Juan Carlos de la Cruz Huaman is from Puerto Lucerna and is one of the people most responsible for keeping Hoja Nueva physically connected to the outside world.

He coordinates transportation between Puerto Maldonado, Las Piedras River communities, and Hoja Nueva’s remote field sites, including the regular movement of animal food, equipment, building materials, staff, students, veterinary supplies, research gear, and household necessities.

Transport to Hoja Nueva can involve city logistics, rough roads, river travel, heavy loads, weather, changing water levels, and unpredictable field conditions. Juan Carlos’s familiarity with the landscape and communities along the route is therefore as important as the transport itself.

He also assists with remote wildlife and domestic-animal rescues when transportation is needed and serves as an important community liaison between Hoja Nueva and Puerto Lucerna.

Almost every program at Hoja Nueva ultimately depends on reliable movement of people and materials—from feeding wildlife to running camera grids and building enclosures—and Juan Carlos is one of the people who makes that possible.