Conservación Amazónica–ACCA, Amazon Conservation’s sister organization in Peru, held two workshops alongside geospatial scientists from the University of Richmond’s Amazon Frontier Spatial Analysis (ABSAT) team on June 9-10 and June 13-17 through ACCA’s partnership with the SERVIR-Amazonia program, an initiative of USAID and NASA. The goals of both workshops included showing how to analyze geospatial data and how to use geospatial science to detect ecosystem changes across borders and in indigenous landscapes.

The first workshop, “Ecosystem Services and Socio-Environmental Dynamics in Indigenous Landscapes,” took place on June 9 and 10 in the town of Puerto Breu in east-central Peru near the border with Brazil. In attendance were 122 indigenous leaders and representatives from 13 different Amazonian ethnic groups from Peru and Brazil. The workshop, led by the team from the University of Richmond, focused on how geospatial science can detect changes in Amazonian ecosystems as a result of alterations in the forest surface and these effects relate to climate change.

During the two-day event, indigenous representatives and leaders participated in activities to aid in recognizing and understanding the changes that their forests are undergoing. Participants learned about evapotranspiration, which is the way in which trees remove water from their bark as a result of tree respiration, and how this process has been altered due to climate change, resulting in forest degradation and the loss of the ecosystem services they offer.

The knowledge shared also included how the geospatial applications, known as “dashboards”, developed by the University of Richmond’s ABSAT team, work as information management tools to interactively monitor and analyze indicators and fundamental data related to deforestation, degradation, evapotranspiration, temperature, and precipitation in the cross-border area and territories between Peru and Brazil.

“The dashboard allows anyone to model or simulate a situation in which, for example, if forest is lost or if forest is transformed into another type of cover, what would be the consequences of this loss. If this could cause an increase in temperature, evapotranspiration reduction or water reduction,” said David Salisbury, leader of the University of Richmond’s ABSAT team.

David Salisbury, a professor at the University of Richmond, teaches representatives of different indigenous groups to read geospatial data and maps.

Through this workshop, we recognized the importance of collecting and incorporating the ancestral knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the Yuruá River basin. Given that they are the guardians of the forest, their knowledge and perspective may be able to identify blind spots that technology is not capable of identifying. For this reason, indigenous participation and ancestral knowledge are important contributions in developing the geospatial tool.

“Today, new generations are more prepared to face climate change, not only because of the tools that science provides them, but also because of the teachings to be the new leaders and guardians of this great forest – which is the Amazon – that they have learned from their parents and grandparents,” said María Elena Paredes, an Asháninka indigenous leader.

The second geospatial science workshop took place on June 13-17 on the campus of the National University of Ucayali in Pucallpa, Peru and focused on Cross-Border Corridors and Ecosystem Services of the Southwestern Amazon. The workshop included an overview of geospatial science and how it can help communities face climate change as well as the results of the ABSAT team’s latest geospatial research. There were 40 participants in attendance, including GIS analysts from local and national government entities from Peru and Brazil.

These workshops were made possible thanks to the valuable support of USAID. In addition, the technical and logistical needs were provided thanks to the work of various organizations including Conservacion Amazónica–ACCA and Upper Amazon Conservancy, and the workshops themselves were carried out with the support of representatives from SERVIR-Amazonía, the University of Richmond, and NASA.

On Thursday, June 16, Amazon Conservation inaugurated our gallery exhibit “A Changing Amazon: Climate Change and Conservation Solutions in the Amazon” at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, DC. The gallery exhibit, now open to the public through August 17, gives a visual retrospection of our work in Peru, explains how climate is affecting the Amazon, the role of Indigenous peoples in conservation, and showcases our conservation solutions in the region.

The gallery opening event included a cocktail reception with Peruvian fare and more than 40 guests including colleagues from the Norwegian and Peruvian Embassies, partners from IDB, USAID, World Bank, IUCN, an other organizations, as well as some of our most loyal supporters.

The highlight of the evening were the special remarks from the Peruvian Embassy, Bruce Babbitt, the former Governor of Arizona and former Secretary of the Interior; and Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, President of the COP 20 UN Climate Convention, former Peruvian Minister of the Environment, current Leader of the Climate and Energy Global Practice of World Wild Fund for Nature International, and recently-appointed Chair of IUCN’s newly established Climate Crisis Commission.

To kick us off, Germán Prado, Cultural Attaché for the Embassy of Peru, spoke on behalf of the Peruvian Ambassador, Oswaldo de Rivero, who unfortunately was ill and could not attend the event, expressing the importance of the Amazon for climate change and the Peruvian government’s support of conservation efforts to become a model for forest governance.

We then heard motivating words of wisdom from Bruce Babbitt, who reflected on how the beauty of the Amazon initially inspired him to support conservation efforts and how Amazon Conservation’s innovative conservation models centering science, technology, and local peoples has made him a long-time supporter of our work. Bruce also highlighted how working closely with governments like Peru and Norway has been a key to our long-term success on the ground.

John Beavers, Amazon Conservation’s Executive Director, spoke next, reflecting on how the photos in the gallery exhibit reminded him of the Amazon’s incomparable natural beauty as well as its fragility and how quickly it can all disappear without swift action and climate-smart conservation solutions. Spurred on by the desire to protect this fragile ecosystem, John described how Amazon Conservation is working on the ground to empower local people and governments to protect the forests on which they depend through forest-based economies that can better adapt to the changing climate and improved governance to mitigate the main drivers of deforestation.

Finally, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal provided an uplifting outlook on climate solutions and the future of the Amazon. As Manuel has seen in his work with WWF, COP 20, and now IUCN’s Climate Crisis Commission, organizations like Amazon Conservation are evolving and building climate into their work, and he believes that Amazon Conservation is doing the work that is needed to scale up climate and conservation solutions in our efforts to bring our climate-smart conservation solutions to more communities and countries across the region.

The gallery exhibit is open to the public during business hours at the Embassy of Peru in DC now through August 17.

Amazon Conservation would like to thank the Embassy of Peru in DC and Ambassador Oswaldo de Rivero for their support in hosting our “A Changing Amazon” exhibit and opening reception.

Drew Harper, an Atlanta-area native and current Minnesotan, has been a supporter of Amazon Conservation since 2012 and shares that the organization’s high ratings in transparency, accountability, and effectiveness stood out to him right from the beginning. When initially researching Amazon Conservation, Drew says, “I liked that it was a smaller organization, so I felt like my donation would make more of an impact. And I also liked that [Amazon Conservation] took a lot more of a creative approach to some of their programs.”

Since his first donation more than ten years ago, Drew has been passionate about supporting environmental conservation not only as a way to give back and protect the Amazon’s biodiversity and forests, but also as critical for the future. Drew shares, “I get concerned about the future and see a lot of destruction going on… I am hoping that we don’t hand a future down to subsequent generations that is basically dooming them to a worse life than what we’ve got.”

But Drew doesn’t want others to be discouraged by the doom and gloom of climate change. He encourages everyone who wants to make a difference to support organizations like Amazon Conservation and consider “the importance of acting, and acting now, to help address many of the environmental issues that we’ve got.”

 

Drew Harper
St Paul, MN. Supporter since 2012.

Can you tell us a little about you?
I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, originally. I moved around a little bit, but professionally, I’ve been an engineer pretty much my entire career. I just started a new job – 3rd week! – I’m now a sustainability manager at a food production company.

What initially inspired you to help conserve the Amazon rainforest? Why do you think it is important to protect it?
I would say from the very beginning I’ve always had an interest in environmental conservation, and if there’s any one cause that I would feel strongly about it’s environmental causes. I know there are a lot of things that would fall within that bucket, but conservation would be the biggest and then biodiversity would be another subsector of things that I’m strongly passionate about.

As far as why the Amazon specifically, I get concerned about the future and see a lot of destruction going on, that being one area that I see a lot of, but more widely prevalent. But I feel like the Amazon is both very important for the future – in terms of making sure that we continue to preserve what resources we’ve got – and then also included in that, maintaining the biodiversity.

Have you had a chance to visit the Amazon?
Not yet, it’s on the bucket list though!

How did you initially learn about Amazon Conservation?
So basically, I knew I wanted to donate to some organization. I knew I wanted it to be an environmental cause. So I went on Charity Navigator and started filtering through to see which charities were highest on the transparency and accountability type metrics and higher on effectiveness. So then that filtered it down to another level, and then once I had it down to a short list, the reason why I went with Amazon Conservation over some of the other ones that I was looking at is that I liked that it was a smaller organization, so I felt like my donation would make more of an impact. And I also liked that they took a lot more of a creative approach to their programs.

Why did you choose to support Amazon Conservation? What makes Amazon Conservation special to you?
They’re a smaller organization and they’re focused on working with the folks in that area, a lot more focus on cooperation as opposed to just straight enforcement of conservation. They also have a unique perspective on how they approach some of their programs. A program I’m a big fan of is MAAP [Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project], and the satellite systems that are constantly monitoring, constantly taking pictures of the deforestation that is going on and forwarding that information on to authorities and locals.

So that struck me as something that was pretty creative and novel. And I like that. I don’t know the true metrics, but when I look at effectiveness, in terms of how far each dollar goes, that’s a program that I would consider to be highly likely to be very effective.

Do you have a favorite program or initiative that stands out to you?
So the one that specifically stands out to me was the Brazil nut program because my impression of a lot of the other programs from some of the other charities was that it was conservation, but it almost felt like locking away the area and then… there wasn’t as much cooperation with the local inhabitants, whereas that program I felt strongly about because it felt like it aligned their incentives with what Amazon Conservation was hoping to accomplish so that it wouldn’t be conflict with the people living there locally. It’d be cooperation.

What would you say to other environmentally-conscious people who want to make a difference in the Amazon and help fight climate change?
I see it as multi-faceted. There’s so much environment around us that I think the donations is one thing, and that’s great, but bringing it into all kinds of spheres of their life – both in terms of their personal life, ways you can reduce your impact, whether it’s recycling, composting, reducing your usage, and so on – but then also trying to encourage local institutions to step up as well, whether that’s more government-type institutions or local businesses.

I feel like there’s enough that needs to be done that everyone needs to be pulling in the same direction for us to get to the ultimate goal because I don’t feel like just having a subset of people working on it is going to be as effective or accomplish what we need to. 

A big part of why I donate is I feel like I’ve been given a pretty good hand in life… so I feel like in some ways I have an obligation to give back. For a long time I stewed over what the best way to do that would be, and I would say that this is probably just one piece of that, but a very central piece, I think, on how I should be giving back to the world as a whole.

Do you have anything else to add that you’d like people to know?

I just want to impress upon the importance of acting, and acting now, to help address many of the environmental issues that we’ve got. In particular, the one that stands out to me is climate change, and I assume that is probably a big one for a lot of folks of my generation and subsequent generations, because I am hoping that we don’t hand a future down to subsequent generations that is basically dooming them to a worse life than what we’ve got and that I feel like if we don’t act soon, then that may be the direction that we are heading.

Join Drew and thousands of other donors in supporting Amazon Conservation’s work to protect wild places, empower people, and put science and technology to work. Find out ways you can give, including stock, planned giving, and donor-advised funds here.

In 2020, our sister organization on the ground in Bolivia, Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA, organized a journalism workshop to promote the ecosystem services and threats faced by the Madidi-Pilón Lajas-Cotapata Conservation Corridor. Though this conservation corridor is located in the biodiversity hotspot of the tropical Andes, it faces risks from encroaching illegal miners and loggers. Thus, the course, “Capacity-Building in Communication for Biodiversity Conservation in the Madidi-Pilón Lajas-Cotapata Conservation Corridor of Bolivia”, generated interest among journalists and university students both locally and abroad.

The Madidi-Pilón Lajas-Cotapata Conservation Corridor is a combination of three vast protected areas in Bolivia, the Madidi National Park, the Pilón – Lajas Biosphere Reserve, and the Cotapata National Park. These areas create a corridor that protects and connects more than 5.8 million acres of Amazonian forests, covering a mosaic of Andean rainforests, mainland Amazonian forests, mixed mountain and highland ecosystems, and lowlands. Corridors bridging patches of habitat that would otherwise be cleared are important for wildlife because native flora and fauna have better access to natural resources, which are normally scattered across a landscape and change based on seasons and climate. Corridors also protect essential water resources from contamination and pollution.

After a standstill due to the pandemic, at the beginning of 2022 the course was restarted to focus more on rural journalists, since the original course tailored to journalists in cities in universities.

Bolivian biologist Andrea Morales and environmental investigative journalist Jimena Mercado presented on the Corridor’s environmental, biological, and technical aspects, as well as shared the communication potential and journalistic approach. “It has definitely been something new for attendees, the topic of biodiversity conservation. Few were knowledgeable about what a corridor was. So I think the issue of threats to protected areas has been a powerful lesson for them….Although they are in contact in protected areas with environmental issues, they were not handling the terms correctly,” says Morales.

Luis Arteaga, Technical Director of Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA, points out that the course made it possible to explore concerns noted by students and journalists themselves. For example, Vicky Gonzáles, who was an attendee from Río Tv and based in Rurrenabaque, a small town on the Beni River in the Bolivian Amazon, said that, “We know what is happening, but here is where that information stays. What I liked the most is knowing that there are institutions that can help us disseminate this information internationally.”

To learn more about this initiative, click here.

 

 

In 2019, we reported record high levels of gold mining deforestation in the southern Peruvian Amazon, with the Camanti area in the Cusco region representing one of the top three most threatened areas after La Pampa and Upper Malinowski. But this past week the protected area was officially established as the Camanti Sostenible Conservation Concession, which covers 38,172 acres (15,448 hectares).

The Camanti conservation area includes ecologically important cloud forest along a notable altitudinal gradient of 1,800 to 7,200 feet (550-2,200 meters) above sea level. As a result, it is home to unique plants and animals only found in small elevational ranges. Species found in the Camanti Sostenible area include the rare pacarana (Dinomys branickii) along with endangered and threatened species such as the jaguar, giant anteater, giant armadillo, black-and-chestnut eagle, and the Andean bear.

Because Camanti Sostenible borders the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, the establishment of this area hinders the advancement of illegal mining that threatened indigenous communities in years past. At its eastern side is the 2.6 million acre Bahuaja Sonene National Park, while to the south and north are 172,800 acres of protected forests that we established in 2019 and 2020, the Ausangate Regional Conservation Area and Señor de la Cumbre. Thus, Camanti Sostenible adds to a mosaic of conservation areas, indigenous territories, and local forests that provide a corridor of forests necessary for species to ensure connectivity, functionality and ecological integrity in one of the most biodiverse areas of the world. 

 

This recognition is possible thanks to the joint work of our sister organization on the ground in Peru, Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, the Camanti Sostenible Association, the technical team at the Forestry and Wildlife Administration of Cusco, and the valuable financial support of the Proyecto Amazonía Resiliente – SERNANP UNDP, and Andes Amazon Fund.

 

The season of açaí harvesting has begun in the Bolivian Amazon. To welcome its return our sister organization on the ground in Bolivia, Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, celebrated at the department of Pando’s first annual Açaí Fair on April 13th.

 We’ve been working to strengthen and improve açaí harvesting for many years now, as the collection of açaí and other forest products is a key conservation and community development strategy because it can only grow in healthy forests, not in large-scale plantations. Thus, utilizing and improving the harvest of this renewable forest resource provides economic value to keeping forests standing.

The event included an açaí collection demonstration with Robinson Nacimento, a seasoned harvester from the native community of Trinchera in the Bolivian Amazon. To collect açaí, harvesters must climb trees up to 65 feet high and then carefully cut and descend with heavy bundles of fruit of up to 15 pounds. This is not without safety measures, as Misael Campos, the president of the Federation of Açaí and Amazonian Fruits of Pando (FEDAFAP) noted, “He’ll be following the Federation’s standards and security measures, like safety harnesses that we developed with institutions like Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA.” As Robinson explained the different equipment he used to harvest, he showed the harness that Misael referenced saying that, “It’s a  lifeline.” He also showed his bag to collect açai and a machete to cut the bundles of fruit from the branches.

To those not used to the açaí harvesting process, seeing Robinson scale the tree was a nerve-wracking experience. But Misael assured the group of his expertise and familiarity with the process, as harvesting is a regular activity for him. “The worry isn’t being able to retrieve the açaí. It’s that we won’t be able to eat all the berries that he collects!” He also emphasized that the Federation has been grateful to strengthen harvesting practices with help from institutions and nongovernmental organizations, such as ours. He also emphasized the potential to replicate the successes in safer and improved harvesting in other parts of the Bolivian Amazon, saying that, “We can apply this system to other zones as well…there are measures, there’s equipment. We as a Federation are available to share this experience, technology, and equipment that is advancing.”

Pando’s first Açaí Fair overall promoted the knowledge and processing of this key Amazonian fruit and brought together presenters and producers from the municipalities of Santa Rosa, Porvenir, Filadelfia and Puerto Rico. An array of açaí-based products were available to try or purchase, including different types of food and a variety of local crafts. The month of April is even recognized as the month of Amazonian fruits, and açaí has also been declared as part of the Pando’s natural heritage, as the fruit is highlighted for their economic potential and basis for the conservation of the Amazonian ecosystem. 

Learn more about how we partner with producers in Bolivia to improve the safety of harvesting and strengthen the productivity of forests.

 

Celebrate Earth Day like 9-year-old Aya, who was so inspired to protect the Amazon rainforest and all its ecosystem services that her new environmental club’s first fundraiser was held to conserve the Amazon.

In her third-grade class in Oakland, California, Aya learned about the impact of climate change on the environment and animals. After hearing about the number of species and critical habitats being threatened, Aya knew she wanted to take action. Thus, she started a student-run Stopping Global Warming Club to protect the Earth. They recently held their first fundraiser — a bake sale to protect the Amazon rainforest — that was a huge success, raising $745 that was then matched and tripled to $2,235! 

The inspiration behind Aya’s desire to start the Stopping Global Warming Club arose from her love for animals. “In my opinion, I think a lot of animals are super cute, and hearing about natural disasters and animals dying out made me feel upset,” she recalled. Aya knew she wanted to be a part of a group of like-minded conservationists, but the environmental clubs she researched were geared towards teens or adults. Unfazed, she took matters into her own hands. “When I looked online I saw clubs that are mostly for older people, like 18 or 21 year olds. And so I decided to start a club for younger people.”

The Stopping Global Warming Club currently has 13 members ranging from 5-13 years old. One is Aya’s friend Mira, who initially joined the club because she wanted to make friends in the neighborhood: “But then I learned a little more about global warming, and then I liked it more than just making friends. I liked helping the environment.” Mira added that her favorite animal in the Amazon is a capybara, correctly recalling that it is the world’s largest rodent. Now, Mira is even creating a play to stop global warming, telling us excitedly that, “I wrote the script already!”

The group decided to host their first fundraiser in March to support an environmental charity. When a member suggested that it benefit the Amazon rainforest, Aya agreed, as she recognized the major effects that deforestation has on the planet. “Protecting the Amazon rainforest protects those that live there. But also when you cut down a tree, gasses get released which affects people and animals in other places,” she explained. “I chose to support Amazon Conservation because, first of all, it’s not just any organization. It doesn’t just protect the Amazon rainforest, but it also works with indigenous peoples who really know about the forest, who really know about the different animals and plants.” 

The Stopping Global Warming Club’s initial bake sale fundraising goal was $50, which can protect around 100 acres of forest for a year at Amazon Conservation’s Los Amigos Conservation Area. They ended up reaching and surpassing that goal — raising $745 which was then matched and tripled to $2,235. This significant amount can train 20 local members of a firefighting brigade in the Amazon on how to combat and prevent forest fires, which is essential during the annual and destructive fire season that’s already begun. 

To others who are inspired to protect the Amazon rainforest, Aya encourages them to do so, saying, “Even if things sound impossible, you should still try to do them and who knows what could happen.” Mira added that, “This is a good cause, and people should start protecting the Amazon.”

This Earth Day, we celebrate young conservationists like Aya and her friends, who have been inspired by the incredible ecosystem services the Amazon offers – like habitat and food for animals and local communities alike.  Real change and impactful conservation efforts are critical to the future of the Amazon so that the next generation will also be able to enjoy the many resources the forest provides for years to come. Amazon Conservation is working hard on the ground to ensure a sustainable future for the forest by supporting sustainable livelihoods deep in the Amazon and protecting biodiverse zones in the Andean-Amazon region. With its countless ecosystem services from fresh water, clean air, and climate regulation to health foods, medical treatments and vaccines, and carbon sequestration, the Amazon is truly the greatest forest on Earth. 

 

 

Thus, we hope that today – on Earth Day – you strive to be like Aya and her friends by taking action to protect the forest and its resources.

 

 

 

This year, Earth Day celebrates all the incredible resources that this beautiful planet provides us. We are taking Earth Day a few steps furtherand celebrating the greatest wild forest on the planet for the entire month of April! We encourage everyone to start taking action for nature and the Amazon this April, but we hope this will be just the start as our planet needs real impactful and urgent action each and every day.

This Earth Month, we are encouraging everyone to #InvestintheAmazon and all of the ecosystem services it provides to everyone from local communities in the Amazon to people all across the globe. From drinkable water and unmatched biodiversity to climate change mitigation and economic resources, the ecosystem services this forest provides are central for the health of the entire planet.

Here are a few ways you can start making your lasting impact this April and make a real difference beyond Earth Month:

• Get a jumpstart on your commitment: Make an investment today!
• Share why you support Amazon Conservation’s work for a thriving Amazon by tagging @amazonconservation and using #InvestIntheAmazon on social media.
• But, most of all, ensure your impact is sustainable by signing up for our newly revamped Wild Keepers Monthly Giving Program.
  BONUS: All new Wild Keeper members in April will be entered in our Earth Month giveaway to win a special gift straight from the Amazon! Winner will be announced on May 5th via social media