First use of a canopy raft in rainforest research

In October 1986, French biologist Francis Halle led the first expedition to the canopy of the rainforest in Snake Creek, Guyana. His team used a canopy raft designed by pioneering French balloonist Dany Cleyet-Marrel, which was dropped onto the top of the rainforest canopy by an aerostat. The raft itself was a 580-square-metre hexagon, which used air-inflated beams and polyvinyl chloride netting. Weighing just 750 kg, this raft was designed to rest on top of the rainforest canopy without damaging new growth. This first expedition, which also counted as field trials, allowed scientists to sample trees and plants and preserve them for later study.

Later designs improved visibility through the net, higher stability in wind and better access from the ground.