Macaws are massive, long-tailed parrots plumaged in such bright colors that it’s heard to believe they exist outside of a zoo. Despite being more frequently seen at bird shows, on commercials, and travel brochures to tropical locales where they aren’t native (such as Jamaica, Florida, or the Virgin Islands) than in much of their natural range, large numbers of these majestic parrots can still be encountered in some of the more wild and remote areas of Central and South America.

Since they require huge areas of unbroken forest inhabited by very few people, it should come as no surprise that macaw central just might be southeastern Peru. The Amazon rain forest in this region is like an unbroken sea of every shade of green, there are almost no roads, and there are huge, uninhabited protected areas. Oh yeah, and there’s also these places along certain river banks where macaws, parrots and parakeets come to eat clay.

Yes, that’s right, they munch on dirt but it’s not just any old soil that they are interested in. The birds consistently take clods of dirt from particular river banks and only appear to be interested in certain types of clay. It’s thought that this helps them to remove toxins acquired from the fruits and seeds they feed upon as well as providing them with important minerals.

Although no one knows for sure why they do it, what is known is that large flocks of macaws and their smaller relatives show up at the same spot almost every day. This is great news for the eco-tourist because the spectacle presents some of the most evocative and awe-inspiring wildlife viewing in the world.

Among the dozen or so accessible clay licks in southeastern Peru, the most famous is at the Tambopata Research Center. The clay lick near this rain forest wilderness lodge attracts huge numbers of up to 16 species of macaws, parrots, and parakeets while rare animals such as jaguars and tapirs are sometimes seen in the surrounding forests.

On the best days, up to two hundred macaws of six species (!) fly in to hang out at and feed on the clay. They are also accompanied by hundreds of colorful parrots and parakeets. The mere sight of dizzying flocks of these birds flying around and feeding on the river back is incredible all on its own but throw in the fact that most of the birds are screaming and screeching and the experience leaves most people speechless.

How many of you are aware that along with the happiness generated under the tent, the Big Apple Circus, as a non-profit organization, offers community programs? These special features allow the Big Apple experience to be shared with healthcare facilities and outreach programs throughout the areas they visit.

The Big Apple Circus is currently in Boston through May 10, then moves to Queens, New York from May 16-31. To view their schedule, learn about the outreach programs, or donate, CLICK: http://www.bigapplecircus.org/

The pantanal is the largest freshwater wetland in the world. Just how big is it? Well, put it this way, if England and Wales were suddenly transplanted to the heart of this wetland complex in southwestern Brazil, everyone in both of those countries would be getting their feet wet.

The pantanal is also one of the last major wilderness areas of the world and is unique in that most of the animals appear to sustainably coexist with the two-legged inhabitants of the region. The wet savannahs, fields, huge marshes, and gallery forests are the stronghold of the Hyacinth Macaw (the largest parrot inn the world), endangered Giant Otters can be seen in rivers and lakes, and this damp ecosystem is also the best place in the world to see two other large neotropical mammals; the Giant Anteater and the Jaguar.

Giant Anteaters require large areas of undisturbed habitat to satiate their voracious appetite for termites and ants and the pantanal not only provides enough six-legged delicacies to meet their dietary needs, but the wide, open plains also make it easier to spot this strange, ponderous-looking creature.

Jaguars reach their largest size in the pantanal and are also more common there than anywhere else. These facts (and the thousands of waterbirds seen every day) demonstrate the highly productive nature of the pantanal. The big cats are more difficult to see than the Giant Anteater but once again, due to the open nature of the habitat, are encountered on most guided excursions that look for them!

One of the best places to stay for jaguar watching and experiencing the incredible Brazilian pantanal is the Jaguar Research Center. More of a comfortable hotel located in the heart of the pantanal than a biological field station, visitors to this place have a nearly guaranteed chance of seeing at least one jaguar during a three night stay (every single group of visitors since 2006 who stayed for three nights has seen one or more jaguars).

When not searching for this fabled big, spotted cat of the Americas, guests can also watch myriads of storks, egrets other wading birds, capybaras, and might also see an Anaconda!

The Federation Of Damanhur, or simply Damanhur, is an ecovillage and spiritual community in the Piedmont region of northern Italy near the city of Turin and also very close to the Gran Paradiso National Park. The commune has its own constitution and currency, the Credito.
Founded in 1975 by Oberto Airaudi, the Federation of Damanhur is an eco-society: a federation of communities and eco-villages with their own social and political structure in continual evolution. It started with around 24 followers, and had grown to 800 by the year 2000. The group holds a mix of New Age and neopagan beliefs.

The Damanhur community states on their website…

“The movement to create ecovillages is perhaps the most comprehensive antidote to dependence on the global economy. Around the world, people are building communities that attempt to get away from the waste, pollution, competition and violence of contemporary life. The Global Ecovillage Network links several of these communities worldwide.”

The settlements of the Federation in the area of Valchiusella extend across more than 1,200 acres of territory which includes woodland, farmland, residential areas with around a hundred private dwellings, arts workshops, craft studios, businesses and farms. Damanhur has centres in Italy, Europe and Japan and collaborates with spiritual and community groups throughout the world.

Damanhur is perhaps known most for its Temples of Humankind, an underground work of hand made art. The Halls of Water, Earth, Spheres, Mirrors, Metals, the Blue Temple, and the Labyrinth. Damanhur offers courses and events all year round and it is possible to visit at any time, for short or long stays, they also have 3 Day and 7 Day programs twice a month through June. For more information please see their visit and courses center website.

An excellent read for more information is the

The Traveler’s Guide to Damanhur: The Amazing Northern Italian Eco-Society

Here is an interesting first part of a series of YouTube videos on the Damanhur