RANCHO GRANDE BIOLOGICAL STATION

For an overview of what this park offers, the best is to stop at the station. Charles William Beebe (1877-1962) was inspired by his experiences in this station, located at 1 100 m altitude in a transition zone between the high alpine forest and the altitude forest (starting at 1 300 m), to write his book High Jungle. The station belongs to the Faculty of Agronomy (Department of Agricultural Zoology) at the Central University of Venezuela. But before being destined for studying the rich fauna that people this cloud forest, the building was planned to serve as hotel - you will have guessed, another pharaoh project of Gómez. Nevertheless, he never received any visitors because, as soon as the dictator died in 1935, the workers took the powder of heels and left the building unfinished. The site will be completed later, and the building has been home to the biological station created by Henri Pittier in 1948. We can see in the midst of the cries of birds and a lush forest that old, very dilapidated and truly anachronistic building. The station is often used by university students, who use it as the basis for their further research in the forest. Many interesting steps can be undertaken and are highly recommended, but the wisest solution, to avoid losing you, is to go with a serious agency or, then, to ask a student to guide you. In 2009, you could sleep on the spot. Now, in view of the changes at the station, the best thing is to learn before. In any case, make sure you're lighting and a sleeping bag because nights are cold. The specialists of the macro will find their happiness. You can see insects in numbers like weevils, staphylins and other beetles that science has still not catalogued. They abound on the strange flowers of the family of cyclanthacées (mouche). Mélipones, beetles and beautiful punk, yellowish or brown butterflies with transparent wings are also part of the game. Early in the morning and late afternoon are the best moments to surprise birds, including the brilliant quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus).