Paul Rosolie is an expedition naturalist and founder of Junglekeepers – dedicating his life to protecting the rainforest in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon.
Conserving forests beyond where law enforcement is willing to travel, Rosolie and his team recruit former loggers for conservation work, providing alternative income streams for communities.
One of Paul’s books, Mother of God, details this conservation work in Peru, where he built the world’s tallest treehouse and research station, Alta Sanctuary.
In the Madre de Dios region of Peru, the Amazon River begins its massive flow, the Andean Mountain cloud forests fall into lowland Amazon Rainforest, creating the most biodiversity-rich place on the planet.
Where are you at this very moment and what are you looking at?
At the moment I am in the Hudson Valley, NY surrounded by crisp air and colourful fall trees.
What were you like as a child, did you grow up with access to Nature?
I grew up in New York, I’d say it was environmentally stressed. I had an endless fascination with snakes and birds, and was really close with animals from a young age.
What inspired you to begin the Junglekeepers project, how did it all start?
When I turned 18, I felt the rainforest calling for adventure and found a remote research station along an Amazon river basin in Peru – the edge of the world’s wildest places.
When there, I met a local indigenous guide, JJ, who is now my partner in the project. We shared a dream about protecting the river along the way to the endless forest. We witnessed illegal logging of ancient trees and claimed aloud, ‘We are the Junglekeepers,’ — in that moment, I realised I was a bridge between the forest, animals, and the people who could protect it.
Can you paint a picture of the last year of conservation efforts here? Key learnings and highlights.
We just reached a massive goal, I am in awe. People from all over the world donated, from a farmer in rural America to Slash from Guns and Roses. We caught the attention of Dax Dasilva and his philanthropy project, Age of Union.
We are officially 1/3 of the way to our goal of conserving the largest area of the Amazon – the actual lungs of our planet and the heartbeats of countless species. Junglekeepers now has proof of concept of what it takes to sustainably protect more than 77,000 acres of land.
What does a typical day look like at Alta Sanctuary and what wildlife encounters and activities can guests look forward to?
At Alta Sanctuary, the world becomes is a living, breathing entity that surrounds and sustains you. Most of our guests let nature and our guides lead the way as their curiosities expand.
In the treehouse, you wake up in the morning, step outside your cabin, and see the clouds floating above the canopy. It’s like watching a river in the sky, a silent stream of mist gliding over the treetops as the jungle begins to wake up beneath it. That mist is part of the water cycle that sustains everything here.
When you drink the water at Alta, you partake in that very cycle. The water you drink and sweat on your skin was once part of those clouds, part of the rain that nourished the forest, part of the rivers — it’s all connected.
That’s what makes staying here so special. You’re not just visiting the Amazon, you’re part of it. Every drop of water, every breath of air is part of the interconnected system.
What week-long itinerary would you suggest to a friend visiting the Amazon for the first time?
We do the jungle better than anybody else. You can swim with the stingrays as the river is clean, taste the incredible food, camp overnight and raft back to the station. There is little danger when you are with indigenous naturalists. Another misconception is mosquitos, it’s actually difficult for them to reproduce in the ecosystem.
What is a favourite place to travel to in Latin America that you recommend?
Cusco. it’s three cities in one. You’ve got rich Incan heritage, a European touch from Spanish colonialism, and the energy of a modern city.
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What is the most unexpected thing you have learned from Nature?
That humans are not the problem. We get constantly bombarded by anti-human environmentalism. In reality, it is a beauty to be a human and to act in harmony with the world around us, not everyone has a cut, burn, pave mentality.
What has been your most interesting animal encounter of the year?
While returning from a river expedition, we spotted a baby toucan on the ground, he had no feathers and was struggling with mange. We brought him back to rehabilitate him and now Lucas, as we call him, is sleeping and eating so well, very social and his white feathers are back.
What species are the most endangered and what can we do about it?
When we talk about endangered species, we’re referring to an entire microcosm. The Amazon rainforest is a complex web of life, where every species, every heartbeat, from the jaguar to the tiniest insect, plays a vital role.
Habitat destruction from logging, soy farming, and cattle ranching threatens this delicate balance. A tipping point is imminent—scientists warn that cutting too many trees disrupts the moisture systems essential for sustaining the rainforest. The fires we see today are a direct result of this imbalance.
What can we do? It starts with awareness and action. Engage with Junglekeepers, so we can ensure the vibrant life of the Amazon continues to thrive.
[photo credit: Thomas Stephane]
You are going deep into the jungle and can only bring with you one thing for survival, what is it?
A machete, you cannot take a step to walk without one, and a camera – if no one sees it, it didn’t happen. I think about the time I rode on the back of a giant anaconda, it was something out of a dream. In a flash it disappeared into the darkness … without proof, no one believes me.
What are you reading at the moment?
I am re-reading The Emerald Mile, about a boating expedition along the Colorado River. It’s a kindred story of communion with nature and wilderness.
What music are you listening to?
Cat Power just shared a post of mine on Instagram, I’ve been listening to her back to back!
We hear you have a new book coming out, can you tell us about it?
You’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, please sign up for updates.
What most excites you about the future?
The fact that from destruction there is hope. We are 1/3 the way to reaching our conservation goal, and building an ecological corridor that connects ancient forests. Our efforts make an immediate impact on the entire world and the future of lifetimes of heartbeats.
How can someone reading this make an immediate impact?
The first is to come visit us, stay at Alta Sanctuary, learn from the local people, it makes a bigger difference than you think.
Become a Junglekeeper, our tool to empower other protective measures and take action to influence the leaders of Peru. The next thing is to donate, as little as one coffee, once a month.
As a 501-c3, donations go straight to the trees and the people on the ground doing the conservation work.
We are able to protect the Amazon because we provide the local people with an alternative to logging in gold mining and invasive farming. Instead, they are expert guides, boat, drivers, chefs, construction workers, and various other professions that are not only safer and more sustainable than logging, but that put smiles on their faces.
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