Aspiring to make a lasting positive impact but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! Our Wild Keepers monthly giving program gives individuals the opportunity to join a community of conservationists, activists, and wildlife enthusiasts working together to protect the vital resources and biodiversity of the Amazon.

When it comes to protecting wild places and empowering people in the Amazon, the range of threats and drivers jeopardizing the future of these forests may make finding effective solutions seem intimidating. However, Amazon Conservation knows that protecting the Amazon requires real change and long-term solutions, which in turn require the sustained support of a team of changemakers committed to achieving our shared mission.

Our team of Wild Keepers provides ongoing monthly contributions that create a sustainable and impactful support system that provides a solid foundation for our work. By becoming a Wild Keeper today, you help advance our long-term conservation objectives and ensure your contributions make a real difference. 

Here are some of the unique impacts of our Wild Keepers program: 

 

• Consistency and long-term impact: Regular contributions ensure a steady and predictable stream of funding for our conservation programs. This stability allows us and the people we work with on the ground to plan projects more effectively, knowing we have a reliable source of support over time. By joining a monthly giving program, you become a vital partner in these long-term efforts that empower local people and make a sustained impact on the causes you care about.

 

• Increased giving power: As a Wild Keeper, you have the opportunity to give more over time. Since a larger one-time donation is not always feasible for everyone, contributing a feasible amount each month can add up to a substantial gift over the course of a year. This allows you to amplify impact over time without straining your budget. Since you’re also contributing to a pool of resources through the power of collective giving, our Wild Keepers help fund significant projects, drive innovation, and create lasting change across the Amazon.

 

• Convenience and ease: Our monthly giving program makes supporting a cause easy and convenient. Once you set up your monthly contribution, your contributions are automated, saving you the time and effort of remembering to donate or going through the hassle of filling out forms repeatedly. This simplicity allows you to focus on the impact you are making rather than the logistics of donating. 

 

• Empowerment and engagement: Joining our Wild Keepers program goes beyond the act of giving; it also empowers you to actively participate in the causes you care about. By aligning yourself with other Wild Keepers, you become part of a community of like-minded individuals who share the common vision of a thriving Amazon that sustains the full diversity of life. This community provides opportunities for engagement that deepen your connection to Amazon Conservation and allows you to see the direct impact of your support.

 

• Direct program benefits: Being a Wild Keeper means you’ll also have access to exclusive program benefits, including Wild Keeper-specific emails, news, and updates from the ground; local events; discounts to visit our Conservation Hubs and ecolodges in Peru; and participate in quarterly giveaways of unique handicrafts made by local artisans from the communities who thrive from your support. Learn more about these and other program benefits here.

 

So consider becoming a Wild Keeper today to take a stand to help fight deforestation and climate change. Join other passionate conservationists in building a transformative force for positive change. Together, we have the power to create a real, lasting impact on the Amazon!

Become a Wild Keeper Today! >

A series of reports have shown that deforestation caused by gold mining is escalating in the Ecuadorian Amazon (MAAP #186). Protected areas and indigenous territories such as Podocarpus National Park, Cuenca Alta del Río Nangaritza Protected Forest, and Shuar Arutam Indigenous territory have been highly susceptible to these activities, which are now beginning to affect the Cofán – Bermejo Ecological Reserve.

221 sites with mining activity have been identified since February 2023 on the southeastern outer margin of the reserve. Many of these cadasters where the accelerated growth of mining activities is concentrated are still in the process of being approved. 

Through the updated information of the MapBiomas Amazonía project (2022), it is evident that areas with mining activity have increased by 386 hectares, representing a growth of more than 350% within the last 5 years of analysis.

Four case studies within the area of analysis have been selected to exemplify the velocity with which mining activity has extended between 2017 – 2023. The total surface area affected by the mining of the four reported cases is 303 hectares, the equivalent of 420 professional soccer fields.

Read the full report HERE

 

Happy International Day for Biodiversity! In celebration of this day, we want to give special thanks to the many individuals and partners who have supported us in our conservation initiatives that contribute to our mission: to unite science, innovation, and people to protect biodiversity in the Amazon.

We also want to share our appreciation for all the parts of our ecosystems that keep our forests strong, rivers running, and climate regulated. Our passion for protecting biodiversity extends beyond admiring the beauty of the Amazon. No matter how big or small, every living being in the Amazon plays an important role in regulating this ecosystem – improving air and water quality, adapting to the warming climate, and sustaining all forms of life through mutualistic relationships.

Pollinators

We have come to know and love the role of bees in our environment, and how they are an important part of pollination for many plants and for supporting biodiversity. However, bees are not the only pollinators we rely on. Other winged insects prevalent throughout the Amazon such as butterflies, moths, and beetles can distribute pollen from one flower to the other. Even animals such as hummingbirds and bats are also contributors to pollination, keeping the process of reproduction flowing and promoting genetic diversity.

 

 

Indicator Species

Certain species in the rainforest are highly susceptible to their environment. Their well-being can easily be impacted by small changes in the ecosystem. Changes in their behavior, diet, absence, or presence are vital indicators for water, air, forest, and overall environmental quality in a particular area. From large mammals like the jaguar to insects like the dung beetle or plants like orchids, indicator species can come from all walks of life and help researchers track ecological changes to find ways in restoring the balance of forest ecosystems.

 

 

Seed Dispersers

Animals like the agouti often play the role of the ‘gardeners’ in the forest. They help with transporting nuts and seeds from one place to another. More often than not, these animals will forget where they buried their goodies, and within weeks, a new plant is born. Brazil nuts, most commonly distributed by the agouti, rely heavily on their seed dispersal for reproduction. Other animals like the Andean bear spread nutrients from fish and seeds through their waste across a wide range of areas.

 

 

 

Climate Regulators

The Amazon is the world’s largest carbon sink, absorbing 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, representing 5% of global emissions per year. This helps regulate climate change, reduce greenhouse gasses, and purify the air by absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen and sulfur dioxides. The Amazon’s forests also sequester, or store, more than 150 billion metric tons of carbon, which is more than one-third of all the carbon stored in tropical forests worldwide. In turn, these forests account for about 20% of the world’s oxygen, allowing us to maintain good air quality for human and animal respiration.

 

 

In order to keep this carbon in the ground and out of the atmosphere and keep regulating the world’s emissions, it’s important we keep these forests standing and these ecosystems healthy and thriving.

So on this International Day for Biodiversity, say thank you to all the wild creatures who help make our world a better place. Their hard work surely goes a long way!

 

 

 

In 1973, over 3.7 million acres of tropical forests were formalized as Manu National Park: a protected area located between the foothills of the Andes Mountains and Amazon basin in southeastern Peru. It serves as one of the most globally recognized areas for terrestrial biodiversity, and around 850 different species of birds, as well as rare species like the giant otter, have been identified here. In 2009, the National Park extended to cover the foothills of the Andes, totaling 4.24 million acres of protected areas. Today, 50 years later, the park continues to be a haven for conservation enthusiasts and researchers alike.

Amazon Conservation established the Manu (formerly Villa Carmen) Research Station  (pictured right) in August of 2010 as a conservation hub to promote sustainable agroforestry and aquaculture, host educational programs, and further incorporate local communities into conservation efforts. Its main intent is to do what we do best: contribute to the understanding and protection of the greater Manu landscape. 

The station is part of 7,500 acres of land within the UNESCO-designated Manu Biosphere Reserve, spanning an elevational gradient of 1,700 to almost 4,000 feet above sea level. It follows the Manu River basin that runs through the Madre de Dios and Cusco Departments, borders the Madre de Dios watershed, and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in southeast Peru. Neighboring right on the edge of the National Park are two more of our research stations: Wayqecha Cloud Forest Research Station, located at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 9,800 feet above sea level, and down the Andes foothills near the southeastern edge of Manu National Park, Los Amigos Conservation Hub at less than 1,000 feet in elevation.

From cloud forests to montane and lowland rainforest, our stations work to support and protect an incredible array of species found in a variety of habitats. The vital areas protected within Manu National Park are a core part of the Manu-Madidi Corridor: 23.5 million-acre stretches of protected forests within the Manu National Park in Peru that connect with Madidi National Park in Bolivia. Protecting these large areas of biodiversity and ensuring connectivity for these landscapes not only helps protect habitat and food sources for wildlife in the region, but it is also an important tool for minimizing the impacts of climate change. As the planet continues to get warmer and ecosystems change, flora and fauna will need to adapt as well. Ecological corridors and increased connectivity provide species with more options to adapt, such as the ability to safely move uphill into cooler forests.

Despite the many factors that can threaten these vital habitats, Amazon Conservation is working hard with partners on the ground to protect these areas, using our technological and scientific expertise in combination with our history of successful partnerships with government agencies, as well as rural and indigenous communities that reside within and in buffer zones around Manu National Park. With new monitoring enforcements carried out by communities and government officials, key data for law enforcement, decision-making, and management can help strengthen protection measures for communities and governments, mitigating impacts from major threats.

As we celebrate this 50th Anniversary of Manu National Park, we greatly appreciate the government of Peru for all of its work to protect the incredible biodiversity of Manu National Park over the past 50 years. We are honored to work alongside partners from SERNANP (National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State), Serfor (National Forestry and Wildlife Service), Zoological Society of Frankfurt (FZS) and the San Diego Zoo, as well as other non-governmental organizations and local communities to protect the Manu Biosphere Reserve.

Read more about our conservation efforts on the ground, and how we work to keep biodiversity and local communities safe and sound.