Where 4x4s fail: using paramotors to reach and protect the fog oases of Peru

Project summary

Peru's coastal desert fog oases depend on sea fog as the only source of moisture. These ‘lomas’ ecosystems were fundamental to pre-Columbian cultures and have been radically altered by humans over millennia.

Whilst inherently fragile, lomas support astounding biodiversity, including invaluable medicinal and crop species, yet they are poorly known, poorly protected, and highly threatened.

Through our previous work, some lomas are protected but there are others, such as Lomas de Amara and Ullujaya, that are remote and little known, and risk being degraded before they are even fully explored. The race is on to save them.

Effective conservation of these areas requires ecological surveys but using 4x4 vehicles would damage this fragile ecosystem. A non-destructive mode of access is needed.

We bring together a team of the world’s most experienced paramotor engineers and lomas scientists to pilot an innovative method for large-scale survey without damaging the fragile desert landscape.

We will develop ground-breaking flocks of soft wing drones and paramotor techniques to access, image, and map remote unrecorded lomas, providing evidence for conservation.

We will train Peruvian scientists and engage nearby communities to build capacity and support for conservation. Deploying this state-of-the-art reconnaissance technology to conserve fog oases surrounded by an astonishing desert, makes for a highly visual spectacle and inspiring story to capture the public imagination.

Team

Justin Moat (Project PI)
Oliver Whaley
Carolina Tovar
Alfonso Orellana García (Huarango Nature)
Michael Campbell-Jones (Forest Air)
Márcio Aita (AITA)