Hannah Emde with us at Secret Forest Manu

We have a new conservation area in Peru, and we’re showcasing it in a six-part YouTube documentary featuring TV presenter and conservationist Hannah Emde.

It’s finally official! We’ve secured a brand-new protected area in Peru: Secret Forest Manu.

Spanning 12 million square metres—six times the size of Monaco—this is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and a true paradise for researchers and biologists.

Now, we need YOUR help. We’re calling on our community, everyone who shares our excitement for saving this extraordinary piece of land, to help us fund the purchase and secure Secret Forest Manu’s protection forever.

Woman with backpack standing in a lit historic street at dusk, looking thoughtfully to the side.
Hannah Emde is the face of our first in-house documentary. She shows you our beautiful new protected area and the threats facing the region.

Who is the voice of the Secret Forest Manu?

Right at the start of the year, we asked ourselves: how can we best share the beauty and importance of this endangered paradise with you? And who is the right person to help us tell that story?

We knew we needed someone with real expertise; someone who could ask the tough, essential questions, while giving an objective assessment of both the land and our work. Above all, we wanted someone who fit our team culture and the kind of person you’d actually beside you on an expedition.

Honestly, our wishlist was short, but one name was right at the top: Hannah Emde (36), veterinarian, wildlife conservationist, and well-known TV presenter.

Knowing how packed Hannah’s schedule is, we didn't get our hopes too high. But then the call came: “That sounds incredible, and far too important to miss. Count me in!” The whole team was absolutely delighted!

Overhead view of a woman in a rust-coloured jacket surrounded by dense green foliage and moss-covered logs in a forest.
On her expedition, Hannah ventured deep into the Secret Forest Manu.
We spent the following weeks preparing for the trip, without knowing if Hannah’s schedule would actually allow it in the end. Everyone was on the edge of their seats and did their best to make it possible for Hannah to join our expedition.

Hannah gets up close and personal with Manu: from landslides to coral snakes and bullet ants

And then we set off on a real adventure. From Cusco, across the Andes and back down into the rainforest, straight for our new conservation area. It lies right next to Manu National Park, bordering the land of the Shintuya, one of three local Indigenous communities we work with closely. In the future, the Secret Forest Manu will serve as a vital corridor connecting existing protected areas.
Map showing Peru's protected areas including Manu National Park, indigenous communities, and the Secret Forest MANU corridor highlighted in yellow.
In the future, our protected area will expand further to link protected areas on both sides of the Alto Madre de Dios River.
The expedition team faced real challenges right from the start, battling landslides and river crossings along the way. Upon arriving at camp, they were immediately greeted by one of the world’s deadliest snakes and, true to rainforest form, torrential rain! Over the next five days, Hannah got to know our team and our work firsthand, asking every question on her mind.
Two people in outdoor gear exploring dense jungle forest, looking upward into the canopy.
Even during the day, there’s plenty to discover in the rainforest, especially when you’re out and about with an expert like Dr Chris Kirkby.
Two wildlife educators in khaki uniforms present a snake during a forest demonstration.
Our research team, which includes Head Field Research Coordinator Chris Ketola, is studying biodiversity in our protected areas.
Two jaguars walking across muddy riverbank terrain with sparse vegetation and fallen branches in wildlife habitat.
Camera traps enable us to better understand the health of the ecosystem. The presence of apex predators is an important indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
Four climbers wearing helmets rappel down a tall tree trunk surrounded by dense green jungle foliage.
Mammal researcher Nadine anlyses the footage from our wildlife cameras together with Hannah to learn more about life in the canopy.
Two researchers wearing headlamps examine bat specimens at a table in a nighttime jungle setting.
Along with Keyko Saravia, Hannah studies the bird population in our new conservation area.
Researcher wearing headlamp observes brown frog clinging to wet green leaf at night
At night, the rainforest becomes a completely different world. Many of its inhabitants can only be seen in the darkness, if you look closely.
Two people sit facing each other in a lush forest surrounded by moss-covered tree trunks.
Hannah talks to Kai Andersch, CEO of Wilderness International, about the foundation’s origins and its mission.
Indigenous woman and visitor examine photographs together in a green exhibition space with cultural materials displayed.
The Indigenous Shintuya people have lived in the Manu region for a long time and are trying to protect the forest from destruction caused by oil and gas development.

A big thank you!

A huge thank you to Hannah for joining us on this adventure despite her packed schedule, for diving headfirst into our work and every challenge along the way, and for helping us spotlight this endangered corner of paradise.

We’re also deeply grateful to Ecosia, who generously funded this documentary, are helping us reach an audience of millions, and are among the very first partners to commit to protecting this extraordinary land in Manu.

Finally, thank you to all of you for your continued support. We hope you enjoy watching all six episodes!

Hannah accompanied our research team, for example whilst measuring snakes and carrying out bird research. She retrieved wildlife cameras from a height of 30 metres, high up in the treetops of the rainforest, a place few people ever get to see. Unfortunately, she had to endure the incredibly painful bite of a bullet ant (the name says it all: the sting from this ant feels like a gunshot wound!) and yet she still had many profound conversations about the unique features of Manu, how threatened this paradise is, and how this plot of land came to be purchased. She looked deep into the eyes of spiders and frogs on night walks and even spotted a small dragon. A very special moment was the deeply heartfelt conversation with Victoria, one of the elders of the Shintuya indigenous community. An encounter that left a lasting impression on Hannah.

And all of this has now resulted in this wonderful six-part series on YouTube, which we’d like to wholeheartedly recommend to you here.


Hannah joined our field team on the ground, helping measure snakes and conduct bird surveys. She scaled trees to retrieve wildlife cameras from 30 metres up in the rainforest canopy, a world few people ever experience. She even endured the excruciating bite of a bullet ant (and yes, the name is accurate: the sting really does feel like a gunshot!).

Through it all, she engaged in deep conversations about what makes Manu so unique, the urgent threats it faces, and how this piece of land was ultimately saved. She stared into the eyes of spiders and frogs on night walks and even spotted a small dragon. A particularly moving highlight was her conversation with Victoria, an elder of the Shintuya Indigenous community, an encounter that left a profound, lasting impression on Hannah.

All of this comes together in a wonderful six-part series on YouTube, which we can’t recommend highly enough!

When you play this video, data (including your IP address) will be sent to YouTube (Google).

The trailer for our documentary. Click here for the full playlist.

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