Just 22 kilometers from the city is the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve, a true natural treasure that protects representative specimens of this area's extraordinary natural biodiversity. The purpose for its creation was based precisely upon the remarkable ecosystem variability taking place there and, in particular, the rare white sand forests, locally called varillales. Different processes in the history, geology, and climate have created an authentic mosaic of different soil types in the Allpahuayo-Mishana area, from the scarcely fertile white sands, made up of almost pur quartz, to those of the nutrient rich lacustrine clay.

Despite its small size in comparison with other Amazon Rainforest protected areas (a little over 59,000 hectares against more than a million of Manu National Park), the Reserve also shelters a community of plants and animals that is unique to the Peruvian Amazon. Many species are rare habitat specialists, and there are some species that even today are not known to live anywhere else in the world.

There are approximately 900 people living within the boundaries of the Reserve, in about a half a dozen indigenous communities and colonists lots. With the help of the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute through projects supported by international cooperation, these communities are committed to preserving this natural treasure and to applying models of community administration and sustainable biodiversity management that are examples for the rest of the Amazon Rainforest.
Therefore, this reserve represents a significant heritage for the region and the country. Because of its proximity to Iquitos, it offers an extraordinary opportunity as much for environmental education, recreation, and tourism as for scientific research. We are very fortunate to have such a fascinating place to hold our medicinal plant workshop.