Last month, we were thrilled to share that we’ll be taking part in one of the world’s most critical conservation summits— the CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. As global biodiversity faces unprecedented threats, this event offers a vital platform for shaping solutions to help protect ecosystems and species across the planet. 

As we dive into conversations that could redefine the future of conservation, our organization will be hosting an exclusive side event that unveils groundbreaking strategies and solutions implemented to intervene against illegal gold mining: one of the most prominent threats to the Amazon basin. 

As detailed in many of our ongoing MAAP reports, the Amazon is at risk of approaching a dangerous tipping point due to deforestation, converting itself from a lush forest to a savanna ecosystem and becoming a net carbon source. Illegal gold mining activities continue to escalate across this vital rainforest basin, devastating the health of surrounding communities, wildlife habitats, and water resources. Although protected areas cover more than 30% of the Amazon biome, deforestation and degradation continue to threaten the ecological health of millions of acres, and continued gold mining runs counter to an effectively conserved and well-connected network of protected areas in the region. 

Given the drastic environmental and social impacts of illegal gold mining, addressing this threat is essential to reducing the loss of areas with high biodiversity importance and ecological integrity, both of which are widespread in the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth. 

For this reason, Amazon Conservation will be hosting The Power of Technology and Partnerships to Stop Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon: a side event that will showcase the solutions devised and implemented by a constellation of civil society organizations working in the region to monitor in real-time the expansion of gold mining, compel governments to intervene against illegal mining, reduce its impacts – including through mercury pollution- and to track the illicit financial flows that fuel its expansion. 

We are eager to share our proposed efforts in combating illegal gold mining across the Amazon, inspiring advocacy and taking action to protect one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. 

Click here for more details on this event

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Updated as of December 2024: Click here to view the live recording of this event. 

 

In previous reports (MAAP #182, MAAP #219), evidence has shown that mining activities have increased in the Ecuadorian Amazon, drastically affecting protected areas and Indigenous territories.

Now, our newest report from MAAP,  MAAP #221, provides an in-depth analysis of four protected areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon that are currently threatened by mining activities. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery, this report details the impacts of these mining activities in the following areas:

• Podocarpus and Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Parks,
• Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve, and
• El Zarza Wildlife Refuge.

The analysis’s findings show that mining deforestation deep within Podocarpus National Park, along the Loyola River, has increased to 50 hectares, representing a growth of 125% between 2023 and 2024.

In other examples, we show how the rapid mining expansion within their buffer zones has recently penetrated the boundaries of the Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park and the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve.

 

Read the full report here. 

 

 

Our 2023 Impact Report is here! 

2023 was a year full of collaboration and ground-breaking endeavors that have allowed us to push the boundaries of conservation, extending our impact even further and deeper across the Amazon Basin. We are delighted to share our accomplishments with you, our committed community of supporters, and conservationists.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors that fuel our work across the region, we were able to accomplish major milestones in 2023: 

• Halting a massive deforestation project in the Amazon of Suriname by providing local partners with MAAP data that analyzed the impacts of a proposed land deal. This information reached the Surinamese government, and, following the publication of this MAAP report, the government officially announced the termination of this project that would have destroyed over 1 million acres of forests. 
• In coordination with our Peruvian sister organization, we helped establish a legal clinic to provide counsel to local and Indigenous communities fighting illegal deforestation in their forest homes. This support helped them confront nature crimes in their territories, enabling them to submit legal claims and prosecute illicit actors. 
• Through close collaboration with local partners and Indigenous groups, we provided actionable, real-time data that enabled local authorities to conduct 15 major field operations to stop incidents of illegal gold mining, one of them destroying roughly $11 million worth of mining equipment and heavy machinery, making this one of the largest illegal mining raids in Peruvian history. 
• Continued the hard work of protecting 9.3 million acres of wild places, and advanced in the long-term process of creating new protected areas that will protect millions more.

 

We are grateful to have such a dedicated network of supporters, partners, and team members who have helped drive our conservation efforts forward. These incredible achievements would not have been possible without YOU. Here’s to another great year of conservation! 

Click here to read our 2023 Annual Impact Report.

 

Earlier this year, we celebrated alongside our Bolivian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA Bolivia in the creation of the Arroyo Guarichona Natural Area in July, which now protects 199,435 hectares (492,814.8 acres) of vital natural spaces with savannas, lowland forests, and high biodiversity in Beni, Bolivia.

Now, several months later, we’re celebrating again with the official establishment of a new conservation area in Bolivia’s Pando region: the Tahuamanu – Orthon Conservation Area! On September 5th, the municipality of Porvenir and the Governor of Pando, Regis Richter Alencar, enacted the Departmental Law No. 031/2024, creating 308,470.69 (76,2247.7 acres) hectares of protected forests. This area is key to preserving the region’s natural heritage and promoting sustainable development that benefits both the environment and local communities. The establishment of this area consists of 3 major long-term goals: to protect biodiversity and promote the sustainable use of natural resources, secure resources for future generations, and promote the health, food security, access to water, and well-being of all who depend on them. 

Amidst the fires that are sweeping across the Amazon, the news of a new conservation area comes as an encouraging step towards mitigating the expansion of mining and the misuse of land, providing the region with an opportunity to safeguard its ecosystem and resources. The Pando region hosts unique biodiversity and natural resources, including valuable water supplies. Among these, the Tahuamanu and Orthon rivers are vital sources of life and support for many communities that rely on them directly for their economic sustenance. The creation of the Tahuamanu – Orthon Conservation Area also provides the chance to promote scientific research and Pando’s Amazonian identity. 

This achievement was accomplished thanks to the active participation of local communities and municipalities of Porvenir, Filadelfia, Bolpebra, Bella Flor, Puerto Rico, Santa Rosa del Abuná, Villa Nueva, and Ingavi San Pedro, which guaranteed inclusive and committed management of the area. The creation of this new conservation area would also not have been possible without the generous contributions of the Andes Amazon Fund.

Thanks to the hard work of these local participants and Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA in Bolivia, our total number of acres protected has grown from 9.3 million to 10.5 million! We are incredibly grateful for all the hard work that was put into achieving this major milestone, and we look forward to striving for a sustainable path towards a thriving Amazon. 

We are excited to announce that Amazon Conservation will be participating in this year’s COP16: The United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia!

As nations across the globe are beginning to witness the necessity for environmental action, many may still be wondering: what exactly is COP16, and why does this matter? COP16 refers to the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Enacted in 1992, The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a global treaty that brings nations together in conserving the planet’s biodiversity and developing sustainable solutions to using its resources. COP meetings are held biennially, and member countries gather to discuss new conservation strategies, and solutions to global issues concerning biodiversity, and assess progress in the implementation of the CBD. While many goals within the CBD require collective action, every nation is anticipated to contribute to making their own agreed-upon goals and targets a reality.

COP16 seeks to assess and advance the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at COP15, which establishes 2030 targets and 2050 goals to stop biodiversity loss, safeguard ecosystems, and foster sustainable development. As this year’s COP is hosted in an incredibly biodiverse landscape, governments, NGOs, Indigenous leaders, and civil society will be given the opportunity to highlight solutions and opportunities for preserving vital ecosystems and reversing habitat loss: both of which our entire planet depends on. 

In addition to participating in these imperative discussions, our organization will be hosting a special side event that highlights the issue of illegal gold mining, one of the most prominent threats to the Amazon basin. This side-event will detail various solutions devised and implemented to intervene against illegal mining via collaboration with civil society organizations who are monitoring the expansion of gold mining in real-time, compelling governments, and tracking the illicit financial flows that fuel its expansion. 

Date, time, and location of our event is subject to change as COP organizers finalize the schedule of side events. Sign up here to receive updates on it.

We look forward to having a presence at such a globally significant event that strives for conservation solutions that will benefit all who depend on Earth’s most vital ecosystems. 

Learn more about COP16

Out-of-control fires have been sweeping across the Amazon, coating the skylines of countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru with thick clouds of ash and smoke, leading to wildlife loss, school and facility closures, flight cancellations, and mass evacuations. Following a series of droughts earlier in the year, what was once a 3-month fire season has turned into a flaming 6-month nightmare, causing government officials to desperately seek international relief in hopes of stopping further damage to Amazonian forests and local communities. 

Using novel data from our real-time Amazon Fires Monitoring app, we documented over 260 major fires across the Amazon during last year’s fire season, impacting millions of acres of pristine forests. With this year’s high rates of deforestation in the Amazon and unprecedented droughts, we are seeing another severe fire season. Our Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Program (MAAP) Director Matt Finer has noted that our team is closely monitoring the current situation to help our sister organizations and partners on the ground take adequate action in understanding and preventing the spread of these fires. 

For the past few years, thanks to the generous support of our donor community, Amazon Conservation has helped local governments, communities, and the army in Bolivia – one of the countries most impacted by wildfires – mitigate fire risk by providing technical training and proper equipment to local fire brigades. Unfortunately, many local communities and municipalities’ firefighting teams are extremely underfunded and cannot fight these fires alone. In some parts of the Beni region, local fire brigades don’t even have access to water to combat fires, so this support we provide is vital to help prevent and combat fires. 

Despite these roadblocks, not all hope is lost. You can directly support our on-the-ground fire prevention and response efforts, including purchasing much-needed firefighting supplies and safety gear, mobilizing fire brigades to combat fires in remote regions, and supporting fire-free development and education programs to prevent future fires.

YOU have the power to protect these irreplaceable forests and the wildlife that call them home from potential destruction. Please consider supporting our efforts below. 

 

Take action and donate today!

A series of our previous MAAP reports have demonstrated the emergence and expansion of illegal gold mining deforestation in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, particularly in the area surrounding the Punino River, located between the provinces of Napo and Orellana. In our most recent report on this area (MAAP #206), this mining impact had expended into 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of land.

MAAP’s newest report, MAAP #219, provides an update on the growing mining activity in and around the Punino River basin during the first half of 2024. The Base Map presented here shows an increase of 420 hectares in 2024, bringing the total impact to 1,422 hectares since its inception in 2019. This total is equivalent to more than 2,000 professional soccer fields.

The Base Map also shows that the vast majority (90%) of the mining deforestation is likely illegal, occurring outside the limits of authorized mining areas. Mining deforestation has rapidly expanded to enter the limits of two protected areas: Sumaco-Napo Galeras National Park and El Chaco Municipal Conservation Area. In addition, mining deforestation is actively expanding within the boundaries of Indigenous territories of the Kichwa nationality.

Utilizing a series of satellite-based maps, this report details the rapid increase in this mining deforestation, especially in these protected areas and Indigenous territories.

Read the full report here.

 

Did you know that September 5th is International Amazon Rainforest Day? 

Originally started in Brazil to commemorate the creation of the Province of Amazonas, this day celebrates the global importance and beauty of the Amazon Rainforest and calls for urgent action to protect this vast biodiverse biome. This Amazon Rainforest Day, Amazon Conservation is celebrating the supporters and activists who are helping spread awareness about the impacts of climate change on the planet’s most vital resources. One of our youngest climate activists is 9-year-old Indigo, who has spent much of her summer writing songs and raising money to protect the Amazon. 

As she prepares to start the 5th grade, Indigo is working hard to spread the message of the importance of stopping global warming and protecting the Amazon. She wants people to understand how important the Amazon Rainforest is for the planet because the forest’s trees help clear the air we breathe from pollution and absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

“Global warming is a big problem, and I like all animals and I think all of them deserve to be protected.” – Indigo

Indigo encourages people “to get out there and tell the world about what’s wrong because that’s the best that you can do: spread awareness,” which is exactly what she has been busy doing this summer. In addition to reading her favorite books and playing her favorite board games, Indigo loves writing songs and playing the electric guitar, which she has played since she was 4. She has found that music is a great outlet for her climate activism, giving her space to share her message with the public and fundraise for the Amazon.

With the support of her mom Fiona, Indigo recently spent a day busking on the street, singing and playing guitar to raise funds for Amazon Conservation. Thanks to her hard work, Indigo raised an incredible $260 for our work to build a thriving and resilient Amazon!

To further her activism for the planet, Indigo has been working on her first rock song called “Nothing” about climate change. She is very eager to share her song with the public and was happy to share the lyrics for “Nothing” with our supporters: 

The Earth is burning all around us, and what do we do? Nothing.

The Earth is warming, glaciers melting, and rainforests disappearing. 

And what do we do? Nothing, nothing, nothing.

 

[Chorus:] How can we live in a world that’s going down?

We must do something to save our generation.

We must do something, not nothing.

 

The Earth is broken, but we can fix it by building up what we broke.

You can do something. Small, big, every effort counts.

Even one little thing – you can do something.

 

[Chorus:] How can we live in a world that’s going down?

We must do something to save our generation.

We must do something, not nothing.

Indigo plans to incorporate this catchy tune into her future fundraising efforts, but in the meantime encourages people to do even small things to help the planet. As her song says, whether it’s donating to or fundraising for a cause, picking up trash, using the car less, or trying to use clean energy, we must all do something, even if it feels small.

How is Indigo celebrating Amazon Rainforest Day? She plans to continue raising awareness and funds to help the planet by busking on the streets with her guitar and catchy rock songs. Eventually, she hopes to work on inventions that will do even more to help the Earth. So if you see Indigo out there, stop by and learn more about the importance of stopping global warming!

Looking for other ways to make a difference and protect the Amazon in honor of Amazon Rainforest Day? Consider incorporating a legacy gift in your will during National Make-A-Will-Month, exploring our non-cash donation options, or one of the many other ways to make a contribution for the Amazon.

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.