Hi all,
I have been working with the Pousada Rio Azul in the southern Brazilian Amazon since July 2007. The Pousada Rio Azul is a recently built fishing lodge on the left bank of the Rio São Benedito II, across from one of the largest conservation units in the southern Amazon, the Serra do Cachimbo Air Force Base (area of 2.17 million hectares). While fishing has been their focus until now, the owners of the lodge are very interested in working with birdwatchers; they see birding as an ideal ecotourism pursuit and believe in its greater sustainability over sport fishing. I think they have also noticed that birders on holiday tend to create fewer headaches than fishermen!
This area is accessed from the town of Alta Floresta, which is also home to the justifiably world famous Cristalino Jungle Lodge. Many of the Cristalino specialties are also found at the Pousada Rio Azul. Stunted and tall forests on sandy soils at the Rio Azul host a number of species one is unlikely to find at Cristalino, including the poorly known (but undoubtedly ugly) Bald Parrot. I think that the two destinations complement one another quite nicely, particularly in the high season when vacancy at Cristalino is scarce unless one books far in advance.
Northern Mato Grosso and southern Pará have suffered economically since January of this year when a presidential decree ordered a halt to most logging and any clearing of forest to create cattle pastures. This commendable effort has slowed most commerce in the region; a small handful of landowners and businesspeople are looking to alternative sources of revenue. It is our hope that some of these landowners begin to believe in the economic potential of tourism in the region.
Below are links for reports from our first three visits to the Pousada Rio Azul.
Pousada Rio Azul - 16 to 23 May 2008
Pousada Rio Azul and Cristalino Jungle Lodge - 02 to 12 October 2007
Pousada Rio Azul - 29 July to 05 August 2007
Scott Olmstead's report on the same visit in July-August 2007 (with photos)
I am also responsible for maintaining the birdlist of the lodge and will post a link once I have had the chance to update it.
good birding,
Brad Davis