Welcome to the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies
In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon
The Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) is a premier site for tropical research, conservation learning, and immersive field-based education. Located within the 4,136-acre Napo-Sucusari Biological Reserve, ACTS offers unparalleled access to primary lowland rainforest, world-class canopy infrastructure, and decades of tropical science history.
ACTS is made possible through the long-standing partnership between Amazon Explorama Lodges, which owns and manages the facilities and reserve, and The Morpho Institute, which leads educational programming, research collaboration, and scientific engagement.
Together, Explorama and Morpho support a model of locally managed operations and globally connected research and learning, ensuring ACTS remains a vibrant hub for tropical discovery.
The Explorama-Morpho Partnership
The ACTS Field Station, ACTS Canopy Walkway, Napo Lodge, and the Napo-Sucusari Biological Reserve are owned and managed by Amazon Explorama Lodges, a Peruvian ecotourism organization that has operated sustainably in the Amazon for over 60 years. Explorama oversees all infrastructure, staff, logistics, and safety operations at these facilities.
The Morpho Institute, a U.S.-based nonprofit, serves as the educational and research partner for ACTS—providing academic guidance, scientific collaboration, and teacher professional development. Through its programs, Morpho connects educators, researchers, and local communities to advance rainforest science and conservation education.
Together, Explorama and Morpho ensure that ACTS remains a model of locally managed facilities, cutting-edge tropical research, and globally connected learning.
Explore ACTS: Facilities & Field Infrastructure
The experience at ACTS begins with its remarkable setting. The field station, reserve, trail systems, and canopy walkway collectively create a dynamic environment where research and education come alive.
The Napo-Sucusari Biological Reserve
The private 4,136-acre reserve protects a stunning expanse of primary lowland rainforest in the upper Amazon basin. This region is home to extraordinary biodiversity, from primates and rare birds to new species described by Western science.
The Reserve borders the nearly one-million-acre Maijuna-Kichwa Regional Conservation Area, creating a continuous protected landscape larger than Yosemite National Park.
An extensive trail network provides access for:
Wildlife surveys
Vegetation plots
Long-term research
Field coursework and guided learning
ACTS Field Station
The ACTS Field Station is the central hub for visiting researchers, teachers, students, and field teams. Designed for comfort and practicality in a remote rainforest setting, it offers everything needed to support scientific work and extended stays.
Facilities include:
Short- and long-term accommodations
Dining hall with full meal service
The open-air Al Gentry Research Laboratory
Solar batteries and a gasoline generator for electricity
- Satellite Wifi Access
Running water and basic amenities
On-site multilingual naturalist guides
ACTS Canopy Walkway
One of the signature features of ACTS is its spectacular canopy walkway—one of the longest in the world. Reaching heights of 35 meters (115 feet) and stretching 500 meters through the treetops, it opens a window into a realm rarely accessible to humans.
Regularly maintained by Explorama Lodges, the walkway:
Requires no climbing gear or special skills
Connects multiple emergent trees via stable platforms
Allows observation of canopy-level birds, insects, epiphytes, and ecological processes
Supports research that spans understory to canopy
For many visitors, the canopy walkway is the highlight of their time at ACTS—a place where the rainforest reveals new layers of complexity, color, and life.
Research at ACTS
ACTS is a long-established home for tropical field science. Researchers working here benefit from the reserve’s extraordinary species richness, habitat continuity, and vertical access—making it one of the most comprehensive field research environments in the region.
Current and past research projects include:
Biodiversity inventories across taxa
Behavioral ecology
Community ecology and trophic interactions
Climate and phenology studies
Sustainable development research
Research at ACTS is supported by seasoned naturalists, abundant study sites, and the unique vantage of the canopy walkway.
Identification Resources
The Chicago Field Museum has produced many excellent guides supporting species identification—especially useful for plants, birds, and insects found within the reserve.
Peruvian Permit Requirements
Most researchers will need to obtain permits through SERFOR, Peru’s national forestry and wildlife authority.
Important notes:
New studies by non-Peruvian researchers typically require in-person submissions in Lima.
Import/export of specimens must follow VUCE guidelines.
Explorama and Morpho can advise, but the researcher holds full responsibility for permits.
Educational Experiences at ACTS
University & Secondary School Programs
ACTS offers an unparalleled environment for hands-on scientific exploration. Students can:
Conduct real rainforest research
Experience the excitement of discovery
Strengthen their understanding of ecology, biology, taxonomy, botany, ornithology, and entomology
Develop field science skills
Reflect on learning in a non-traditional environment
Build their identity as global learners
Explorama’s naturalists and Morpho’s educational team support student inquiry and inspire deeper scientific curiosity.
Professional Development for Educators
ACTS hosts two complementary Morpho Institute programs that engage educators in the rainforest. Both strengthen science teaching, but each serves a different purpose and level of research involvement.
Educator Academy in the Amazon (EAA)
The Educator Academy is an experiential professional development program that introduces educators to rainforest ecology, inquiry-based learning, and conservation concepts. Using the ACTS Field Station and Canopy Walkway as an outdoor classroom, participants explore ecological systems, engage with Indigenous knowledge, and strengthen their content knowledge in biology and environmental science.
EAA’s focus is pedagogical transformation—helping teachers reconnect with curiosity, build stronger inquiry practices, and integrate place-based learning into their instruction. While participants engage in field investigations and citizen science, EAA is not a formal research program.
Ideal for educators seeking:
Deeper ecological understanding
Stronger inquiry-based teaching skills
Immersive field experience in a biodiverse ecosystem
Amazon Research Initiative for Educators (ARIE)
The Amazon Research Initiative for Educators (ARIE) is modeled on NSF’s RET framework. ARIE positions teachers as active members of research teams, contributing directly to scientific studies conducted at ACTS.
Participants receive mentorship in research design, data collection protocols, and analysis, and they contribute to long-term biodiversity and ecological datasets. ARIE supports educators in translating authentic research experiences into classroom practice while generating data useful to the scientific community.
Ideal for educators seeking:
Authentic, mentored field research
Experience generating and analyzing scientific data
Integration of real research into their curriculum