Project Jungle

Rat Race are going to buy a tract of strategically important rainforest in central america.

We will re-forest it, protect it and run a zero-impact jungle training course on this land, training locals and travellers in jungle survival skills.

Help support Project Jungle by purchasing your very own piece of jungle

Donate £150 to the cause and get your 3x3m meta square bundle

Includes a limited edition Project Jungle t-shirt, Rat Race titanium coffee set and Panama origin coffee plus a certificate of your meta square.

Click here to purchase your piece of jungle!

What is Project Jungle?

Our vision is to rewild 185 acres of strategically positioned primary rainforest in Panama with minimal impact to the land, helping restore rare species while protecting a vital jungle corridor stretching from the Panama Canal towards Ecuador.

We have identified the land, assembled expert partners and already completed our first expeditions into Panama’s remote rainforest. Our goal is to secure the land purchase and launch the first courses and conservation experiences on-site in late 2026.

We are looking for a partner to help bring Project Jungle to life. Click here to contact us.

Why are we doing it?

Rat Race is built on taking people to extraordinary places all over the world.

To places that inspire adventure, connection and a deeper appreciation for the wild landscapes that need protecting. We believe that meaningful experiences in nature help create passionate advocates for the planet.

But we also recognise the reality: global adventure travel comes with an environmental cost, and we have a responsibility to act. Rather than relying on superficial carbon offsetting schemes, we want to create meaningful, long-term impact through ambitious conservation and rewilding projects that leave a genuine legacy.

We believe adventure and environmental responsibility must go hand in hand. That’s why we are committed to becoming part of the solution to the climate crisis by investing in projects that protect ecosystems, restore biodiversity and create lasting positive change. This is not a token gesture for us, we are all in, and we are looking for partners who share that vision.

Why here and why now?

Panama is the crossroads of the Americas.

It is currently one of only a handful of carbon-neutral countries on Earth, making it an ideal location for long-term conservation and rewilding initiatives. The country also benefits from well-established property and legal systems, providing security and certainty around land ownership, protection and long-term environmental stewardship. This specific tract of rainforest is strategically important to our early vision and plays a key role in the wider protection of vital jungle ecosystems and wildlife corridors.

How we will do it?

Find a partner

We’re looking for the right partner to launch Project Jungle. The right partner is an organisation looking for a project with a tangible positive environmental and social impact and with a strong focus on ESG principles and values. In exchange, we offer the possibility to be a core partner of Project Jungle, including heavily discounted access to Project Jungle courses, access to measurable documented climate impact and branding opportunities.

Set up a Trust

We have identified a fully transparent trust vehicle in Panama to own the land. This will have a small board of Trustees, who can be Panamanian residents, or foreigners. Key partners will be given the opportunity to become a Trustee.

Set up a trading company

We will establish a trading company to offer long-term activities on the land. This trading company will pay a revenue share to the trust, allowing ongoing fund generation to maintain the land.

Training for locals and partners

With our expert team skilled in expeditions and courses in extreme environments, we will offer courses to partners, travelers and NGO’s. Courses will range from jungle survival and nature stewardship to honing leadership, management and team building. Courses will also be offered to locals.

Access to FinTech

After launching Project Jungle, we will deploy Innovative FinTech such as 'meta squares' to allow members of the public the chance to buy their own pledges, attributable to small parcels of land which they then follow in the reforestation journey. This will generate revenue towards maintenance, running costs, re-planting activity and future land purchases.

Restoring Jungle

We have access to serious expertise and native species for replanting. Local community workers and security will be employed in this endeavour.

Re-planting will encourage the proliferation of rare species like Jaguar, Peccaries, Ocelots & more.

eDNA

We will measure and document our impact through eDNA analysis of the land pre, during and post restoration in full eDNA data, giving accountability and credibility to the re-wilding journey.

What makes it CREDIBILe?

The best there is, Rick Morales is a Certified Wilderness Instructor and a Certified Specialized Guide with the Professional Association of Wilderness Guides and Instructors, and Certified Interpretive Trainer with the National Association for Interpretation. He is the only person to have trekked the entire length of Panama and it a qualified naturalist guide. He knows, loves and lives the jungle of central America.

What is the TARGET MARKET AND SIZE?

Scale of the Training Course Market

The global certification market is valued at $355bn in 2021, growing to $457bn by 2030
20% of students took a gap year in 2020-2021 each spending between $10-30k
There are currently 1.5 million rangers with a shortfall of at least 150k with little training available, especially in Central America
$366bn globally is spent on leadership courses

What are the FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS?

Annual(USD)

We intend to finance Project Jungle through our courses. Our calculation below is the profit generated through courses after all costs associated with running courses.

Total customers 120 pa with average course duration of 5 days

Total profit after costs: $192,000pa

Other sustainable revenues

As the market for our other sustainable revenues is still at an early stage, we are not basing the financial sustainability of Project Jungle on these. Therefore, we keep them out of our Projected Annual Revenue. However, as we launch these initiatives all profits will go towards scaling Project Jungle to cover more land.

Nature Credit revenue: $90-200k pa*

Meta squares sold via website and blockchain for $100 each,

forecast revenue: $30,000 pa

_{*We use Nature Credits as the label for the impact documented through the eDNA analysis.}

15,000 available at $6* each = £90, 000 pa

(Nature Credits can vary from $6-$52 per tonne)

1 nature credit = 1-tonne carbon dioxide sequestered

The more revenue Project Jungle generates on commercial terms, the more land we can purchase, protect and follow the model.

How much does it all cost?

Initial land purchase: $165,000

One-off Trust and trading Co set-up fees via Panama attorney: $8,000

Other set-up costs including registration with Ciudad de Sabor (City of Knowledge) and accreditation set-up costs for jungle course: $5,000

Fintech set-up and web costs: $12,000

Contingency: $10,000

TOTAL $200,000

Annual Running costs

Annual Marketing budget: $40,000

Annual Maintenance& local Staff: $30,000

Annual Re-planting programme: $15,000

Accountancy, legals and admin: $3,000

Other sundry: $5,000

TOTAL $93,000

ALL UP TOTALS

One-off set-up costs and land purchase: £200 000

Annual Revenue: $290 000

Cost of operation: $93 000

GP: $193 000

INVESTMENT OVERVIEW

Leave a legacy –a true and tangible one
Become a Trustee of a fully transparent legal land-owning entity in Panama
Alignment to 5 of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) to combat climate change –real ESG in action
Removal of carbon, restoration of degraded land and habitat protection and growth in a primary rainforest, whilst training the next generation of rainforest guardians
Full eDNA analysis of the land health measured pre-project and throughout the life of the project minimum 30 years–tangible and credible
A commercially run endeavour held in trust that allows re-investment
in land maintenance, re-planting and ongoing future land purchases
We aim to raise an $250k, to cover one-off purchase of land and other set-up costs, plus provide 6 months of working capital in the project towards continued operation.

World Class jungle training

In our jungle will develop and sell world class jungle training courses. Courses will follow two themes:

· A recognised jungle training course, accessible to rangers, NGOs, students and travellers does not currently exist outside of military circles. We will create it.

· One-of-a-kind courses that hone skills within leadership, management, sustainability and team building.

Types of courses

Full Jungle Course 10 days
NGO Short Course 4 days
Reforestation & Jungle Explorer 5 days
Customizable courses for companies and NGO’s

Course topic catalogue

Leadership
Management
High-pressure environment and crisis management
Sustainability
Team building
Nature conservation
Interpretation
Bushcraft & self-reliance
Jungle navigation
Expedition planning
Wilderness medicine

Each of these subjects usually requires a stand-alone course. There are very few organizations that group these modules together in one all-encompassing training and no one else does it in a tropical jungle setting. Our course is tangible and credible through our certified instructors.

The ultimate ESG

Our project delivers ESG benefit in the most tangible manner imaginable.

Farming

We will restore illegally farmed land adjacent to a National Park back to its original state. This will eliminate soil degradation and reduce local use of fertilizers and antibiotics in local cattle seeping into soil and water streams.But we are not denying local farmers their trade: This land will be purchased at market rate, from a farmer with other operations elsewhere in less sensitive locations.

Deforestation

Since 1970 we have lost 69% of the world's biodiversity including many rare and top predator species.We mean to carry out actual physical reforestation: Planting new tropical rainforest.

Jungle training as legacy

The next generation of rangers, jungle advocates and experts will help us love, cherish, educate and protect this environment.