The expedition that searched for the tallest tree in the Amazon and found a sanctuary of giant specimens

Entering the Paru rainforest reserve, one of the most inaccessible and best preserved regions of the Amazon Rainforest, is truly special even for a seasoned veteran of the Brazilian jungles: “When I got there, my eyes shone like a child’s when they saw a sweet. I know other ecosystems, but this one is practically intact,” recalls forestry engineer Lucyana Santos in a video interview. Santos participated in a two-week scientific expedition last May that aimed to reach the tallest tree in the Amazon, an angelim vermelho (Dinizia excelsa) measuring 88.5 meters (twice the height of Rio de Janeiro’s Cristo Redentor, a 30-story tower), which was discovered five years ago in the west of the Brazilian state of Pará.

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