Google Maps Takes Street View Camera through Amazon Canopy

The Street View Trekker on a zipline in the Amazon Rainforest. (Photo credit: Google Maps)

New imagery of the highest canopy in the Amazon rainforest is now available on Google Maps. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, with many species high in the canopies of the forest still undiscovered.

“Starting today, with the help of our partners at the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), you can begin to unlock some of the wonders of the forest, by traveling from the upper canopy to the forest floor with Google Maps’ first zipline Street View collection,” wrote Karin Tuxen-Bettman, program manager, Google Earth Outreach on a March 1 blog.

The project is part of Google’s partnership with FAS, who three years ago invited Google Maps to the Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve. “Their hope is that sharing the imagery of their local communities, rain forests and rivers with the world will raise awareness and support for their efforts to conserve these areas,” Tuxen-Bettman writes.

The imagery was collected through Google Map’s Trekker Loan Program, which loans out the Street View camera and technology to tourism boards, non-profits, universities, and research organizations to help collect imagery of remote places.

The Amazon map imagery was gathered through boat travels on 500 kilometers of rivers, hiking on 20 kilometers of forest trails and ziplining through forest canopies.

“We hope it inspires you to embark on your own virtual expedition of the Amazon (you can leave the bug repellent at home!),” Tuxen-Bettman writes.

The map on this page  shows where Google Maps has yet to collect Street View imagery.

Rio Mariepauá, Brazil. (Photo credit: Google Maps)