Our MAAP program specializes in reporting on the most urgent deforestation threats facing the Amazon and producing big-picture analyses of key Amazon-wide issues. However, In our latest report, MAAP #218, we present a unique view into the complicated but critical issue of the deaths of environmental defenders in various parts of Peru’s Amazon, orchestrated by invaders seeking to exploit its resources.

Between 2010 and 2022, an estimated 29 Peruvian environmentalists and Indigenous leaders were killed while defending various parts of Peru’s Amazon from invaders seeking to exploit its resources. More importantly, the frequency of these murders has increased in recent years, with nearly half (14 out of 29) occurring since 2020.

To provide a better understanding of the context of their deaths, this report examines the relationship between the location of these killings and deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. From this, our MAAP team’s findings indicate that these murders are connected to five major issues in the Peruvian Amazon: Illegal gold mining, Illegal logging, Illicit crops (coca), Land trafficking, and Protesting.

The Base Map to the right shows the location of the 29 documented environmental defenders killed in Peru between 2010-2022, and indicates the environmental issue related to each death as the suspected or confirmed motive for the crime. It is important to note that many of the murders occurred in geographic clusters that coincide with the major environmental conflict of that specific area. For example, gold mining is a major cause of conflict in the southern Peruvian Amazon, while illegal logging and illicit crops are more common threats in the central Peruvian Amazon.

The report then focuses on three of the major threats related to the murders — Illegal gold mining, Illegal logging, and Illicit crops — with more in-depth descriptions and key case studies, and reviews the current regulatory basis related to environmental defender deaths in Peru.

Read the full report here.

 

Ever wonder who’s working behind the scenes at Amazon Conservation? In addition to our incredible staff members, we also have a Board of Directors who provide their expertise and financial support to guide us on our strategic mission of empowering people, protecting wild places, and putting science and technology to work to keep the Amazon thriving.

In 2021, breast cancer specialist and passionate birder Carolyn Hendricks joined our board to expand her role as a conservationist, not only for the Amazon but for her local community members and wildlife as well. Before Amazon Conservation, Carolyn had been a part of the American Bird Conservancy and NatureServe, and currently serves as vice president for the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. Thanks to a few friendly connections made through birding, this path has led her to join the Amazon Conservation Board.

Read on to learn more about Carolyn’s story!

Can you tell us a little about you?

I am a breast cancer specialist by profession but I have evolved into a community conservationist over the past 20 years. My passion for conservation started with birding and bird conservation. An expanding circle of birders led me to join the board of the American Bird Conservancy for nearly a decade which led to other connections and conservation board work including NatureServe. My involvement in land conservation started when my husband and I purchased 80 acres of land in southwestern Pennsylvania from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) and constructed a one-of-a-kind sustainable home on the property. I’m engaged in many activities centered on land stewardship with WPC including nature trail maintenance, outreach to local landowners, and wildflower plantings. I work on a local demonstration forest and serve on the board of the Woodlands Owners of the Southern Alleghenies. My birding world now includes regular raptor and grassland bird surveys, board service for the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology, and a coordinator role in the recently launched Pennsylvania 3rd Bird Atlas.

What got you interested in environmental conservation?

Working with conservation groups at the local level in southwestern Pennsylvania has incentivized me to expand my activities and support to the national and international levels. It is clear to me that enacting positive change for our environment requires a significant scale. The increasing threats that our wildlife and ecosystems are facing truly require global efforts.

How did you initially learn about Amazon Conservation?

I was introduced to Amazon Conservation by our current Board Chairman Jim Brumm who I consider a lifelong and valued friend. Our paths to conservation have crisscrossed in many ways over the years, most recently during our shared tenure as board members for Amazon Conservation. He helped me to realize that the solutions that Amazon Conservation proposes for the Amazon are extremely appealing and worthy of support: to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work.

As a Board member, what are you most impressed/proud of from Amazon Conservation?

Over the past 20 years, Amazon Conservation has evolved from a small organization conceived by our two founders to coordinate projects and fundraising for the Amazon in the US, Peru, and Bolivia. It is now a much larger, ambitious, and effective organization with multiple partners across the Amazon whose shared goal is to conserve the world’s largest rainforest which is at a tipping point. The highlight of my board service so far has been to attend a board retreat at Mashaquipe in Beni, Bolivia attended by the staff of the members of our Alliance. It provided an opportunity to meet some of the amazing people who do the work of the organization, for example, biologist Ruthmery Pillco who leads the Andean Bear Reforestation Project. She was honored shortly after our board meeting as one of National Geographic’s Emerging Explorers. I’m also impressed by the scope of the work that is being done in the MAAP program with its measurable outcomes which have been achieved by highlighting the devastation occurring in the Amazon created by deforestation and illegal gold mining.

What have you learned from being a Board Member?

Board service has provided me with a window into the complexity of the environmental problems in the Amazon and the importance of the gains that have been achieved by Amazon Conservation over the past 20 years. The territories and habitats are vast and the communities, governments, and indigenous groups that stand to benefit from the Amazon Conservation’s approaches could not be more varied. I am convinced that the work Amazon Conservation is doing is critical to the region and needs to grow and expand within a partnership framework.

Why do you think it is important to protect the Amazon rainforest?

The Amazon rainforest is arguably the most important habitat on Earth because of its critical role in our carbon cycle and the incredible diversity of the people and species that inhabit it.

What would you say to other environmentally-conscious people who want to make a difference in the Amazon and help fight climate change?

My personal choice and my recommendation for other similarly-minded individuals is to support Amazon Conservation. The gains have been tangible and there is a lot more work to be done.

 

August reminds us of the importance of legacy and preparation, as it’s National Make-A-Will month! Make-A-Will month is a time that empowers us to think about the future and ensure our intentions are honored so that we can rest easy knowing the future we craft today will be bright and green tomorrow.

Amazon Conservation is proud to partner with FreeWill, a tool that simplifies the will-making process. It’s a trusted resource that over a million people have used to create their plans for the future. Plus, it offers an easy way to make your favorite cause a part of your legacy, such as keeping the Amazon thriving.

Here are some compelling reasons to take action now:

• Security: Your will lays out your wishes clearly, granting you peace of mind knowing your vision for the future is in place.
• Peace of mind: Assure care for loved ones and pets so they’re well taken care of no matter what.
• Impact: Electing a beneficiary for non-probate assets is important, as some of these are not covered in your will.

Create my free will

In around 20 minutes, you can create a plan that:

• Achieves certainty, knowing your wishes are clearly outlined.
• Embeds your values into a document that honors your loved ones and the causes you
  treasure.
• Makes a mark on the world by supporting the Amazon’s preservation for years to come.

Create your will this month, and let’s continue to envision a thriving Amazon that sustains the full diversity of life. Your actions today can echo through the canopy of time.

 

P.S. If Amazon Conservation is already part of your plans, please let us know by filling out this quick form!

The Amazon biome plays a vital role in stabilizing global climate, having long been one of the largest carbon sinks in the world. Despite this, accurate estimations of this carbon have been a challenge. Still, thanks to new satellite-based technologies providing major advances (most notably NASA’s GEDI mission [see MAAP #213] and, most recently, Planet Forest Carbon Diligence), MAAP has been able to collect new data sets that give a more detailed estimate of the total above-ground carbon in the Amazon. 

MAAP #215 presents an analysis of Planet’s cutting-edge new dataset, featuring a 10-year historical time series (2013 – 2022) with wall-to-wall estimates for aboveground carbon density at 30-meter resolution. Through a generous sharing agreement with Planet, we have been granted access to this data across the entire Amazon biome for the analysis presented in the following three-part series:

1. Estimate and illustrate total aboveground forest carbon across the Amazon biome in unprecedented detail (see below).
2. Highlight which parts of the Amazon are home to the highest aboveground carbon levels, including protected areas and Indigenous territories (see part 2).
3. Present emblematic deforestation cases have resulted in the highest aboveground carbon emissions across the Amazon (see part 3).

This report presents the major results for part 1. More reports on parts 2 and 3 will follow in the upcoming weeks. 

Based on our analysis of Planet Forest Carbon Diligence, we estimate that the Amazon contained 56.8 billion metric tons of aboveground carbon, as of 2022 (see Base Map), with peak carbon levels largely concentrated in the southwest Amazon (southern Peru and adjacent western Brazil) and northeast Amazon (northeast Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname).

The Countries with the most aboveground carbon are 1) Brazil (57%), 2) Peru (15%), 3) Colombia (7%), 4) Venezuela (6%), and 5) Bolivia (6%). These countries are followed by Guyana (3%), Suriname (3%), Ecuador (2%), and French Guiana (2%). 

 

Read the full report here.