes, Mammal Research Coordinator, is also always up early. However, this is not only due to her work, but also to her cute little daughter Hyla, who keeps the whole research camp on its toes. On her transects, Nadine researches jaguars, tapirs, peccaries etc. She is supported in her work by camera traps that are distributed throughout our protected areas. This means we can tell pretty much exactly which mammal species have a home in the Secret Forest. Just recently we recorded a mother jaguar with two cubs very close to the research station! Some animals like the cute paka, a small rodent related to our guinea pigs, I actually see for the first time on the recordings. 

Our local projects also focus on environmental education, for example for schoolchildren. Ana-Paula Bezzolo, one of our forest rangers, proudly tells us about her environmental education project, in which she has already presented the work of Wilderness International at several schools and taught the children numerous reasons why we absolutely must protect the rainforest and its inhabitants. A few classes have already visited our research station. A "green classroom" is currently under construction, right next to the forest guardian:indoor station. Our aim is to welcome school classes there regularly in the future.

Of course, we also paid a visit to our agroforestry trial area. Many of the plants that were planted during the last expedition are already towering over us, and it certainly won't be long before the açai palms bear their first fruit. A little further on, together with forestry scientist Šimon Hrbek and botanist Gabriela Veneros Zerpa, we get to lend a hand and plant cocoa and two different types of palm. The purpose of the trial area is to find out which plants can grow well next to each other and benefit from each other, and which insects are attracted to which plants. We share this knowledge with the communities participating in our project. You can find out more here.

But of course, the camp is not just made up of researchers and forest guardian. There are also numerous volunteers from all over the world who support the team, the boat drivers who take care of the transportation of people and supplies - you won't find any roads here - and Bladi, our brilliant cook and probably the most important person in the Secret Forest! No matter what time we got up, fresh, delicious coffee was always ready! The food is always delicious, balanced and gives you enough energy for the long, tiring days in the rainforest. Vegan, vegetarian, no problem at all. I already miss the delicious pancakes for breakfast, which somehow always tasted like a hint of orange ... 

Even the best times come to an end, and so we'll be heading back to Germany at some point. When exactly? No idea. The clocks run differently in the rainforest. The days go by far too quickly and yet they are packed with so many new impressions that we don't have a chance to process everything in such a short time. Even though we weren't always on the road together, the experience brought us closer together. The forest, the animal encounters and, above all, the people - each of us has been deeply moved by the last few days. And I believe that everyone will take a piece of the Secret Forest home with them in their hearts.