How one UK entrepreneur is helping businesses find a conservation story worth telling.

When Pam Moore founded Plant Protect, she had one clear conviction: that businesses deserved a conservation partnership they could actually feel proud of, not a compliance checkbox or a one-off transaction. Growing up in Liverpool surrounded by little greenery, she learned early that access to nature matters. Now a grandmother, she channels that lifelong belief into connecting UK businesses to verified, traceable impact in the Amazon and in Malawi.

Plant Protect works with businesses of every size, from founders taking their first step into sustainability to large organizations operating across multiple countries. Through Amazon Conservation’s business partnership program, each client receives specific, traceable impact numbers, a genuine conservation story to share, and regular updates from the field in Peru and Bolivia. It’s the kind of connection that travels through an organization, not just a line in a sustainability report, but something clients and staff talk about, share with their families, and genuinely feel proud of.

For Pam, the decision to build her model around causes like Amazon Conservation came from research and conviction in equal measure. She wanted to work with an organization that never overclaims, that grounds its communications in evidence, and that takes seriously both the protection of the forest and the rights of the indigenous communities who have been its greatest stewards for generations. We recently connected with Pam to hear more about the business she built, why the Amazon holds such a special place for her, and what she would say to any business owner still waiting to take that first step.

If your business is ready to do something real for the Amazon, explore our partnerships page or reach out to us at development@amazonconservation.org to start the conversation.

Read on to learn more about how Pam supports Amazon Conservation’s work as a Business Partner and what keeps her and her clients motivated. 

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Can you tell us about your background and your business, Plant Protect?

My name is Pam Moore and I’m the founder of Plant Protect. I was born in Liverpool in 1967 and grew up through the seventies in a city I love deeply, though the areas I moved through as a child were often quite deprived, with little greenery to speak of. What I noticed early on, and this stayed with me for the rest of my life, was that the places with trees, flowers and open green spaces were always the beautiful areas, the ones with lovely houses and thriving shops. In my young mind people who lived around big open spaces with lots of trees and greenery were happy and had lots of money.

Pam’s granddaughter, Ava.

I’m a grandmother now. My granddaughter Ava is fourteen and she is honestly the reason I do everything I do. When I look at her I think about the world she is going to inherit, and that thought doesn’t leave you alone once it takes hold.

Plant Protect is a UK-based conservation partnership that connects businesses to real, verified environmental impact. We work with two extraordinary organisations, Ripple Africa in Malawi, planting trees and fruit trees that feed families and keep children in school, and Amazon Conservation in Peru and Bolivia, protecting some of the most precious rainforest on the planet. Every business that joins us gets specific, traceable numbers, not estimates or vague promises, and a genuine story to tell. We work with businesses of every size, from smaller businesses taking their first proper step into sustainability, to larger organisations who want a named conservation partnership their people can genuinely feel proud of and share with the world.

Could you explain about how your business model works, as well as how and why it incorporates charitable giving?

The model is built around something I felt was missing when I first started looking at sustainability for businesses. Most options available to a business were either very complex, full of frameworks and audits and compliance language, or very transactional, a one-off contribution with little ongoing connection to the impact it created. I wanted to build something different. Something that didn’t just take a payment and move on, but stayed present, kept the story alive, and gave businesses something they could genuinely point to and feel proud of over time. Something real, structured and human.

For smaller businesses, Plant Protect works as a membership. They join at a tier that suits their size, and a portion of every membership goes directly to conservation, funding trees planted and forests preserved in Malawi, and supporting Amazon Conservation’s work in Peru and Bolivia. Alongside the conservation impact, they get a practical sustainability framework, a questionnaire, a personalised action plan and regular check-ins, so the membership gives them both something to feel and something to build on.

For larger businesses, the model is different. These are organisations that often already have sustainability covered on paper. What they are missing is a human story, something their teams across multiple countries can connect with and feel proud of rather than another policy sitting in a document nobody reads. For these clients we create a named Conservation Partnership, with specific verified impact numbers, quarterly reports featuring real photographs and stories from the field, and a fully managed relationship so they receive content and connection rather than another thing to administer.

What Plant Protect does for larger businesses goes far beyond packaging the work of our conservation partners. We create, manage and deliver a named, verified conservation partnership that belongs entirely to the client. Their specific impact numbers, their certificate, their story. We maintain the relationships with both Amazon Conservation and Ripple Africa on their behalf, we commission and structure the quarterly reports, we write the context and narrative that connects the field updates to the client’s own people and purpose, and we ensure that the extraordinary work happening on the ground in Peru, Bolivia and Malawi is translated into something a company’s people can hold, share and feel genuinely proud of. The photographs, the stories, the verified numbers, packaged and presented in a way that travels through an organisation and keeps the partnership alive and visible, not just at the moment of joining, but every single quarter for as long as the partnership continues.

In doing that, Plant Protect becomes the voice that tells the world what a business truly stands for. We showcase their empathy, their commitment to the planet, its people and its wildlife, in a way that reaches far beyond a policy document or a sustainability report. We help create real cultural change inside organisations, because when a member of staff sees that their CEO has chosen to plant trees in Malawi, to protect the Amazon, to feed families and support indigenous communities, something shifts. They don’t just work for a company anymore. They work for something worth talking about.

What initially inspired you to support environmental causes through your business?

Honestly, I never thought my passion for hugging trees and being in nature could become a business. I have always been that person, the one who stops to look at the trees, who feels genuinely restored by time outdoors, who has walked through green spaces since I was a child and felt something shift inside. But turning that into something commercially viable felt like a stretch for a long time.

What changed everything was a chance meeting with someone who was doing something similar, building a business with conservation at its heart. That conversation opened a door I hadn’t known was there. I thought, if they can do this, maybe I can too, but in my own way, in a way that fits who I am and what I genuinely believe.

And underneath all of it was Ava. My granddaughter is fourteen now and she is the emotional anchor for everything I build. I grew up in an era before we understood what we were doing to the planet. I think about my generation’s footprint, and I feel a real responsibility to spend whatever working years I have left doing something that matters for her future. Plant Protect is my answer to that feeling.

For you, why is it important to protect the Amazon?

Pam in the rainforests of Cambodia

I have always had a passion for the Amazon, ever since I can remember, and one of my genuine dreams is to visit it one day. There is something about the sheer scale and aliveness of it that has always moved me, even from a distance.

When I originally set up Plant Protect, I was working exclusively with Ripple Africa in Malawi. About two months in, I felt strongly that I wanted to do more, that the Amazon had to be part of the picture. So, I did my research, looked carefully at who was doing the most credible and serious work protecting it, and that research led me to Amazon Conservation. I am so glad it did.

Because once the Amazon is gone, it’s gone. That’s not a dramatic statement, it is simply true, and I think we need to say the plain truth more often rather than dressing it up in frameworks and targets. The Amazon is home to around ten percent of all species on Earth, it regulates our climate, shelters indigenous communities who have been its greatest protectors for generations, and supports biodiversity at a scale nothing else on the planet can replicate. Protecting it is not one option among many. It is essential.

What stands out about Amazon Conservation compared to other organizations and why did you choose to support their work?

I have to start by saying how much I love working with Nikki and Heather. They are both so genuinely helpful, warm and committed to what they do, and that matters enormously when you are building a partnership that you want to feel real rather than transactional. I very much hope one day to visit, to meet them both in person and to see for myself the extraordinary work this organisation is doing on the ground.

What drew me to Amazon Conservation above other organisations goes right to the heart of what I care about most deeply, and that is the indigenous communities and the wildlife. I get genuinely frustrated when I hear about the pressure on indigenous peoples to leave or change the way they have lived for generations. These communities are not obstacles to progress, they are the Amazon’s greatest protectors, and they deserve to have their territorial rights defended, not eroded. And the wildlife, the extraordinary, irreplaceable wildlife that exists nowhere else on Earth, the thought of losing species that have evolved over millions of years simply because we failed to act in time genuinely distresses me. What Amazon Conservation is doing on both of these issues, standing firmly alongside indigenous communities and using science and technology to protect the habitats that wildlife depends on, is exactly the kind of serious, committed, long term work that gives me real hope. That’s why I chose this organisation above all others, and why I am so proud to call this a genuine partnership.

I also love that Amazon Conservation never overclaims. The communication is honest, evidence-based and grounded in reality. For a business like Plant Protect, where integrity in everything we say is completely central to what we stand for, that alignment of values is not something I take for granted.

How have your business’s community and clients responded to this partnership?

With genuine emotion, which still surprises me sometimes even though it probably shouldn’t. When businesses receive their first update from the field with real photographs of the Amazon and the families in Malawi, something shifts. It stops being a line item or a badge on a website and becomes something their people actually talk about. I’ve had clients tell me their staff brought it up unprompted in a team meeting. One client told me their Managing Director shared it with his family over dinner.

That’s the thing about real stories. People remember them. A carbon reduction percentage doesn’t travel through an organization the way a photograph of a child standing next to a fruit tree their company funded does.

Our Circet partnership has been a particularly meaningful example of this. Circet is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading telecoms and infrastructure companies, operating across six countries, and their teams across all those countries are now connected to the same Amazon Conservation story. That reach, that breadth of human connection through one partnership, is exactly what Plant Protect was built to make possible.

Is there a favorite program or initiative that has stood out to you or your clients most?

For me it has to be the work Amazon Conservation does alongside indigenous communities. The combination of respecting and protecting the territorial rights of people who have called the Amazon home for generations, while at the same time using that deep local knowledge to strengthen conservation efforts, feels like exactly the right approach. These communities are not separate from the forest, they are part of it and supporting them is inseparable from protecting it.

The use of science and technology to monitor threats to the forest also genuinely excites me every time I learn more about it. The idea that deforestation and illegal activity can be tracked and responded to in near real time, that the people working to protect the Amazon have access to tools that give them a fighting chance against the forces that would destroy it, feels like the kind of innovation the planet desperately needs more of.

For our clients, the thing that tends to resonate most is simply knowing the scale of what Amazon Conservation protects, over ten million acres of the most biodiverse forest on Earth. When that number lands in a quarterly report alongside a photograph of the forest and the communities living within it, people feel the weight of it. It stops being an abstract statistic and becomes something worth fighting for.

What would you say to other environmentally-conscious people and businesses about how they can help make a difference and help conserve the Amazon and the planet?

Start. Just start. Don’t wait until you have a net zero strategy and a sustainability director and a perfectly formed ESG framework. Don’t wait until you feel qualified enough or informed enough or big enough. None of that is a prerequisite for doing something real.

The businesses that have moved me most since I started Plant Protect are not the ones with the biggest budgets or the most sophisticated sustainability strategies. They are the ones where someone, a founder, a CEO, a person with influence, decided they wanted their business to mean something beyond its balance sheet, and then took a step. One step. And then another.

The Amazon needs that. Malawi needs that. The planet needs that. And honestly, your people need it too, because there is something that happens inside a business when it connects to something larger than itself. People show up differently. They talk about their work differently. They feel proud.

Pam Moore, Founder of Plant Protect 

www.plantprotect.co.uk | pam@plantprotect.co.uk | +44 7872 330788

If your business is ready to do something real for the Amazon, explore our partnerships page or reach out to us at development@amazonconservation.org to start the conversation.

Every year, independent evaluators comb through nonprofit financial records, governance practices, and program data to help donors answer one of the most important questions in philanthropy: is this organization worth my trust?

We’re glad to share that in 2026, their answer about Amazon Conservation was yes, across the board.

Candid has renewed our Platinum Seal of Transparency, Charity Navigator has awarded us 4 stars for another consecutive year, and we’ve received accreditation from the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance for the first time. We’re proud of these results, and grateful to the team whose consistent, careful work makes them possible. If you’re not already familiar with how charity watchdogs work, or why their ratings matter to you as a donor, read on. Understanding what these organizations look for, and what it means when a nonprofit earns their top marks, can help you give with greater confidence, not just to us, but to any organization you choose to support.

Plus, if we’ve already earned your trust, scroll to the end: one of the watchdog platforms we work with invites reviews from donors and supporters, and a few words from you can go a long way toward helping others find us.

The Problem These Ratings Solve

Choosing a nonprofit to support isn’t always easy. There are hundreds of thousands of registered charities in the United States alone, and most of them will tell you, in good faith, that their work matters. The ones that are less effective, or less honest, will say the same thing.

Charity watchdogs exist to help donors cut through that noise. They do the investigative legwork that most donors don’t have time to do: scrutinizing tax filings, auditing governance structures, reviewing program data, and interviewing the communities an organization serves. Their ratings aren’t based on compelling storytelling or a beautiful website. They’re based on evidence.

When Amazon Conservation earns top marks from the most rigorous watchdogs in the field, it means independent evaluators, with no stake in our success, have looked hard at how we operate and concluded that we meet the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.

That’s what these ratings mean. That’s why they matter.

What the Watchdogs Found

Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency

Candid (formerly GuideStar) evaluates nonprofits on a single, essential question: how openly does an organization share information about itself? Financials, governance, leadership, strategy, impact metrics — Candid wants it all on the table.

The Platinum Seal is the highest level Candid awards, and it signals that an organization has met the most rigorous public reporting standards in the field. Only a small fraction of U.S. nonprofits hold Platinum status in any given year.

Amazon Conservation has earned and maintained the Platinum Seal for multiple consecutive years. You can explore our full Candid profile, including finances and leadership, here.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Accreditation

The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance is perhaps the most thorough evaluator on this list. To earn accreditation, a charity must demonstrate compliance with 20 standards of charity accountability, covering everything from board governance and conflict-of-interest policies to fundraising practices, financial oversight, and donor privacy.

We are honored to receive this accreditation for the first time in 2026. It reflects not just the integrity of our programs, but the care and rigor our team brings to every aspect of how this organization is run.

You can review our BBB Wise Giving Alliance report here.

Charity Navigator: 4 Stars Rating

Charity Navigator takes the broadest view of any major watchdog, evaluating nonprofits across financial health, program effectiveness, cost efficiency, long-term stability, and accountability practices. Its four-star rating, the highest it awards, signals that an organization exceeds best practices across nearly every dimension it measures.

Amazon Conservation has held a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for over 13 consecutive years. That’s not an accident or a lucky streak. It’s the product of consistent, disciplined organizational management across more than a decade.

You can review our full Charity Navigator profile here.

What It Means for Your Giving

These ratings don’t tell you whether the Amazon matters. You already know it does. What they tell you is that when you give to Amazon Conservation, your contribution is managed with care and deployed with accountability. That your gift reaches the forests, the scientists, the community rangers, and the policy advocates who are doing the actual work of protecting them. And that we will continue to report back to you, honestly, on what that work has achieved.

In a moment when the Amazon faces some of the most serious pressures in its history, from deforestation, mining, and climate change, the organizations working to protect it need to be as effective as possible. These ratings are independent confirmation that Amazon Conservation is.

One More Way to Help: Leave a Review on GreatNonprofits

There is one watchdog we haven’t mentioned yet, and it works a little differently. GreatNonprofits doesn’t evaluate financial records or governance structures. It asks the people who know us best, donors, partners, volunteers, and community members, to share their firsthand experience.

If you support Amazon Conservation and our mission, we’d love to hear from you. Your review helps others discover why this work is worth their support and contributes to our rating on the platform. Create a free account at GreatNonprofits and share more about why you support our work!

These recognitions belong to everyone who makes this work possible: our team on the ground, our partners across the Amazon, and the donors and supporters who trust us with their resources and their faith in what conservation can accomplish. Thank you, for that trust, and for helping us earn it again.

Smart Ways to Give After Tax Season (and Make Your Impact Go Further)

Tax season has ended, but the work of protecting the Amazon has not. At Amazon Conservation, safeguarding one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth means preserving biodiversity, supporting Indigenous and local communities, and helping address global climate challenges year-round.

Even today, many supporters are still reviewing their finances, updating plans, and deciding how to direct charitable support for the months ahead. If that is you, it may be helpful to consider “smart giving” options that can increase impact while also aligning with your financial goals.

Smart giving helps supporters match the way they give with the outcomes they want to see in the Amazon. These approaches can be efficient, and in many cases, tax-advantaged.

Below are four options to consider:

1. Appreciated stock or mutual funds: Donating long-held securities may allow you to avoid capital gains taxes and potentially deduct the full fair market value, helping expand conservation efforts across the Amazon.
2. IRA charitable distributions (for those 70½+): These gifts can count toward your required minimum distribution and may reduce taxable income while supporting critical environmental protection.
3. Donor-advised fund grants: Recommending a grant is a simple way to direct charitable dollars you’ve already set aside.
4. Cryptocurrency donations: These gifts may offer tax advantages similar to stock gifts while helping protect forests and wildlife.

Through our partnership with FreeWill, you can learn about each option and make a contribution in just a few minutes.

Learn more about smart giving options here.

Overview of What’s Changed for 2026

Beginning January 1, 2026, new federal tax rules introduced caps and thresholds on charitable deductions:

• Partial nondeductibility: The first portion of charitable giving is no longer deductible for many donors.
• Deduction cap: Large gifts now face limits on how much can be deducted.
• Senior benefit expired: The temporary extra deduction for donors aged 65+ applied only in 2025 and is no longer available.

These changes mean that while tax incentives are reduced, the value of giving remains strong—especially when aligned with strategies that go beyond deductions.

See our smart giving options here.

For questions, please contact: development@amazonconservation.org

Happy Earth Day!

Today is a reminder that protecting our planet is both a shared responsibility and a powerful opportunity to make a difference together.

This Earth Month, we have been sharing stories that show what the Power of Collective Action looks like in practice. From technology to policy, from data to community action, these efforts demonstrate how your support helps mobilize conservation impact at scale across the Amazon.

The Impact of Collective Action

What does the impact of the Power of Collective Action look like?

It looks like sustained partnerships on the ground, including our 25‑year alliance with Conservación Amazónica‑ACCA in Peru and our 15‑year alliance with Conservación Amazónica‑ACEAA in Bolivia. This long‑standing Alliance has built the foundation for monitoring, protecting, and restoring critical rainforest landscapes with a committed network of partners across the region. 

It also looks like our 6-year partnership with Fundación EcoCiencia in Ecuador, where we are working together to tackle one of the Amazon’s most complex challenges: illegal gold mining. Illegal gold mining is not a problem unique to Ecuador, nor is it one that will be effectively resolved with solely local action.

In words from Carmen Josse, Executive Director of Fundación EcoCiencia, we are detecting illegal mining and working toward policy solutions that confront the problem at its root.

This is the power of mobilizing conservation at scale: organizations, communities, and experts coming together to protect the Amazon, at the scale it demands.

Here are 6 ways you can show your support for Earth Day:

1. Make a Gift: The quickest, easiest, and perhaps most impactful way to show your support this Earth Month is to make a gift to Amazon Conservation. Click here to make a gift through our secure online platform or check out our Ways to Give.
2. Become a Wild Keeper and Get a Free Gift: Join our global community of sustaining donors who commit to the Amazon with impact that is consistent, easy, and manageable through automated month gifts. Sign up for a monthly gift of $10 or more this April* for a special bonus gift: an 18-month wall calendar with breathtaking photos of the incredible landscape where we work!
   

   *Please note: You must provide a mailing address when you sign up to take advantage of this limited-time offer. Signing up in April serves as a pre-order; calendars will be mailed out in June. This offer is for new and existing monthly donors whose gifts are active at time of shipping. Shipping is limited to the United States and Canada.

3. Start Your Own Earth Month Fundraiser: Harness the power of your community by getting your family and friends to join together for this cause. We can do more together than we can alone. Create your personalized, shareable online fundraiser here!
4. Explore a Business Partnership: Connect your employees and align your company with impactful conservation by supporting our work through in-kind or financial support, event sponsorship, and more. We would love to chat with you and tailor a custom sponsorship package that match your business’s specific goals.
5. Follow Along on Social Media (Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn): Connect with us to stay up to date on our work and on the situation on the ground in the Amazon. Interact with and reshare our content to help spread our message!
6. Make Amazon Conservation a Part of Your Legacy: Legacy gifts ensure that your commitment to conservation continues far into the future, safeguarding forests, wildlife, and communities. Through our partnership with FreeWill, you can create a will for free in just 20 minutes and easily designate a gift to Amazon Conservation as part of the process. Learn more and start your free will today to make a lasting impact.

This Earth Month, we invite you to be part of something bigger. 

Together, we have the power to protect the Amazon, and our planet.

New Year. Renewed Commitment. Join Us.

The start of a new year always brings a quiet moment to take stock of what matters, what we want to stand for, and where we choose to put our energy. As someone who cares deeply about our planet, you already know the difference dedicated individuals can make. As we embrace this fresh chapter and reflect on our resolutions, now is the perfect time to renew your commitment to protecting the world’s most important ecosystem: the Amazon Rainforest.

The Amazon is vital in stabilizing the global climate and home to irreplaceable biodiversity. It influences weather patterns across continents, stores immense amounts of carbon, and holds cultural traditions that have long protected these forests. Your commitment to keeping the Amazon standing helps strengthen this vital work.

Here are a few meaningful ways to turn your resolutions into action this year:

1. Visit the Amazon: Experiencing the Amazon firsthand can be transformative. If you’re able to, visiting community‑run lodges, research stations, or conservation areas allows you to learn directly from the people who know the forest best. Your presence supports local economies, uplifts community‑led tourism, and deepens your understanding of what’s at stake. Thoughtful, responsible travel can be a powerful way to connect your values with real places and real people. Plan your 2026 visit to our eco-lodges.
2. Amplify Awareness: One of the most meaningful first steps is helping more people understand why the Amazon matters and why this work matters to you. Consider creating a personal fundraiser and sharing your own connection to Amazon Conservation. A clear goal, a short message, and a photo make your fundraiser feel personal and relevant to your community, and your voice can inspire others to get involved. You can also share credible information and stories from Amazon Conservation to spark conversations and broaden awareness of what’s at stake.
3. Strengthen Our Roots: Sustained giving is the backbone of long‑term conservation. A monthly gift helps protect forests, support sustainable livelihood opportunities, and advance the research that guides effective action. By joining our Wild Keepers monthly giving program, you become part of a community of nature advocates working together to create steady, reliable impact.
4. Make a plan for the future. Creating an estate plan is a powerful way to care for the people, pets, places, and causes that matter most. Through our partnership with FreeWill, you can access a trusted, easy‑to‑use platform to create your will at no cost to you today. It’s a simple step that brings peace of mind and ensures your values carry forward. Start your plan today.
5. Engage and Empower: Indigenous and local communities lead some of the most effective conservation efforts in the Amazon. Supporting programs that provide tools, training, and resources strengthens their ability to protect their forests, families, and livelihoods. Tax‑smart giving options, such as a stock donation, grant from your Donor-Advised Fund, or a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), are a great way to maximize your impact.

By embracing these resolutions and taking intentional steps, you can help make 2026 a year of meaningful progress for the Amazon. Your actions today contribute to a future where this extraordinary forest continues to thrive for generations to come.

Thank you for making conservation part of your year.

Stay connected with us and follow our work via our Amazon Conservation email newsletter, and join us on social media (such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for updates, stories, and new opportunities to get involved.

Here’s to a year of action, hope, and lasting impact for the planet!

As our 25th anniversary year comes to a close, we are reflecting not only on the forests we’ve protected but also on the people who inspire this work. These are the people who made this journey possible, the loved ones who inspired gifts in their honor or memory. Each donation tells a story of legacy, love, and values carried forward into the future.

One of the most heartfelt ways supporters have chosen to give is through tribute gifts, or donations made in honor or memory of someone special. They are more than donations; they are a way to say “thank you,” “I appreciate you,” or “your values live on through me.” 

And during the holiday season, they’re also a beautiful, last‑minute gift idea. Instead of wrapping another item, you can surprise a loved one with a donation in their name that protects forests and uplifts communities.

Why Tribute Gifts Shine During the Holidays

• A perfect last‑minute gift. No shipping delays, no wrapping paper, just a heartfelt surprise that arrives instantly.
• A gift with impact. Tribute gifts protect forests and empower communities, carrying forward values that matter.
• A gift that honors relationships. Whether in memory or in honor, it’s a way to celebrate the people who inspire you.

How You Can Make Your Tribute

If you want to make a gift in honor or in memory of a loved one, you can do so at any time by checking the box labeled “Dedicate this donation” on our donation page. It’s a meaningful way to celebrate the holidays, honor someone important in your life, and protect forests for the future.

You and your community are helping us protect forests, uplift communities, and carry forward legacies that matter.

Stories of Honor and Memory

In preparation for our 25th anniversary this year, we invited donors like you to make a tribute gift in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. Each gift carries a story to share with our community of conservationists, and we want to share those stories with you:

• In honor of Amy Rosenthal, from Pamela Rosenthal.
• In honor of Agiimaa Kruchkin, from Jonathan Bryan.
• In honor of Annika Haftenberger, from Leander Haftenberger.
• In honor of Ben Estep.
• In honor of Ben Tamir, from Tali Klein.
• In honor and appreciation of Benjamin Levy, from Judy M. Huey.
• In honor and admiration of Betty Dvorsin, from Judy M. Huey.
• In honor of Birgitta Silfverhielm.
• In memory of Bobby Berenson.
• In memory of Bobbie Hamilton, from Thomas E. Hamilton.
• In honor of Brendon.
• In memory of Camilo Gaitan, from Juliana Achury.
• In honor of Carole and Jay Pershing, from Mary Pershing.
• In honor of Célèste, from Isabelle Sene.
• In honor of Charliy Erber.
• In honor of Chico.
• In honor of Chloe O’Gara, from Kate Malachowski.
• In honor of Christine Stinette, from Nicole Ford.
• In honor of Christopher Morris.
• In honor of Dana Novotny, from Michael R. Dalton.
• In memory of David Kappel, from Arlene Roth.
• In honor of Dominic Bianchi, from Gloria Paul.
• In honor of Don and Heather Ross, from Jenna Ross.
• In honor of Dorothy Tobin, from Benita J. Stambler.
• In honor of Draco Lawrence, from Anisa Valdez.
• In honor of Ed Esposito, from Stephen A. Esposito.
• In honor of Edith Kleiner, from Jillian Kleiner.
• In honor of Elijah Bradley, from Cami Bradley.
• In honor of Eliza, Georgia, and Katherine, from Lydia Shrestha.
• In honor of Eliza Rey, from Kenneth Swearengen.
• In honor of Engineers for a Sustainable World at UT Austin, from Suveda Sannidhi.
• In honor of Eric Baker and Bridget, Andy, Harriet, and Imogen Baker-White, from Bernadette M. Baker.
• In honor of Mr. Erik Baity, from Reginald Beatty.
• In honor of Eva Breznik, from Dejan Mec.
• In honor of Fated to Love You, a Chasing the Comet novel, from Kayla Cunningham.
• In honor of “The Fellas,” from David Yarus.
• In honor of Gastronzo, from Simona Ciccarini.
• In honor of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Baity, from Reginald Beatty.
• In honor of Grace Auyeung, from John C. Webster.
• In honor of Grandmother Ayahuasca, from Asger Hallgreen.
• In memory of Gustavo Fonesca, from Katrina Carter.
• In honor of Heather Hutchison, from Diane Richmond.
• In honor of Helene Lange, from Maximilian Muhle.
• In honor of Ida and Senai, from Sanya Folkesson.
• In honor of Indigo Maazel, from Fiona Maazel.
• In honor of James Briggs, from Pauline Sainsbury.
• In honor of Jane, from Peggy Holton.
• In memory of Jane Bachman, from Paul Bachman.
• In honor of Jane Vondrashek, from Cathy Geist.
• In honor of Jess and Rachel Riddle.
• In honor of Jill Caviglia-Harris, from Maria J. Gonzalez Ramirez.
• In memory of Jim “Jimmy” Parlee, from Mary E. Patterson.
• In honor of Jo Butterworth, from Joe Butterworth.
• In honor of Joe Slowbo.
• In memory of Dr. John W. Aiken, Friend and Mentor, from Tony Tomei.
• In honor of Joshua Brunisholz.
• In honor of Dr. Katrin Schrenk-Siemens.
• In honor of Kierstin Sieser.
• In honor of Kiyoka Akimoto, from Michael Jitosho.
• In honor of Lao Ye, from Evelyn Cao.
• In honor of Lauren, Oliver, Nastasia, Bibi, and Dani, from Pascal Besman.
• In memory of Lauren Avezzie, from The Lauren E. Avezzie Charitable Foundation.
• In honor of Liam Neeley-Brown, from Andrew Schaefer.
• In honor of Lilli Jones, from Christopher Jones.
• In honor of Lucia, Allison, Katie, and Kaia, from Delilah Flores.
• In honor of Lucidalva Boeri, from Yolanda Martin.
• In memory of Lucy Boeri.
• In memory of Dr. M. Anthony Reddy, from Manojkumar Saranathan.
• In honor of M. Anthony Reddy, from Hannah Greene.
• In honor of Madeline Compton.
• In memory of Marjorie Janice Rogalski, Environmentalist, from Richard Rogalski.
• In honor of Matt Hildebrans, from Laura Miller.
• In memory of M. E. Costello.
• In honor of our friend, Meghan Chapple.
• In honor of Mestre Cupijo, from Matteo Battistini.
• In honor of Michael Rodrigues, from Mark Rodrigues.
• In honor of Michelle Maidt, from Karen Von Der Bruegge.
• In honor of Miko Takei, from Kevin Smith.
• In memory of Mohammed Javed.
• In honor of Mother Earth, from Paul Chadwell.
• In honor and appreciation of Miles Terrell, from Judy M. Huey.
• In memory of Muse, from Elizabeth Mersky.
• In honor of Nancy Lauria, from Benita J. Stambler.
• In honor of Nash Miller, from Holly B. Kvinge.
• In honor of Neal and Colleen Mathes, from Mary Michalak.
• In honor of Niamh Kelly.
• In honor of Nolan Saumure, “Seal On Tour,” from Justin Saumure.
• In honor of Ollie Hiett, from Angela Gledstone.
• In honor of Ollie Hiett, from Leah Dowse.
• In honor of Oliver Hiett, from Mili Saul.
• In honor of Papa.
• In honor of the people who care for parks and nature in my town and beyond.
• In honor of Peter Roberts, from Shelly Roberts.
• In honor of Philipp and Kat.
• In memory of Pickle Parrot, from Arlene Roth.
• In honor of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Baity, from Reginald Beatty.
• In honor of Rebecca Callender, from Carla Callender.
• In honor of Reid Rumelt, from Cathy L. Burgess.
• In memory of Renee, Bob, and Murry Wolfson, from David Wolfson.
• In memory of Robert Marvin Gustafson, from Jon Gustafson.
• In honor of Roberta Buttau.
• In honor of Ronja Hermina Kastenbauer de Vries.
• In memory of Roxanne Barbeau.
• In honor of Ryan Howard, from Matthew Peters.
• In honor of Sam Irby.
• In honor of the SAN Voluntary Carbon Tax.
• In honor of Sonja Price, from Meredith Dinneen.
• In honor of SPAN 332.02 at Gonzaga University, from Rebecca Stephanis.
• In honor of Dr. Stephen Perz, from Tania Garcia-Solis.
• In honor of Steve Voorhees’s birthday and his caring and diligent work to save this planet, from Marion Marcovitz.
• In honor of Sylvia Work, from Sarah Work.
• In honor of Thaiza Romano, from Tamara Pires.
• In honor of Thomas Briggs, from Mark Sainsbury.
• In honor of Thomas Buechner.
• In memory of Trixie, from James M. Kahn.
• In memory of Verdi.
• In honor of William E. Hume, from William Bennett Hume.
• In honor of Youth Minds Group, NYC, from Elizabeth Fippinger.
• In honor of Yuting Cai, from Paul Johannes Schweigl.
• In honor of Zev Jacobs-Velde.
• In honor of Zev Jacobs-Velde, from Laurel Vander Velde.
• In honor of Zev Jacobs-Velde, from Leslie K. Rosen.
• In honor of Zev Jacobs-Velde, from Rebecca Goldfinger.
• In honor of Zoya Bhullar, from Navtej Bhullar.

Thank you to all who have inspired you, to all whose memory lives on, and to all who make the world a better place, one forest at a time.

Dear Friend of the Amazon,

My name is Nadia Mamani, and I come from the Madre de Dios region of Peru, a place of stunning beauty and deep cultural roots, but also one of the most threatened by illegal gold mining and deforestation.

Me (middle) after presenting at an experiences exchange with Indigenous leaders from Peru and Ecuador.

These activities have destroyed forests, poisoned rivers, and displaced local communities. Using GIS and remote sensing tools in my research opened my eyes to the true scale of the damage: vast stretches of forest lost, often in places unreachable on foot. But those same tools also gave me a powerful new way to take action.

Today, through Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP), I track illegal mining and deforestation from afar in real time. But what happens on the ground matters just as much. I regularly visit the region to work with local partners, Indigenous leaders, and community representatives, building trust, leading workshops, and training them to use satellite data to monitor and defend their territories. Together, we identify threats, assess ecosystems, and design strategies to protect the forest and prevent more loss.

For me, this work is deeply personal. Every training I lead, every analysis and report I create, and every new thing I learn from each of our local partners, is a way of giving back to my community and to the Indigenous leaders safeguarding the forest.

Your support makes this possible.

 
Together, we’re strengthening Indigenous partnerships and empowering local leaders to protect the Amazon for generations to come.

With heartfelt thanks,

Nadia Mamani
Senior Geospatial Analyst and Partner Strategy Lead
Amazon Conservation

What would you do if your future depended on the health of the forest around you? For many in the Amazon, that’s not a hypothetical—it’s daily life.

Across the rainforest, powerful stories are unfolding—stories of strength, hope, and courage. Indigenous communities and local leaders are working hard to protect the forest that sustains their life, food, and culture.

Thanks to your support, local communities are leading bold, transformative work to protect their forests. Their voices—full of wisdom and bravery—are guiding conservation in ways that respect tradition and shape sustainable futures.

At the heart of this movement are women. They are transforming forest-based resources into thriving livelihoods, passing down knowledge to future generations, and leading efforts to protect their forests and communities. Their stories remind us that protecting the Amazon is not just about preserving trees. It’s about uplifting people, cultures, and legacies.

“The Amazon represents something natural, something beautiful. [It] holds some value for each of us.”
— Elydanitza Yarari Monje

“[The Amazon] represents life for us, because [it] is what provides our needs for us as women and as rural communities.”
— Rosaldina Dumay Mocho

These women are shaping the future of the Amazon, one day at a time. They are passing down traditions of stewardship to their children. And thanks to donors like you, their impact can grow.

“What we always do as women is teach our children so that they can also get involved in taking care of the Amazon, in taking care of the environment and of the forest where we live. It is about passing this legacy on to our children.”
— Rosaldina Dumay Mocho

Your solidarity supports our work alongside our sister organization Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA in Bolivia that is creating opportunities and pathways for emerging leaders to thrive.

Hear directly from some of the women leading their communities in the Bolivian Amazon to protect the forest for future generations in this short video:

Your support matters now more than ever. Together, we can empower leaders and build resilient communities. 

Each and every day, these women are working hard to transform forest products like acai, Brazil nuts, and cacao into sustainable livelihoods—keeping trees standing and communities thriving. Their leadership proves a simple but powerful truth:

Conservation is strongest when led by those who call the forest home.

Your Support Amplifies Their Voices

Your generosity helps strengthen forest-based economies, empower women producers and Indigenous leaders, and safeguard one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. This year, your contribution directly supports the people whose lives and futures are intertwined with the Amazon.

When you give today, you’re investing in:

• Indigenous producers and women-led producer associations that turn forest resources into sustainable livelihoods, adding value to products like açaí berries, oils, and soaps.
• Local guardians and community-led conservation efforts to patrol, defend, and protect their territories, keeping forests standing for generations to come.
• Resources and workshops like Women Producing the Future, where Indigenous leaders share strategies to protect their forests.
• Youth engagement programs ensuring that the next generation of women and men will inherit a thriving forest and the knowledge to care for it.

Your gift doesn’t just protect trees—it uplifts families, strengthens communities, and advances long-term conservation solutions.

Act now: your gift before December 31 keeps this movement going strong into the new year.

Together, we can stand with local communities, protect critical forest resources, and secure a future where the Amazon thrives.

Amazon Conservation is an international conservation nonprofit working for the past 25 years toward building a thriving Amazon. The organization’s holistic approach focuses on working with local partners and allies to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work for conservation. 

Our on-the-ground work, as part of Amazon Conservation Alliance, is carried out through our sister organizations Conservación Amazónica-ACCA in Peru and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA in Bolivia, are geographically focused on the headwaters of the Amazon basin. From this base, we incubate solutions and scale through building partnerships across the region, including in Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela, where we have been strengthening coverage of our real-time monitoring efforts to combat illegal deforestation through our flagship Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP).

✅ Trusted. Transparent. Top-Rated. (Again).

What are Charity Watchdogs?

Charity Watchdog organizations independently review a charity’s financial records, accountability practices, and results to help donors discern which organizations are the most effective and trustworthy.

The Major Players

There are many Charity Watchdog sites out there, but some of the most notable and reputable include Charity Navigator, Candid (formerly GuideStar), and GreatNonprofits. Each has a unique rating system— but Amazon Conservation is top-rated by all of them. 

Consult the chart below to see which Charity Watchdog site has the information that’s most important to you.

Charity Watchdog	Evaluative Focus	Purpose
	Holistic view: Rating system analyzes program impact, cost efficiency, financial health, long-term stability, etc.	Helps donors quickly determine which nonprofits are strong, trustworthy choices (and which probably aren’t)
	Transparency: Whether and to what degree an organization publishes its data	Offers detailed public records (e.g., finances, governance) to shed light on behind-the-scenes operational practices
	Community Experience: Reviews from an organization’s donors, volunteers, partners, beneficiaries, etc.	Offers testimonials that demonstrate how people experience the organization beyond its metrics

Amazon Conservation’s 2025 Charity Watchdog Ratings: 

Charity Navigator: 4-Star Charity (Highest Rating), Score of 100 (Out of 100)

Meaning: A “Great” nonprofit (with a rating of 4 stars and a score of 90+) “exceeds or meets best practices and industry standards across almost all areas. Likely to be a highly-effective charity.”

Read more about how Charity Navigator scores nonprofits.

➡️ Check out our Charity Navigator profile by clicking here, searching for Amazon Conservation Association on the Charity Navigator site, or by visiting this URL: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/522211305. 

Candid: Platinum (Highest-Level) Seal of Transparency – Renewed 2025

Meaning: Amazon Conservation has complied with rigorous public reporting standards, including with regard to financials, strategy, impact metrics, and governance. According to data released this July, only 6% of all U.S. nonprofits earned the Platinum Seal in 2021 and/or 2022.

Read more about Candid’s Seals of Transparency.

➡️ Check out our Candid profile by clicking here, searching for Amazon Conservation Association in Candid’s nonprofit database, or by visiting this URL: https://app.candid.org/profile/7790364/. 

GreatNonprofits: 5-Star Rating (Out of 5), Top-Rated Badge

Meaning: Dozens of people familiar with Amazon Conservation have left us five-star ratings alongside their public comments about the organization. To achieve a top-rated badge, an organization must maintain a rating of 3.5+ stars and receive 10 positive story-based reviews during one calendar year.

Want to share your positive experience with Amazon Conservation? Click here to sign up and tell your story today.

➡️ Check out our GreatNonprofits profile here or by searching for Amazon Conservation Association using the GreatNonprofits site.

Why Does It Matter? 

To those with whom we’ve already built a trusting and long-standing relationship, these ratings may not feel surprising—you’ve seen our commitment and results firsthand. But Charity Watchdogs play an important role in showing new supporters and the broader public that our work is both transparent and effective. 

Our strong ratings validate the quality and integrity of our work on the ground, showing that our programs truly deliver for forests, wildlife, and local communities. They also build the donor confidence that fuels long-term conservation, enabling us to protect more acres and strengthen more frontline partners. In short, trusted organizations can make the biggest impact—and that impact is what keeps the Amazon thriving.

P.S. If you’re considering a year-end donation, trust what the watchdogs — and your instincts — already tell you: Amazon Conservation will put your gift to work where it truly matters.

This time of year invites reflection—on what we’ve accomplished together in our 25 years of Amazon Conservation and on the impact we hope to make next. Protecting the Amazon is a collective effort, made possible by people committed conservationists like you who choose to give in ways that reflect what they value. Whether you’re exploring tax-smart options to make your annual gift or simply want to deepen your support for the Amazon with an extra gift, here are several giving pathways that can help.

Do You Know All the Ways You Can Give?

1. Become a Wild Keeper as a Monthly Donor: Our Wild Keeper Monthly Giving Program provides steady, reliable support that allows us to strengthen long-term conservation programs across the Amazon. When making your online gift, simply select the “Monthly” option to join.
2. Smart Giving with DAF or QCD Contributions: If you have resources already set aside in a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) or retirement account, consider making a charitable contribution this year to take advantage of current tax benefits. Learn more here.
3. Smart Giving with Non-Cash Assets: Donating non-cash assets–including stocks, securities, and cryptocurrency–often comes with greater tax benefits for you, thereby both increasing the overall value of your contribution and making a sizable impact on our mission. Learn more here.
4. Smart Giving with Planned Gifts: Include Amazon Conservation in your will, trust, or estate plan to create a lasting legacy. Find out how to make your planned gift for free.
5. Matching Gifts & Other Options: Many employers offer a match for gifts made by employees, sometimes even including retirees and spouses. Explore matching options and other ways to give here.

Important Year-End Tax Updates

As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tax laws will change starting January 1, 2026. Making your gift now can help you secure the most favorable benefits while supporting urgent conservation efforts. Here are a few notable upcoming changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

For donors who itemize (vs. taking the standard deduction):

• A new nondeductible threshold: The first portion of charitable giving will no longer be deductible for some donors, reducing the after-tax value of gifts.
  Many donors are choosing to ‘bunch’ multiple years of giving into 2025—often through a Donor-Advised Fund—to maximize deductions.
• A new cap on total deductible giving: This shift could significantly reduce tax benefits for some donors.
  Make any cash or stock gifts—and contributions to your DAF—by December 31 to take full advantage of 2025’s more favorable rules.

For Donors Aged 65+: Those aged 65 and older may now claim an additional charitable deduction of up to $6,000 per individual, on top of the existing senior deduction. This temporary benefit makes 2025 an especially advantageous year to give.

Make the Most of Your 2025 Giving

This year offers unique opportunities to make a powerful impact while maximizing current tax benefits. Whether you give monthly, donate stock, contribute through a DAF, or plan a legacy gift, your generosity strengthens our priorities to protect the core of the Amazon, halt illegal deforestation, and strengthen forest-based economies and community-driven conservation that keep the Amazon standing.

Your gift today can protect wildlife and forests and build a thriving future generations.