Palms of the Amazon: A Botanical Tour

Leader: Dr. Andrew Henderson
August 2-13, 1999

---

Following our highly successful trip last year on the Amazon, we will offer another palm tour this year. We will take a different course from last year, and will explore the main Amazon river downstream from Manaus, capital of the Brazilian Amazon region, to the city of Santarém. We will visit some very interesting tributaries of the Amazon, such as the Rio Urubu, Nhamundá, Trombetas, and Tapajós. This is the area where the famous Brazilian botanist João Barbosa Rodrigues worked during the last century, and we will look for some of the many new species he described from the region. We are very excited about this itinerary, and we will be traveling through some very rich palm areas. Last year we saw 58 species of palm; this year we will try and break that record. Along the river, and in nearby unflooded forests, we will see a great variety of species of Astrocaryum, Attalea, Bactris, Desmoncus, Euterpe, Geonoma, Hyospathe, Iriartella, Mauritia, Oenocarpus, Socratea, and Syagrus. Like last year, we will also be seeing a great variety of other plants and animals. High points of last year’s trip included howler monkeys, dolphins, caiman, piranha, and sloths!

The trip is planned to take advantage of the good weather of the dry season. We will live and travel aboard a small but comfortable Amazonian river boat, the Harpy Eagle, the same one as used last year. The boat, while not luxurious, has air-conditioning, showers, and toilets in each cabin, and a small library of books on Amazonian natural history. The owner/captain of the boat is a legendary Amazon guide who is fluent in several languages, including English. He has introduced thousands of ecotourists to the Amazon. He enjoys sharing the fascinating, and often humorous, legends and lore of the Amazon region in which he grew up.

In our motorized canoes we can travel among the rain forest trees, enjoying close up views of palms and other plant and animal life. We will often get off our boat for short hikes in the forest and to visit with the friendly "caboclos" who live along the river. These people use an amazing variety of palms in their daily lives. Frequent swims, fishing opportunities, and occasional cookouts add to the enjoyment of our trip. In Manaus we will be able to visit the famed Opera House, and be able to buy various artifacts, such as hammocks made from palms, and also sample ice-cream made from Euterpe and Astrocaryum fruits!

The tour will be led by Dr. Andrew Henderson, Associate Curator, Institute of Systematic Botany, New York Botanical Garden. Henderson is author of Palms of the Amazon and Field Guide to the Palms of the Americas, and has sixteen years of experience in the Amazon. Participants will receive complimentary copies of Palms of the Amazon.

The 12-day trip is planned for August 2-13th 1999. For additional information call Sharol Charles at 718.817.8628 or Andrew Henderson at 718.817.8973 (email ahenderson@nybg.org, or write Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458. Fee: $2985.00 including round trip airfare from Miami, accommodation, meals, and field trips.