Follow along as a team from Chicago’s Field Museum travels to a spot deep in the Amazon rainforest in Colombia. Working with a curated team of scientists, government officials, NGO representatives, and local experts, including farmers and members of the Indigenous community, the R130 Team (30 people total) will spend three weeks at several carefully mapped out locations. The inventory groups include the Flora and Vegetation (Plant) Team, the Herpetology (Amphibian and Reptile) Team, the Mammal Team, the Fish Team, the Bird Team, and the Social Team. Chapters profile each team, campsite set up, inventory experiences, and the work of connecting with villagers. Clear photographs, captions, text boxes, and section breaks bring focus to the many details. For example, in a chapter titled “A Nighttime Trek with the Herpetology Team,” vivid descriptions make it easy to imagine the difficulty of searching for nocturnal amphibians and reptiles in a dense, dark forest with headlamps. When the team hears a group of snoring animals, they quickly climb trees for safety to avoid the razor-sharp teeth of a herd of white-lipped peccaries (similar to wild boars, but without tusks) as they awaken. Compelling text and abundant photos depict the skills and teamwork needed to perform real-world science in a complex environment.

A women-led team of scientists protect the Amazon rainforest from destruction as readers get a firsthand account of real-life fieldwork in action.

A compelling, nonfiction, photo-illustrated STEM read for 8-12-year-olds who aspire to be future scientists, environmentalists, and conservationists!

Over 22 years, a team of scientists from the Field Museum in Chicago has helped conserve 28.9 million acres of the Amazon rainforest. Follow the team as they race to gather data over three precious weeks in the field.

During rapid inventory, information is gathered in two ways:

• Biologists trek through mud and rain and count every animal and plant they see, recording everything that flies, swims, crawls, slithers, or walks. They then look at key plant and animal groups to assess the health of the ecosystem.

• Social scientists visit villages, speaking with local people about their desires and goals for the land, as each community has developed its own way of taking care of its environment.

The team then makes a compelling, evidence-based case for conservation.

Developed in partnership with the Field Museum, this action-packed book focuses on Rapid Inventory 30, which is conducted in Colombia with the help of local and Indigenous scientists and community members.

Photographs from the scientists themselves give readers a glimpse into real-life fieldwork in the Amazon that will captivate STEM readers and the next generation of scientists.