Incredible Leaf Frog Pics

I found these amazing pics of Amazon Leaf Fish - (Monocirrhus polycanthus) what a great creature, hiding out in the waters of the great jungle. Yes, those are fish, not leaves!

Mother of God and Jane Goodall's Support

Today is Dr. Jane Goodall's 80th birthday. And so I thought it the right time to share this image. It is quite possible that this book would never have come to be had it not been for the encouragement of Dr. Goodall. She took the time out of her incredibly busy life to offer words of support when I was still writing, and that changed everything. It changed how publishers viewed the project, how friends and family viewed it, and even how I myself perceived it. Today Dr. Goodall is a treasured friend who I owe dearly - a debt I can only repay by continuing to protect all those things green and good in the world.

Mother of God: meet the 26 year old Indiana Jones of the Amazon, Paul Rosolie

New article on Mongabay.com about Mother of God, adventure, and conservation. Check it out (click the picture):

Eventually, the jungle eats everything.

Five days until MOG. The jungle is calling. 

#WorldWildlifeDay in the Madre de Dios

In honor of #WorldWildlifeDay I am posting this animal overdose from the Las Piedras River. These are the animals that I interact with in the field, the characters of Mother of God. Makes me happy to know that they are all out there doing their thing right now.

Hammock-Nap With a Tiny Giant

     Not a lot of people I know have gotten close to a giant anteater. Growing up to seven feet from nose to tail, with foot-long tongues and largest claws of any mammal - they are as weird as it gets. They are a carnivore, but have no teeth. Unlike other obligate carnivores (that eat only meat) like jaguar/tiger/crocodiles and other predators, giant anteaters use their claws and long tongue to access the myriad arachnid caloric opportunities available in the jungle. But giant anteaters are also tough as hell. In an environment where jaguars are a constant threat, the giant anteater has been forced to develop incredible strength and the capacity for brutal violence.

    Yet despite this, the little anteater that I cared for back in 2007 was fun, emotional, and intelligent as most dogs - which made her an incredible friend to have in the forest. She taught me a lot. It is a species which holds a very special place in my heart. And my time raising one was one of the best experiences of my life - and I think, one of the best parts of this book. Here is a look at what an orphaned giant looks like during an afternoon nap on the Las Piedras River. 

A Compliment I Don't Deserve

    With just over thirty days to go until M.O.G. hits book stores - by far the most exciting thing is reading early reviews. After years of work I get to see if anyone actually likes what I worked so hard to create! 

     So far we've gotten some great reviews from big names like Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus. And we have also gotten a lot of really positive personal reviews from people on Goodreads and on Amazon. One reviewer wrote this line (below), that I had to re-read several times.

"he has had enough remarkable adventures to make him as close as I believe one could come to being a modern day Percy Fawcett"

To learn more about Fawcett, check out The Lost City of Z by David Grann - it is a great Amazon Adventure! 

The Capacity for Wonder

In researching for Mother of God, I read lot of interesting material, but none was more visually compelling than Peter Beard's work. Beard is dark to read, and his work centers around the decline of Africa - a paradise lost. He makes fun of conservationists for trying to help, because he believes there is no hope for the natural world. And there have been times where I think that I agree with him. I find his work nothing short of brilliant. 

Anaconda Awe

Chapter: Anaconderos
 This was back in 2008. When I was on expedition with JJ, Pico and Chito. This female anaconda was one of the most beautiful animals I have ever seen, and  I am still thankful for Chito for snapping this shot of me and her - #anacondas

80 Years of Leadership

Here's a picture from two years ago, when I first met Dr. Jane Gooal, and she helped me to get Mother of God on the way to becoming a book!