ACA Appoints New Executive Director

Steve Panfil spends some time with members of the Qeros and Konipata communities in CuscoSince its establishment in 1999, Amazon Conservation Association has grown significantly and made great progress in Peru and Bolivia. During these first years, Cristian Vallejos successfully led the organization to greater horizons, consolidating a foundation for solid, effective programs have that surpassed even the highest initial expectations of colleagues, friends, and staff of the Organization.

As part of ACA’s adaptive strategy for meeting the coming challenges in conservation, we have appointed Steven Panfil as ACA’s new Executive Director, starting January 2006. Steve has a doctorate in botany from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in ecology from Princeton University

Based in Cusco, Peru, Steve has served as ACA’s Conservation Director for the past 3 years. With greater presence in the field, we expect to strengthen our relations with governmental organizations, local communities and other key partners in conservation. I would like to personally thank Cristian Vallejos for his excellent commitment and leadership during this important initial phase.

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New Agreement Signed with the Peruvian Government for Amazon Weather Stations

The Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca Amazónica (ACCA) and the Peruvian National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (SENAMHI) have signed a cooperative agreement that will enhance the network of weather stations throughout the Madre de Dios basin.

This two-year renewable agreement will upgrade SENAMHI-operated weather stations and integrate them with two stations monitored by ACCA. The staff responsible for collecting data at the stations will be mostly selected from the communities adjacent to the Los Amigos Conservation Concession, as a means to benefit the communities while achieving sustainable conservation. As part of this agreement

ACCA will also have access to historical data collected by SENAMHI in the Madre de Dios basin. Data obtained from these archives and from the stations will be critical in our ongoing efforts to monitor the impacts of climate change in the Andes-Amazon region.

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