By Jolee Kuo
As the group trudged through the thick mud of the post-flooded Amazon rainforest I took a second to look up at the towering, vine-intertwined trees surrounding us. Suddenly, there, a flash of movement, and then another. I alerted the other fellowship recipients and local biologist guides and we all stopped in pure awe, watching a troop of squirrel monkeys climb and play right above our heads. They leapt from tree to tree, following one another through the dense leaf covering, while their chitters filled the air and our wildlife-loving hearts.
This was exactly the magic I had expected on the 2025 Duttenhaver Conservation Fellowship trip to Peru. The natural wonders we encountered within our eight days on the Yarapa River branch of the Amazon did not stop at squirrel monkeys; the abundance of birds, mammals, insects, amphibian, reptiles, fish, and plant life brought an insurmountable amount of joy to each and every recipient of the fellowship on the trip, and our two Zoo mentors as well. Having spent years upon years admiring the animals at the L.A. Zoo, being in Peru and observing them in the wild was an experience like no other.
What I did not expect, however, was how personal our time in the Amazon rainforest would be. Even with the knowledge that I would be helping with the various wildlife surveys run at the Estación Biológica Río Amazonas (Amazon River Biology Station), nothing could prepare me for having a frog jump on my face or being able to hold a piranha with my own two hands. Our experience extended past nature as well, as we dined on paiche fish and other local cuisine and visited two nearby villages, playing games with the children and purchasing handmade crafts from the women.
Ultimately, the Duttenhaver trip was beyond an expedition to simply enjoy—it was an education. Dr. Richard Bodmer, the lead scientist at the research station, led daily discussions and presentations about the research work that he had been doing for the past few decades on the wildlife populations in the Amazon rainforest. Kim, Paola, and Osnar, local biologists from Iquitos and Nauta, taught us everything about the species we saw, from their unique calls and appearances to their curious behaviors. And most importantly, contributing to this vital research made me realize that I wanted to dedicate my life and career to the conservation biology field, just so that the wildlife I had seen could continue to thrive.
Having gone on this trip, I can say for a fact that the Duttenhaver Conservation Fellowship is an opportunity like no other. To those who are able to apply, I hope that my own recountings have been convincing enough, but if not, let me just say: APPLY! It will change your life, as it has changed mine. Thank you, Linda Duttenhaver and the L.A. Zoo for making this trip possible, and I hope that everyone reading this will someday be able to experience the Amazon rainforest for themselves.
All photos credit: Jolee Kuo