In January and February of 2023 Ollie was invited to the famous Mashpi Lodge to offer tree climbing as an activity for the guests and staff there as well as explore the canopy for interesting species.

Mashpi lodge is located in the Tropical Andes bioregion of Ecuador and sits within a sizeable reserve of 3000 hectares. The location of this lodge within this biodiversity hotspot means there are many endemic species here, such as the Mashpi torrenteer (Hyloscirtus mashpi), Mashpi orchid (Lepanthes mashpica), Mashpi glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium mashpi) and of course the Mashpi magnolia tree (Magnolia mashpi). Overall, there are more than 12 species found in this reserve and (to our current knowledge) nowhere else on Earth!

It could well be that soon there will be another species joining the list. Resident biologist and orchid lover Chiara Correa went out climbing with Ollie and together they found a potentially new orchid species in the canopy of a Mashpi magnolia tree! Back in the lab, they preserved samples and took some highly detailed photos of the various parts of the flower to aid in comparison and identification.

What a privilege to climb into the high branches of such a unique and rare species. Even better to share the experience with the lodge staff, all of which had an incredible time viewing the forest from a new angle!

Thanks to everyone at Mashpi Lodge for their help and hospitality during the stay. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on the orchid!

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