The Iracambi Research Center

The Iracambi Rainforest Research and Conservation Center offers researchers the opportunity to study real world problems in our living laboratory of the forest.

Where Are We Located?

The Research Center is situated on a working farm in the Atlantic Rainforest zone near the village of Rosário da Limeira (lat. 21º00' S, long. 42º30' W) in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais, five hours by road from Rio de Janeiro, or four hours from the state capital, Belo Horizonte. (Check the map or, on Google Earth, just look for Fazenda Iracambi, Brazil).

The Research Center campus consists of the central dormitory which sleeps eight, five four-bed researcher houses, the computer lab/classroom, a small field laboratory and the central dining hall. We also have 24-hour internet access, a nursery of forest seedlings, and a system of trails to allow access to the forest.  

The forest research area consists of 200 hectares of rainforest in different stages of regeneration;

• partially logged primary forest;
• secondary forest over 25 years old, regenerated on partially cleared land;
• recent regrowth of less than 25 years old, regenerated on partially cleared land.

The altitude in the research area ranges from 800-1,500 meters, and the forest is classified as lower montane. We also have access to a further 15,000 hectares of protected public forest lands, adjacent to Iracambi, situated in the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park.

When is the Best Time to Come?

The rainy season spans September - March (the breeding season for insects, birds and mammals). There's also more mud! The dry season runs from April-August (good for some flowering trees.) It gets cold then, (as low as 6ºC), so bring a sweater.

What does it cost?

More Information

If you'd like to be part of our research program, contact us. Our downloads page is the place to find project information and research papers, as well as pre-departure information. You may also wish to check out our suggested further reading. Here's a ">film clip about the Research Center, too.