🦥You can support our work directly by becoming a member here: www.mossy.earth/ 🎁 And if you are a member already you can also gift the membership here: www.mossy.earth/platform/purchase-gift A big thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to buy this land and start developing these projects. It really would not be possible without you! We have a lot to show you in the coming year so be sure to keep an eye on the channel. - Cheers, Duarte
I think the easiest solution for the canopy bridge is to just buy a regular suspension bridge with netting on the sides and fill the bottom with leaves and twigs for the amphibians. It's gonna get real heavy, so you need good support, but I think it should work. If that's too expensive you might want to look for old hammocks and string them together end to end. They're durable enough to hold a human, so I think they should be able to hold each other and a few wet leaves and twigs. But maybe throw in some support ropes or a few cables just in case.
For the canopy bridge, reptile bridges already exists (just googled it). Or what about a tube rope or other kind of tubing so that animals can go through it as well as over it?
For canopy bridges for herps (reptiles & amphibians) using a rope that is fitted with sections of PVC pipe will work. Inside the largest diameter main pipe you insert several smaller longer pvc pipe tubes. The exterior of the outer/largest diameter PVC segments is then covered in long wraps of burlap or jute swaths and finally wrapped in natural cordage. To allow for a more stable entrance and exit point, the largest PVC pipe ends are secured with two pre drilled holes and some extra cordage. The hanging pipe is set up with a 1 to 2 inch gap (5 - 10 cm) from the trunk of the trees used to anchor the bridge. This allows reptiles and amphibians to enter the open ends and either move between the inner PVC pipe roof and the tops if the smaller internal pipe segments, or it allows animals to move inside of successively smaller pipes, keeping different species of herps able to move without predation or competition.
Could you guys consider working with the Sloth Conservation Foundation? They have a lot of experience with wildlife corridors for the canopy of rainforest
For the canopy bridges, I would attach pieces of tree bark to the rope like you did with coral for your coral project and let plant life do it's thing. Some animals are very afraid to loose the protection of leaves and crevices which could prevent them of using the bridge. It can also expose them to their natural predators like eagles and birds of prey.
@MossyEarth Would it also be an idea to use a broader bottom rope? i.e. some kind of woven net where the epiphytes can grow? Then you'd have both the cover and an easier way for smaller animals like amphibians that cannot grasp the top rope
I would think a living bridge would be a great idea too. Some animals might not take well to surfaces and textures that are foreign to them. The idea of cover might also be a must have, as the long bridgespan through open air might provide predators an easy way to pick off traversing animals. Lots of animals are intelligent enough to stop using the bridges as soon as they learn it's not a safe place. One thing to note is the fact that a truly living bridge will grow and get heavier, which could provide structural challenges. Any which way it's a fantastic project you at Mossy Earth have taken on! Thank you for all the great work you do!
About the canopy bridges, I think I might have an idea. Here at university, I have a professor that studies lianas. From someone who works in his lab, I had them explained as essentially plants that are fighting tooth and nail for more access to the sunlight. My thought is you could probably take advantage of that. By anchoring the bridge to a tree with already growing lianas, you could move some of the lianas apical meristems onto your cable. The liana, following its own biology, would then move across the cable. In the process, it would both strengthen your cable while also making it more homely for any snakes, ampibians, etc. that would want to cross. Also, I've been a member for a few months now. Thank you all for everything you do. This is so much better than an overpriced coffee.
@TheFabledSCP7000 Yes, I wasn't trying to argue that they aren't. However, the growth patterns of lianas (essentially woody vines) is usually to follow preexisting structures (trees) in order to find open light. By contrast, while trees over time will provide a better canopy, this is meant to be a quick solution. A tree could take years to reach the height necessary to provide the adequate ecological function that the team is searching for here of providing a highway for reptiles and amphibians.
This is a great idea. Or even a whole album of ambient sounds from different locations, rainforest, underwater/beach, woodland, etc. Every stream could support ME projects
The biocoustics could be made into long form white-noise videos/recordings for people to enjoy - it could maybe create a small revenue stream for Mossy Earth, qnd we would get to listen in on the various sounds the forest makes in different periods
As a tropical ecologist, I love seeing state of the art science being used in actual conservation and restoration projects. It's so common to see all these cool methods only used in research, which is still quite important, but seeing it used on actual conservation projects is really cool. From the canopy camera trapping, to the soundscapes and the enviromental DNA in Bromeliads, it's really cool seeing all these approaches to truly and thoroughly understand the diversity of the area. I was going to suggest that something you guys can implement on your secondary forest and any area that was selectively logged, is liana cuttings, it increases tree growth and can speed up succession, making land restoration a bit easier
Never even thought that there could be a plant species that store so much rain water that they create effectively a wetlands up high in the forest canopy. Nature is once again incredible. As well as those *very curious* bees. Like, holy bananas, I almost couldn't look at Ollie with all those fellas trying to get inside him. Makes wonder if there are any protective gear that you guys can use in such tree climbs. Canopy bridges to connect fragmented patches of forest definitely sounds like idea worth testing and implementing. Reminded about "green" bridges that builded across highways/roads to help wild animals cross them to get to the other side. Probably need to get Ollie involved in this one too, as the idea with replacing batteries in camera traps without scaling tree again looks outright genius. Cheers!
There are a lot of weird or bizarre plant species, its amazing. And about the bridges, connecting 2 already existing parts of an ecossystem is almost allways a no brainer, its not that hard and has an amazing impact, specially in genetic diversity.
I'm so happy every time I see another video from you guys. Your work is absolutely revolutionary and important for the Earth, plants, animals and of course us! Thank you for your continued dedication efforts and for sharing all of the work you do. The sharing helps us all feel involved and that is really special. Much gratitude
Hi Erin! Thank you for the lovely comment :) I know it means a lot for everyone who puts in long hours to make all of this possible. It is much appreciated! - Cheers, Duarte
In Meghalaya, an Indian state, there are many root bridges that are actually up high, somehow, that are man-made. I think studying those will provide you with valuable insights!
Member here. Consider having both a rope bridge and a log bridge. Have 2 ropes span across at least 2 different heights with mesh netting spanning between the bottom set of ropes as they cross the road. The structural bridge can be made of local fallen trees. Start to train vines around them. Bamboo half pipes to deliver water from the canopy to the bridge surface is a good idea, too. Multiple types of bridge, multiple options. Consider the animal's line-of sight as well. Does it look/feel safe to cross? Maybe put camo netting up overtop of both bridges to protect from aerial predators. Think like an arboreal mammal!
I don't understand how any of you were able to not only stay put while being swarmed by bees, but actually compose coherent, educational thoughts while ON CAMERA! It's true that I've lost a lot of my comfort with the outdoors and all of its creatures (growing up in Oregon was really fun!), but I would never have been capable of that. You amaze me. *Slow clap*
You guys were one of my main inspirations to get a degree in this field. Your videos motivate me so much and make me really appreciate what im working towards. I cant wait to one day also do this type of work. Thank you Mossy Earth.
I think a good idea for the canopy bridges would be to make them out of interwoven native lianas and vines (or a safe manmade alternative) with a decent amount of gaps between them to allow for reptiles to slither between the gaps (like at 19:42) while also being thick and big enough en masse to allow for primates to cross. This along with tank bromeliads attached could allow for amphibians to slowly make their way across as well as large leaves or pads for them to jump off and catch themselves on. Thank you all for the work you are doing it is great to see the tiny wins in a field where we see such massive losses on the daily sometimes. Keep up the amazing work and hopefully you keep saving more and more species and ecosystems.
A good idea for the canopy bridges is using a "net" like you see in playgrounds/gyms in the states. Something interwoven offers lots of surface area for all the creatures, plus TONS of space for native plants to take full advantage of the sunlight to grow their way across the gap, strengthening the bridge and providing hiding spots and water collections along the way. If they're made out of something relatively biodegradable like canvas, as the plants take over they'll create a new structure and the original bridge can be recaptured by nature.
Increíble trabajo, Ollie siempre nos motivó a trepar árboles con fines científicos. Los jóvenes de la Amazonia Norte esperamos conocerlo pronto, nos apasiona trepar árboles 💚
I love the video mounting idea to swap batteries and I also love the idea of recording the soundscapes. You could also probably create a soundscapes app that people could use and use the profits from it's sales to help fund projects too. Low cost like 2 dollar monthly subscription or something that most people wouldn't notice but could potentially benefit from every night while they sleep or something. Couple soundscape options, maybe some white/pink/brown noise and you got yourself an additional revenue stream. lots of similar things already exist, and I'm sure a lot of people would gladly switch to an app that actually benefits the environment/people instead of just some random faceless company making profits.
I was thinking of something similar like iTunes but your idea is so much better! ❤ I'd definitely sign up! Maybe they could even have some guest soundscapes from their other projects 😊
As a Mossy Earth supporter (I am not a huge contributor, but give what I can) I very much appreciate the work done by Mossy Earth and very much appreciate that these videos "bring me along for the ride" sometimes to see things that I would never otherwise see. It makes me want to continue my financial support of Mossy Earth, so good on you. PS: I am happy I was not up in that tree canpoy, ut watching it safely on the ground (not to mention the sweat bees ordeal).
Great video of a great project. I've never seen Saki monkeys before in nature films. Looking forward to seeing how your canopy bridges work out, allowing animals to roam across roads and other breaks in the forest canopy. Interesting that you will be pioneering in making canopy bridges that reptiles, insects and other invertebrates can use! Cheers!
It will be really interesting to see how different animals react. Hopefully we will be able to film the small animals as well as the big ones. - Cheers, Duarte
So cool!! I am already a member, now I will gift my sister a membership for Christmas 🪴🤗 I will be expanding the rewilding family, hope you keep expanding the protected area over there!
We will and thank you for not only being a member but also directly expanding it to your friends and family! It is really what makes it all possible :) - Cheers, Duarte
It will be a very interesting project based on some cool new science. I am very excited to show you the first batch of results when they come in. - Cheers, Duarte
Wow, all that for just 250,000 pounds? (that's about the same as 315,000 US Dollars or 302,000 Euros, btw) It really shows that rewilding and climate change mitigation is slightly expensive, but it is much, much, much cheaper than just letting the enviromental consequences of our society building ride. It makes me wonder why people why anyone wants to ignore climate change, when we could have so much joy from fixing the problem. I'm very lucky to have a job in the climate solutions community (I'm a cartographer who makes survey maps for mega solar and wind farms in the rural United States), and I'm glad to be a supporter here and also a volunteer in climate mitigation efforts within my own community
I absolutely love how you can see the effect of animals using branches to travel across the canopy. Kinda like paths that get cleared out as more animals use them. I'm wondering if for the canopy bridges, you could accommodate amphibians by taking inspiration from the coral reefs. Perhaps you set up a rope lattice with plants and branches attached to them, or places for water to pool into like those plants
the best canopy bridge has got to be Eco-sourced trees! Self generating! I enjoyed watching, especially seeing footage of the sloth -very beautiful! Thank you for sharing! More please!
About the canopy bridge: You could try creating an arch, made of solid wood, cover the top of it with old, mossy branches and place it above the road. Then connect the arch to the nearest trees via ropes and attach a few bits of wood to the ropes as well. I know that such a bridge would be much more complicated to make, but if it mimics the overall looks and sturdiness of the surrounding trees, more animals would use it just because they won't see it as a new, unknown object.
What if you grew something like a strangler fig or a vine in a very specific diagonal or branching pattern like a wire structure or even a faux tree made of wooden posts? Then over time, this structure might become overgrown, but it wont lose integrity because it is replaced with living marerial as it grows, sort of a super-scaled version of a willow arch for the animals to cross? Native life would wirhout a doubt settle nicely into something like that, though it might be a large time and money invesrment.
Great idea! The only thing I worry about is that the tourism can negatively affect the nature you guys are trying to save. Though, people from southern continents NEED more national parks to be able to enjoy nature the right way!
Any tourism will need to be very regulated of course. Its a pick between trying to have an economy that destroys the forest and one that keeps it standing. We will keep you posted! - Cheers, Duarte
Exposing a few acres to humans to protect thousands is well worth it. As they said it's about creating an economy based on keeping the forest not cutting it down. It's also the education and concern that make people like you aware of that. And letting people go and see how fragile it is is a very good thing.... If you frame it correctly
A tree snake would need something pretty wide to slither across and all the animals would probably want something leafy to keep the heat away and stay in cover. Perhaps a rope weave bridge with native bark and leaves tied in? I'm thinking multiple ropes weaved together to increase the surface area of the bridge. That way you can keep the flexibility of rope while keeping things available for many types of animal. Though holes in the bridge, drying out, and its strength might prove to be an issue.
Hell yeah guys and girls, you all are doing an amazing job with all these videos, ecosystems, teams and every single thing you all are doing. Thanks for first of all working to make nature healthier and secondly for sharing it with all of us.
As a long term solution, you can plant wide reaching trees next to the road, here we use Inga but there has to be a native one for the low jungle. It might happen naturally faster though.
It has been a while... Had to rewrite this one and re-edit as well. Some of these bigger longer term videos can be a mess to make. More regular updates the next few months I hope haha - Cheers, Duarte
Poor Ollie, awesome system though. Sky wetlands, so cool You could upload the rainforest ambiance sounds those are quite successful kinda things sometimes lol Aha I was hoping for some kind of bridge, very cool Wishing everyone here merry celebrations!
@@MossyEarth probaly you could have some protection like beekeepers. And probably some other insects there could be far more dangerous. Also protecting your ears even without a full mask - insects inside could cause harm or simply distract you. This is happening even in European boreal forests. To get them off could take a doctor!
I was thinking the exact same thing. Have some heavy duty natural ropes form a base for vines and other plants to grow and they could form a long lasting evolving structure.
my concern is that the plants will add weight which will put additional stress on the bridge, causing it to collapse much much sooner than it would with just natural degradation.
About ropes/bridges: What is the risk of lighting strike? I presume that bigger the distance = bigger are the risks. Plants and moisture on the rope could make it worse. If vegetation will DRY - then theoretically, when catching fire, then falling down and start an even bigger fire on the ground. Could you probably ask some experts about it.
As others said before, have plants growing on the bridge ropes and mavy have multiple ropes for one bridge so animals can avoided each other when crossing. Mist reptiles and amphibians love shaded moist environment with hiding spots so the water storing plants might be beneficial. Love your work!
I hope this sound data is also being provided to iNaturalist, they have some audio identification stuff in the works and im sure the data would help. Then we can get more citizen science happening to track biodiversity.
Your work is so impressive, your knowledge and skills. And the videos are always of such a great quality. I love to see them and to follow your journey and projects. One of my favorite channels.
It's super cool to see this project go further. I've been impaciently waiting since the last video. Also love the climbing parts as I like to climb trees myself but only have had a few occasions to climb in a rainforest.
I would love to visit and spend a few days at your base in Amazon ! Great work and video ! Also, I am not sure how feasible is, but I would love to see live cameras from Amazon and maybe other places where you are working. If you want, this may even be available only for supporters, to give them something extra :)
Aloha Mossy Earth! Great video and wonderful projects. To me the most immediate problem with a canopy bridge is cover, enough to keep them cool and the most immediate answer are those bromeliads. Bromeliads will form a fairly stable network of lateral stems, almost woody in nature. If you harvest samples from indigenous flora, you can grow as much as you need, then put a frame work over your canopy bridge, perhaps of chicken wire, you could plant it out with bromeliads to shade it AND create a stepping stone bridge for amphibians which would probably draw the snakes as well. I would start with some sort of heavy coated cable as the base, build the bridge out from there, then plant bromeliads and other epiphytes into some sort of cover latice. Good luck and good fortune, mahalo e kokua ka 'aina
😂 thought it was worth showing people in the intro a taste of what was the come. The worst is, when looking back at the footage, I think Ollie actually did not manage to get the bee out and it stayed in there even after I told him. - Cheers, Duarte
I think for the canopy bridges you could do something like a tunnel, made from wire, like the ones used in chicken coops, and put branches and leaves inside, while also covering it with some leaves, so this way the animals will feel like going through a thic vegetation. It could also be a support structure for vines and epiphytes to grow in the future.
Recycle heavy duty trawler nets , not the fine nets , stretched across the road at the required height will accommodate most species, what is more they can often be found free of charge littering beaches. good luck.
@@Madshadowgolem Indeed they can , I anticipate that tree growth will have filled the void before then and the nets could then be disposed of in a responsible fashion.
Always great projects coming up from your team! Idea for the bridge: try putting 2 ropes separated by a 20cm gap horizontally and fill the gap with wood. Or try ropes tied together (like a grandma pull) cause life will settle and it will be large enough for snakes and amphibian to go through! Sorry if my english isn't good. Love from France! Keep going guys!
When i hear the sounds of the forrest im straight back in '92 when we spent a night at the top of the leopard pyramid of tikal. We planned just to eat and sleep there as a kind of adventure but in the end we spent the whole night in total awe listening to the sounds and how they change with sunset, during the night and when finally sunrise arrived. At morning i ve been total exhausted but happy from tip to toe.
Instead of canopy bridges for the amphibians and reptiles, maybe some tunnels or channels? Frogs would probably want water as well so channels would probably work better for that.
So, I might be wrong, but I think the species they're trying to help crossing the road are mainly living in the canopy (yes even the frogs), and therefore (if my logic is not wrong) any crossing at land level (or below) would have very few chances of working since they would probably not use them even if they saw them. Plus predators might invade those crossings since they're not up in the canopy where the prey is living. That's pure speculation on my part tho, I might not know things that demolishes my "logic".
Happy to see there's some good evidence for canopy bridges. It might be obvious, but the best bridge would be as short as it can get. Some nice, tall trees at each side of the road could probably get half the work done with their branches. But ofc, that's very difficult. It may also help to not let a single rope, but various parallel ropes between the trees, to shelter the fauna from the exposure that crossing the bridge might suppose. But that is totally speculative on my part
Another idea for the canopy bridges is to use flexible tubes with holes cut in them at intervals. It would offer shelter while allowing animals to enter escape when needed.
I would suggest as living bridge to cover the structure with 2 fig trees. Figus citrifolia 15m keystone plant and Ficus aurea 30 m Used as living fence and for medicines. Both home to primates ,birds and reptiles. Cynthia UK
This is my favourite video so far! For the Bridges, I saw some in Kenya (South of Mombasa) which used a interlinking rope structure with established vines attached to them. I think my enhancing this design through use of foliage plants and thicker ropes, this could be a very viable option.
🦥You can support our work directly by becoming a member here: www.mossy.earth/
🎁 And if you are a member already you can also gift the membership here: www.mossy.earth/platform/purchase-gift
A big thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to buy this land and start developing these projects. It really would not be possible without you! We have a lot to show you in the coming year so be sure to keep an eye on the channel. - Cheers, Duarte
I think the easiest solution for the canopy bridge is to just buy a regular suspension bridge with netting on the sides and fill the bottom with leaves and twigs for the amphibians. It's gonna get real heavy, so you need good support, but I think it should work.
If that's too expensive you might want to look for old hammocks and string them together end to end. They're durable enough to hold a human, so I think they should be able to hold each other and a few wet leaves and twigs.
But maybe throw in some support ropes or a few cables just in case.
@@Arrow14100 Good idea in the interim. There are such structures over roads in the rainforest regions of Australia.
For the canopy bridge, reptile bridges already exists (just googled it). Or what about a tube rope or other kind of tubing so that animals can go through it as well as over it?
For canopy bridges for herps (reptiles & amphibians) using a rope that is fitted with sections of PVC pipe will work.
Inside the largest diameter main pipe you insert several smaller longer pvc pipe tubes.
The exterior of the outer/largest diameter PVC segments is then covered in long wraps of burlap or jute swaths and finally wrapped in natural cordage.
To allow for a more stable entrance and exit point, the largest PVC pipe ends are secured with two pre drilled holes and some extra cordage.
The hanging pipe is set up with a 1 to 2 inch gap (5 - 10 cm) from the trunk of the trees used to anchor the bridge.
This allows reptiles and amphibians to enter the open ends and either move between the inner PVC pipe roof and the tops if the smaller internal pipe segments, or it allows animals to move inside of successively smaller pipes, keeping different species of herps able to move without predation or competition.
Could you guys consider working with the Sloth Conservation Foundation?
They have a lot of experience with wildlife corridors for the canopy of rainforest
For the canopy bridges, I would attach pieces of tree bark to the rope like you did with coral for your coral project and let plant life do it's thing. Some animals are very afraid to loose the protection of leaves and crevices which could prevent them of using the bridge. It can also expose them to their natural predators like eagles and birds of prey.
Great idea! Would be very cool to have a “living bridge”! - Cheers, Duarte
@@MossyEarththere's got to be some species of vine that's that long, at least a natural rope if they can't be living
❤
@MossyEarth Would it also be an idea to use a broader bottom rope? i.e. some kind of woven net where the epiphytes can grow? Then you'd have both the cover and an easier way for smaller animals like amphibians that cannot grasp the top rope
I would think a living bridge would be a great idea too. Some animals might not take well to surfaces and textures that are foreign to them.
The idea of cover might also be a must have, as the long bridgespan through open air might provide predators an easy way to pick off traversing animals. Lots of animals are intelligent enough to stop using the bridges as soon as they learn it's not a safe place.
One thing to note is the fact that a truly living bridge will grow and get heavier, which could provide structural challenges.
Any which way it's a fantastic project you at Mossy Earth have taken on! Thank you for all the great work you do!
About the canopy bridges, I think I might have an idea. Here at university, I have a professor that studies lianas. From someone who works in his lab, I had them explained as essentially plants that are fighting tooth and nail for more access to the sunlight. My thought is you could probably take advantage of that. By anchoring the bridge to a tree with already growing lianas, you could move some of the lianas apical meristems onto your cable. The liana, following its own biology, would then move across the cable. In the process, it would both strengthen your cable while also making it more homely for any snakes, ampibians, etc. that would want to cross.
Also, I've been a member for a few months now. Thank you all for everything you do. This is so much better than an overpriced coffee.
Lianas are the intersection between trees and vines
In the rain forest every tree is fighting branch and trunk for sunlight
@TheFabledSCP7000 Yes, I wasn't trying to argue that they aren't. However, the growth patterns of lianas (essentially woody vines) is usually to follow preexisting structures (trees) in order to find open light. By contrast, while trees over time will provide a better canopy, this is meant to be a quick solution. A tree could take years to reach the height necessary to provide the adequate ecological function that the team is searching for here of providing a highway for reptiles and amphibians.
@@schmittydtty6580 I mean trees also obstruct the road that they are constructing the corridor over
And you're getting lynched too
It'd be awesome if MossyEarth uploaded the audio of the amazon rainforest to Spotify in 2 or 8 hour files and just label what time of day.
That would be a great thing to relax and fall to sleep to
There is a podcast called Sound Escape. With audio of nature. I love listening to it. And would love listening to MossyEarth’s audio recordings too!
Replying so encourage this idea!!!!!!
Yes please!
This is a great idea. Or even a whole album of ambient sounds from different locations, rainforest, underwater/beach, woodland, etc. Every stream could support ME projects
You guys need to invest in some mosquito hoods for the climb. Watching those sweat bugs crawl into his eyes was brutal!
Haha yes, its on the list! Or some goggles… - Cheers, Duarte
thank you i was extremely uncomfortable watching that lol
The biocoustics could be made into long form white-noise videos/recordings for people to enjoy - it could maybe create a small revenue stream for Mossy Earth, qnd we would get to listen in on the various sounds the forest makes in different periods
That would be so much better than that awful artificial white noise. I would be on board for that.
As a tropical ecologist, I love seeing state of the art science being used in actual conservation and restoration projects. It's so common to see all these cool methods only used in research, which is still quite important, but seeing it used on actual conservation projects is really cool. From the canopy camera trapping, to the soundscapes and the enviromental DNA in Bromeliads, it's really cool seeing all these approaches to truly and thoroughly understand the diversity of the area. I was going to suggest that something you guys can implement on your secondary forest and any area that was selectively logged, is liana cuttings, it increases tree growth and can speed up succession, making land restoration a bit easier
Liana cuttings help trees grow? Can you explain more please?
Please explain more. Sounds really interesting.
You all are life savers, literally.
Thank you Andy! Your kind words are much appreciated :) - Cheers, Duarte
Its allways amazing to see how their next project manages to be even more impressive then the previous ones
Never even thought that there could be a plant species that store so much rain water that they create effectively a wetlands up high in the forest canopy. Nature is once again incredible.
As well as those *very curious* bees. Like, holy bananas, I almost couldn't look at Ollie with all those fellas trying to get inside him. Makes wonder if there are any protective gear that you guys can use in such tree climbs.
Canopy bridges to connect fragmented patches of forest definitely sounds like idea worth testing and implementing. Reminded about "green" bridges that builded across highways/roads to help wild animals cross them to get to the other side. Probably need to get Ollie involved in this one too, as the idea with replacing batteries in camera traps without scaling tree again looks outright genius.
Cheers!
There are a lot of weird or bizarre plant species, its amazing.
And about the bridges, connecting 2 already existing parts of an ecossystem is almost allways a no brainer, its not that hard and has an amazing impact, specially in genetic diversity.
I'm so happy every time I see another video from you guys. Your work is absolutely revolutionary and important for the Earth, plants, animals and of course us! Thank you for your continued dedication efforts and for sharing all of the work you do. The sharing helps us all feel involved and that is really special. Much gratitude
Hi Erin! Thank you for the lovely comment :) I know it means a lot for everyone who puts in long hours to make all of this possible. It is much appreciated! - Cheers, Duarte
In Meghalaya, an Indian state, there are many root bridges that are actually up high, somehow, that are man-made. I think studying those will provide you with valuable insights!
Do you have any links?
those take a really long time to make I heard some took centuries
Member here. Consider having both a rope bridge and a log bridge. Have 2 ropes span across at least 2 different heights with mesh netting spanning between the bottom set of ropes as they cross the road. The structural bridge can be made of local fallen trees. Start to train vines around them. Bamboo half pipes to deliver water from the canopy to the bridge surface is a good idea, too. Multiple types of bridge, multiple options. Consider the animal's line-of sight as well. Does it look/feel safe to cross? Maybe put camo netting up overtop of both bridges to protect from aerial predators. Think like an arboreal mammal!
Excellent ideas. I’m also thinking double sets of big poles along the way to help keep the bridge high and supported.
Love the videos guys keep up the conservation and restoration
We will! Thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte
I don't understand how any of you were able to not only stay put while being swarmed by bees, but actually compose coherent, educational thoughts while ON CAMERA! It's true that I've lost a lot of my comfort with the outdoors and all of its creatures (growing up in Oregon was really fun!), but I would never have been capable of that. You amaze me. *Slow clap*
Environmental DNA is such an incredibly fascinating resource!
You guys were one of my main inspirations to get a degree in this field. Your videos motivate me so much and make me really appreciate what im working towards. I cant wait to one day also do this type of work.
Thank you Mossy Earth.
I think a good idea for the canopy bridges would be to make them out of interwoven native lianas and vines (or a safe manmade alternative) with a decent amount of gaps between them to allow for reptiles to slither between the gaps (like at 19:42) while also being thick and big enough en masse to allow for primates to cross. This along with tank bromeliads attached could allow for amphibians to slowly make their way across as well as large leaves or pads for them to jump off and catch themselves on. Thank you all for the work you are doing it is great to see the tiny wins in a field where we see such massive losses on the daily sometimes. Keep up the amazing work and hopefully you keep saving more and more species and ecosystems.
A good idea for the canopy bridges is using a "net" like you see in playgrounds/gyms in the states. Something interwoven offers lots of surface area for all the creatures, plus TONS of space for native plants to take full advantage of the sunlight to grow their way across the gap, strengthening the bridge and providing hiding spots and water collections along the way. If they're made out of something relatively biodegradable like canvas, as the plants take over they'll create a new structure and the original bridge can be recaptured by nature.
Ollie is a brave guy 🐝
Indeed he is! - Cheers, Duarte
Increíble trabajo, Ollie siempre nos motivó a trepar árboles con fines científicos. Los jóvenes de la Amazonia Norte esperamos conocerlo pronto, nos apasiona trepar árboles 💚
Perhaps you could install a jungle version of a willow/hazel arch across the road to help with all the little creatures
I love the video mounting idea to swap batteries and I also love the idea of recording the soundscapes. You could also probably create a soundscapes app that people could use and use the profits from it's sales to help fund projects too. Low cost like 2 dollar monthly subscription or something that most people wouldn't notice but could potentially benefit from every night while they sleep or something. Couple soundscape options, maybe some white/pink/brown noise and you got yourself an additional revenue stream. lots of similar things already exist, and I'm sure a lot of people would gladly switch to an app that actually benefits the environment/people instead of just some random faceless company making profits.
I was thinking of something similar like iTunes but your idea is so much better! ❤ I'd definitely sign up! Maybe they could even have some guest soundscapes from their other projects 😊
As a Mossy Earth supporter (I am not a huge contributor, but give what I can) I very much appreciate the work done by Mossy Earth and very much appreciate that these videos "bring me along for the ride" sometimes to see things that I would never otherwise see.
It makes me want to continue my financial support of Mossy Earth, so good on you.
PS: I am happy I was not up in that tree canpoy, ut watching it safely on the ground (not to mention the sweat bees ordeal).
So proud to be a member. All of your work gives me so much hope we can undo the harm of the past the world over.
Great video of a great project. I've never seen Saki monkeys before in nature films. Looking forward to seeing how your canopy bridges work out, allowing animals to roam across roads and other breaks in the forest canopy. Interesting that you will be pioneering in making canopy bridges that reptiles, insects and other invertebrates can use! Cheers!
It will be really interesting to see how different animals react. Hopefully we will be able to film the small animals as well as the big ones. - Cheers, Duarte
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS!!! It makes not only our future brighter but also that of the animals❤🔥
So proud of you guys and this community, this is incredible 💚
So cool!! I am already a member, now I will gift my sister a membership for Christmas 🪴🤗
I will be expanding the rewilding family, hope you keep expanding the protected area over there!
We will and thank you for not only being a member but also directly expanding it to your friends and family! It is really what makes it all possible :) - Cheers, Duarte
11:22 Super cool info about how to use the soundscapes!
It will be a very interesting project based on some cool new science. I am very excited to show you the first batch of results when they come in. - Cheers, Duarte
That pulley system for the cameras is genius!
Could you build tunnels for amphibians/reptiles?
Wow, all that for just 250,000 pounds? (that's about the same as 315,000 US Dollars or 302,000 Euros, btw) It really shows that rewilding and climate change mitigation is slightly expensive, but it is much, much, much cheaper than just letting the enviromental consequences of our society building ride. It makes me wonder why people why anyone wants to ignore climate change, when we could have so much joy from fixing the problem. I'm very lucky to have a job in the climate solutions community (I'm a cartographer who makes survey maps for mega solar and wind farms in the rural United States), and I'm glad to be a supporter here and also a volunteer in climate mitigation efforts within my own community
I absolutely love how you can see the effect of animals using branches to travel across the canopy. Kinda like paths that get cleared out as more animals use them. I'm wondering if for the canopy bridges, you could accommodate amphibians by taking inspiration from the coral reefs. Perhaps you set up a rope lattice with plants and branches attached to them, or places for water to pool into like those plants
As a frog lover this is a great episode! Glad to see my membership going to good use! Part of me wishes I could be there, but the bees...
I think it's a great idea to mimick the way branches connect by creating a bridge and then covering it with plant life. That might solve the problem.
Your projects keep evolcing in scale and quality, its impressive!
the best canopy bridge has got to be Eco-sourced trees! Self generating!
I enjoyed watching, especially seeing footage of the sloth -very beautiful! Thank you for sharing! More please!
You guys are THE best! Thank you seriously
Poor Ollie. He was so calm.
About the canopy bridge: You could try creating an arch, made of solid wood, cover the top of it with old, mossy branches and place it above the road. Then connect the arch to the nearest trees via ropes and attach a few bits of wood to the ropes as well. I know that such a bridge would be much more complicated to make, but if it mimics the overall looks and sturdiness of the surrounding trees, more animals would use it just because they won't see it as a new, unknown object.
should put all those sound clips on spotify or something like that, tons of people who listen to that kind of stuff 😃
What if you grew something like a strangler fig or a vine in a very specific diagonal or branching pattern like a wire structure or even a faux tree made of wooden posts? Then over time, this structure might become overgrown, but it wont lose integrity because it is replaced with living marerial as it grows, sort of a super-scaled version of a willow arch for the animals to cross? Native life would wirhout a doubt settle nicely into something like that, though it might be a large time and money invesrment.
Great idea! The only thing I worry about is that the tourism can negatively affect the nature you guys are trying to save. Though, people from southern continents NEED more national parks to be able to enjoy nature the right way!
Any tourism will need to be very regulated of course. Its a pick between trying to have an economy that destroys the forest and one that keeps it standing. We will keep you posted! - Cheers, Duarte
Exposing a few acres to humans to protect thousands is well worth it. As they said it's about creating an economy based on keeping the forest not cutting it down. It's also the education and concern that make people like you aware of that. And letting people go and see how fragile it is is a very good thing.... If you frame it correctly
So hyped to see this perfect tapestry of conservation, research, ecotourism and local community empowerment unfold!
4:44 This is so majestic!
For the canopy bridge you could plant bromeliads on the ropes to help keep the plant cover that smaller animals likereptiles desire
A tree snake would need something pretty wide to slither across and all the animals would probably want something leafy to keep the heat away and stay in cover. Perhaps a rope weave bridge with native bark and leaves tied in? I'm thinking multiple ropes weaved together to increase the surface area of the bridge. That way you can keep the flexibility of rope while keeping things available for many types of animal. Though holes in the bridge, drying out, and its strength might prove to be an issue.
They make woven coconut bark ropes. That might be a good option to consider and they are biodegradable.
Brilliant video! Ollie being attacked by bees actually made me glad my part is just being sat on a laptop 😅 Some great graphics in it as well 👌🏻
Love you guys
Thanks! We really appreciate the motivational comments! - Cheers, Duarte
Hell yeah guys and girls, you all are doing an amazing job with all these videos, ecosystems, teams and every single thing you all are doing. Thanks for first of all working to make nature healthier and secondly for sharing it with all of us.
Sooo much respect for Ollie!!!❤
As a long term solution, you can plant wide reaching trees next to the road, here we use Inga but there has to be a native one for the low jungle. It might happen naturally faster though.
Is it possible that they damage the roads?
@joaquimbarbosa896 depends on the type of root system?
Your sound scientific approach to measuring project success is very interesting and credible
Epic video! I am really looking forward to the canopy bridge project getting started.
I am also super excited to show people the results! Should be a fun story to tell :) - Cheers, Duarte
Nice report. As a science journalist I especially liked the proof of scientific evidence that is included at several points in the video.
Props for the dedication, those bees looked awfullllll
They were quite the challenge, both the annoying ones and the bitey ones. Still, very happy to be working in the treetops though :) - Cheers, Duarte
Biodiversity there looks unreal! 😊 Amazing video, thanks so much for posting. I've been looking forward to a new update.
It has been a while... Had to rewrite this one and re-edit as well. Some of these bigger longer term videos can be a mess to make. More regular updates the next few months I hope haha - Cheers, Duarte
Poor Ollie, awesome system though. Sky wetlands, so cool
You could upload the rainforest ambiance sounds those are quite successful kinda things sometimes lol
Aha I was hoping for some kind of bridge, very cool
Wishing everyone here merry celebrations!
Climbing those trees is an arborists dream! :)
Indeed! Minus the bees of course 😂 - Cheers, Duarte
@@MossyEarth Ye lol, in the ear is too much for me!
@@MossyEarth probaly you could have some protection like beekeepers. And probably some other insects there could be far more dangerous.
Also protecting your ears even without a full mask - insects inside could cause harm or simply distract you. This is happening even in European boreal forests. To get them off could take a doctor!
Is there some vine that y'all can grow and extend over alongside the ropes, so that there's foliage for the amphibians?
That is a great idea! Would be amazing to have a “living bridge”. - Cheers, Duarte
Knowing how the jungle works it will happen even if they don't plant it haha
I was thinking the exact same thing. Have some heavy duty natural ropes form a base for vines and other plants to grow and they could form a long lasting evolving structure.
my concern is that the plants will add weight which will put additional stress on the bridge, causing it to collapse much much sooner than it would with just natural degradation.
Keep up the great work. Signed, a proud member
Watching your videos makes me so happy.
Keep up the good work!
About ropes/bridges:
What is the risk of lighting strike? I presume that bigger the distance = bigger are the risks. Plants and moisture on the rope could make it worse. If vegetation will DRY - then theoretically, when catching fire, then falling down and start an even bigger fire on the ground.
Could you probably ask some experts about it.
As others said before, have plants growing on the bridge ropes and mavy have multiple ropes for one bridge so animals can avoided each other when crossing. Mist reptiles and amphibians love shaded moist environment with hiding spots so the water storing plants might be beneficial. Love your work!
I hope this sound data is also being provided to iNaturalist, they have some audio identification stuff in the works and im sure the data would help. Then we can get more citizen science happening to track biodiversity.
Parque Nacional Yasuní 🫶🏻🐵🐝🦎🇪🇨
So awesome team. What a great video and update. That poor guy was destroyed by bees but was so composed!
Awesome job ladies and gentlemen! Saving our planets wilderness one day at a time!!!
Amazing adventure and project
Glad you enjoyed the video and like the project! - Cheers, Duarte
Love the audio graphics! Great video as always. Looking forward to seeing the progress on this project!
Did you all know that trees communicate with each other via fungi networks in the soil? It’s like their version of telephone wires, care of the fungi!
Your work is so impressive, your knowledge and skills. And the videos are always of such a great quality. I love to see them and to follow your journey and projects. One of my favorite channels.
Didn't expect to see a kinkajou on the cameras, I thought they were super rare and avoided deforested areas.
It's super cool to see this project go further. I've been impaciently waiting since the last video. Also love the climbing parts as I like to climb trees myself but only have had a few occasions to climb in a rainforest.
I would love to visit and spend a few days at your base in Amazon ! Great work and video ! Also, I am not sure how feasible is, but I would love to see live cameras from Amazon and maybe other places where you are working. If you want, this may even be available only for supporters, to give them something extra :)
Hopefully, when figure out the last part of this web of legalities and perils it will be a possibility! It is a wonderful place :) - Cheers, Duarte
Aloha Mossy Earth! Great video and wonderful projects. To me the most immediate problem with a canopy bridge is cover, enough to keep them cool and the most immediate answer are those bromeliads. Bromeliads will form a fairly stable network of lateral stems, almost woody in nature. If you harvest samples from indigenous flora, you can grow as much as you need, then put a frame work over your canopy bridge, perhaps of chicken wire, you could plant it out with bromeliads to shade it AND create a stepping stone bridge for amphibians which would probably draw the snakes as well. I would start with some sort of heavy coated cable as the base, build the bridge out from there, then plant bromeliads and other epiphytes into some sort of cover latice. Good luck and good fortune, mahalo e kokua ka 'aina
Starting off with the 'Bee in the ear' scene really drew me in. Worst nightmare there haha. Cool project :)
😂 thought it was worth showing people in the intro a taste of what was the come. The worst is, when looking back at the footage, I think Ollie actually did not manage to get the bee out and it stayed in there even after I told him. - Cheers, Duarte
I think for the canopy bridges you could do something like a tunnel, made from wire, like the ones used in chicken coops, and put branches and leaves inside, while also covering it with some leaves, so this way the animals will feel like going through a thic vegetation. It could also be a support structure for vines and epiphytes to grow in the future.
So cool to see the view from the tree tops and can’t wait to find out how the bridges work
Recycle heavy duty trawler nets , not the fine nets , stretched across the road at the required height will accommodate most species, what is more they can often be found free of charge littering beaches. good luck.
Great idea! Added to the list! - Cheers, Duarte
Those can shed microplastics though as they breakdown.
@@Madshadowgolem Indeed they can , I anticipate that tree growth will have filled the void before then and the nets could then be disposed of in a responsible fashion.
Beautiful 😍 the nature, and your work, showing humans can be good members of the community.
Comment for boost! Thank you for your amazing work🤝🏻
Much appreciated :) - Cheers, Duarte
make alive bridges - tie branches together for self maintenance
(used by humans for several thousand years to cross rivers )
Great idea! A living bridge would be really cool! Added to the list :) - Cheers, Duarte
Using soundscape as a way to monitor biodiversity is super cool! Can't wait to show this to my professor.
I always love watching your videos. Good luck with all the endeavors on your Amazon plot!
Always great projects coming up from your team!
Idea for the bridge: try putting 2 ropes separated by a 20cm gap horizontally and fill the gap with wood.
Or try ropes tied together (like a grandma pull) cause life will settle and it will be large enough for snakes and amphibian to go through!
Sorry if my english isn't good.
Love from France!
Keep going guys!
Such a cool project. Much love, my friends are getting gift memberships for festivus gifts
When i hear the sounds of the forrest im straight back in '92 when we spent a night at the top of the leopard pyramid of tikal. We planned just to eat and sleep there as a kind of adventure but in the end we spent the whole night in total awe listening to the sounds and how they change with sunset, during the night and when finally sunrise arrived. At morning i ve been total exhausted but happy from tip to toe.
Love the acoustic monitoring!
Thank you so much for this update and I am so sorry for the bees that attacked you
Maria was grumpy that day, and she made it her sisters problem
Instead of canopy bridges for the amphibians and reptiles, maybe some tunnels or channels? Frogs would probably want water as well so channels would probably work better for that.
Great idea! Might be a bit pricier but could be worth exploring as an option. - Cheers, Duarte
So, I might be wrong, but I think the species they're trying to help crossing the road are mainly living in the canopy (yes even the frogs), and therefore (if my logic is not wrong) any crossing at land level (or below) would have very few chances of working since they would probably not use them even if they saw them.
Plus predators might invade those crossings since they're not up in the canopy where the prey is living.
That's pure speculation on my part tho, I might not know things that demolishes my "logic".
@@cortexavery1324 I guess it depends on the typical behavior of the animals in question. Either way a diversity of routes would give the best options.
@@thunder_emperors_command Totally agree with that final statement yes.
So basicly add small temporary pounds to?
Always baffled by your work. Keep it up ❤
Love the video. The sounds take me back to when i used to work in the Guyana shield. Cuvier's Toucans are my favourite birds :D
You guys are on another level!
Keep expanding ✊
Great project well done!
Always bring a banana for scale guys, geeze. Rookie mistake 😅😂 🍌 🍌
Happy to see there's some good evidence for canopy bridges. It might be obvious, but the best bridge would be as short as it can get. Some nice, tall trees at each side of the road could probably get half the work done with their branches. But ofc, that's very difficult.
It may also help to not let a single rope, but various parallel ropes between the trees, to shelter the fauna from the exposure that crossing the bridge might suppose. But that is totally speculative on my part
Another idea for the canopy bridges is to use flexible tubes with holes cut in them at intervals. It would offer shelter while allowing animals to enter escape when needed.
I would suggest as living bridge to cover the structure with 2 fig trees. Figus citrifolia 15m keystone plant and Ficus aurea 30 m Used as living fence and for medicines. Both home to primates ,birds and reptiles. Cynthia UK
This is my favourite video so far! For the Bridges, I saw some in Kenya (South of Mombasa) which used a interlinking rope structure with established vines attached to them. I think my enhancing this design through use of foliage plants and thicker ropes, this could be a very viable option.