The Peruvian department of Madre de Dios, which includes the renowned Manu National Park, is part of what the ancient Incas called "Antisuyo." The name "Madre de Dios," according to the Dominican Friar Pío Aza, derives from a legend in the archives of Paucartambo (now Cuzco) regarding an image of the Virgin Mary said to have appeared along one of the rivers in the area. Although much of the region is forested, the least altered area is Manu, which boasts a biological diversity considered to be one of the richest on the planet.For many years the Madre de Dios was all but inaccessible. Faustino Maldonado made the first significant penetration of the region, and today the regional capitol Puerto Maldonado honors his name. The valley of the Río Manu and its tributaries now comprise Manu National Park. Owing to years of effective protection, Manu and the surrounding forests retain significant amounts of wildlife and, in contrast to much of the Amazon, it is still fairly easy to observe. 
In fact, Manu is one of the few places where one can hope to see a Giant River Otter, a Tapir, White-lipped Peccaries, or perhaps a Jaguar. All of these and more species have been observed during our expeditions into the area. Spectacular numbers of macaws and parrots mob the mineral licks in several areas along the Río Madre de Dios.
From the beautiful Cocha Cashu with its mirrored waters in Manu national park to the equally impressive Lago Sandoval near Puerto Maldonado, Peru's southern Amazon Basin beckons lovers of wilderness and nature the world over.
More information on the Manu region
GreenTracks was exploring oxbow lagoons along the lower reaches of the Nanay River with a group of frog fanciers. After several days of finding and photographing beautiful frogs in the rainforest, it was time to see what the lakes might hold. As we entered a weed choked lake after dark, it seemed almost as though the boat was moving across dry land, as one could not see any open water. Choruses of Hatchet-faced Frogs, Clown Treefrogs, and other species were singing so we turned off the outboard motor to better gain an idea where to find them. As the boat glided to a halt, to our surprise one of the travelers (who shall remain unnamed) on board suddenly leaped from the bow of the boat and promptly disappeared as he plunged through the floating vegetation, flashlight and all!
He promptly came up splashing and sputtering and as we helped him climb back into the boat, he confessed that he had assumed we were by dry land at the water's edge. He was none the worse for the wear, aside from having lost his light. But he had to endure peals of laughter for the rest of our trip!
It was long believed that building rainforest reserves around the home range of the top predators would provide the minimum critical area for success. Thus, the wide ranging Jaguar (Panthera onca) was the benchmark for such efforts in South America. The idea, in part, is a good one, but we now understand that the real top predator in any ecosystem is--look in the mirror--Homo sapiens.
It is generally accepted that helping local communities solve their problems leads to sustainable use of resources and has a beneficial effect on the habitat in which these people live. While many conservation organizations do a good job of popularizing animals and their plight, we want to recognize an outstanding group called Cultural Survival.
Cultural Survival was founded in response to the opening up of the Amazonian and South American hinterlands during the 1960's, and the drastic effects this had on indigenous inhabitants. It has since worked with indigenous communities in Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Australia, becoming the leading US-based organization defending the rights of indigenous peoples around the world. www.culturalsurvival.org