The Centre
Conservation science immersed in the rainforest.
A lot of what makes Sophia Point special is the location. Set at the confluence of three rivers, amidst dense, largely pristine rainforest teeming with wildlife and yet being accessible from the capital city in two and a half hours makes Sophia Point a unique gateway into Guyana’s tropical rainforests.
Through 2023, a purpose built, environmentally conscious research centre and field station is being constructed on the bank of the Essequibo river at Sophia Point to enable Sophia Point’s mission to transform education and conservation in Guyana. The Centre will serve as a training base for local students and community members, a field site for researchers and conservation practitioners, and a pillar of cutting edge ecological science for the international science community.
The Sophia Point Rainforest Research Centre will immerse students and researchers in the heart of some of the most intact and biodiverse rainforest on the planet.
A unique location.
Guyana lies at the heart of the Guiana Shield - the largest intact stretch of tropical rainforest remaining on the planet.
Sophia Point will be the first truly accessible research site in Guyana. Situated on the east bank of the Essequibo river, Sophia Point is ideally placed to provide students and researchers from across disciplines from conservation science, hydrology, biology, anthropology and beyond to access Guyana’s many rich and varied ecosystems.
Located at the confluence of three major rivers, the Cuyuni, Mazaruni and Essequibo, Sophia Point offers access to many creeks and extensive mangrove forests. On land, a combination of low-lying tidal swamp, clay and lateritic soil types support mixed tropical vegetation and iconic trees such as the heavily buttressed Mora and the Manicole palm. Higher ground surrounding the site is predominantly made up of Wallaba mixed forest types, reaching a canopy height of over 50m, with species such as the endemic to Guyana and highly valued hardwood Greenheart present.
Sophia Point also opens up the potential to work with local and indigenous communities, access the north west of Guyana - a region pockmarked with artisanal and small scale mining activities - and compare areas of both pristine and disturbed rainforest.
A centre built for purpose.
The centre at Sophia Point will include:
A solar-powered multi-purpose lecture theatre/lab space. Internet access and basic lab equipment will ensure researchers can conduct analysis and teach in situ.
A basic accommodation block for up to 24 persons with free-standing washing facilities. These will be supported by a kitchen and dining space built into the main lecture building to support long-term research.
An expanded pontoon and jetty to facilitate the arrival of larger boats and operate as a site for sampling and water quality assessments.
A canopy access platform to support canopy level and meteorological measurements. This will be just one of two in the entire Guiana Shield region.
A centre for the community.
The Sophia Point centre has been designed to work with its natural surroundings, maintaining as small as possible an impact and footprint on the environment whilst opening up the wonders of the rainforest to students and science.
We will work with local communities to support research that has meaning and value, that recognises equity and empowerment and that strikes a balance between western science and traditional knowledge.
Sophia Point is also ambitious. The centre will connect with efforts regionally and globally, contributing to and developing a vibrant network of teaching, learning and discovery to achieve our goal of protecting and championing this unique rainforest.
