A report in ‘The Call to El Dorado’ newsletter said the state-of-the-art facility at Mauishparu along the Linden-Lethem road was completed in November at a cost of US$180,000.

The 140-metre-long structure is part of a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) support project for the development of eco-tourism in and around the Iwokrama forest.

It consists of five suspension bridges, entrance and exit structures and four canopy observation platforms, the highest being 30 metres above ground, allowing stunning views above the canopy and across a valley to a distant mountain range.

The design of the walkway is the first of its kind, using newly developed, low impact “tree-hugger” technology, which allows for the growth and movement of all of the trees in its system, the newsletter said.

This allows for the tension of the suspension to be spread over a wider area of each tree in the system, putting less stress on each tree and on any specific area of the forest.

The aluminium walkway is lighter and much more durable and requires less maintenance than the closest option - Guyanese hardwoods, which are the densest in the world, the newsletter said.

The facility is entirely suspended and has been designed and constructed to meet the standards set by the Government of Canada for outdoor walkways and suspended structures.

Construction was done by the Greenheart Conservation Company of Canada, supported by a team of construction assistants and labourers from the communities of North Rupununi.

“This state-of-the-art designed walkway, while being a tourist attraction, will also serve the needs of the scientific community by offering an opportunity to observe forest flora and fauna from above ground,” the newsletter said.

And the Iwokrama International Centre website said it is expected that “this unique facility will be a notable addition to Iwokrama and Guyana's ecotourism offerings.

“Visitors will be able to experience the rainforest from the unusual vantage point of 33 metres above ground amongst the tree tops. Researchers will also be able to use the facility to work in this normally inaccessible location.”

The walkway is, in the interim, being put to limited use until its opening next year.