We are excited to announce that our Manu Biological Station in Peru will feature brand new facilities in the shape of the Thomas Lovejoy Molecular Biology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change Laboratory, created in memory of renowned scientist and former Amazon Conservation Board Member Thomas Lovejoy. 

Tom has been a member of Amazon Conservation’s Board of Directors since 2009 and helped guide the strategic vision and direction of our organization. Since the 70s, he played a prominent role in establishing the Amazon as a global priority by being a long-time advocate in conservation, receiving many awards for his contributions and accomplishments to the field. He is credited for coining the term “biodiversity.” In honor of his many achievements, we are delighted to announce that this new laboratory will be up and running in September 2023. 

Our Founder Adrian Forsyth had many experiences with Tom in the rainforest, sharing that “Tom worked tirelessly until his last days in December 2021.” 

Alejandro Lopera, Manager of our Manu Biological Station, elaborates on the importance of this new laboratory, stating that “the Thomas Lovejoy Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory seeks to fill an existing gap in molecular biology research. The lack of infrastructure, research capacity, and scarcity of funds are obstacles that often prevent the advancement of research in Peru.”

This new Laboratory will provide ample resources for molecular studies including barcoding, metabarcoding, and Environmental DNA using Nanopore® technology, mercury analysis, and respirometry and thermal tolerance. In addition to a general laboratory, the building will also contain a photography room, a terrace for events, a digital herbarium and semi-permanent collections of insects and fish, and the Tom Lovejoy garden full of edible and attractive plants for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Alejandro goes in-depth on the role of this lab in research practices: “The lab has four main goals: first, to train local researchers in otherwise inaccessible molecular tools. Second, to have an on-site facility for DNA, eDNA, and mercury analysis. Third, to contribute with genetic sequences of the species that inhabit the Andes to the lowlands of the Amazon in collaboration with the University of Guelph and the IBOL platform. Finally, to offer researchers the unique opportunity to study in real-time the pressures and threats that affect the state of health of organisms and their habitats in the Amazon, which would not be possible to understand in a short space of time with other methodologies.”

The Thomas Lovejoy Molecular Biology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change Laboratory will serve as a fitting tribute to Thomas Lovejoy’s contributions to conservation biology and environmental science. By highlighting his work and his life, the facility can inspire and train future generations to follow in his footsteps and make similar contributions. The station’s promotion of biodiversity will not only educate visitors about its importance, but also encourage them to take measures to protect it and help build community connections, foster a sense of shared purpose and identity, and promote a more environmentally conscious and sustainable community.

This project has been made possible by the generosity of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Fiddlehead Foundation.

Aspiring to make a lasting positive impact but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered! Our Wild Keepers monthly giving program gives individuals the opportunity to join a community of conservationists, activists, and wildlife enthusiasts working together to protect the vital resources and biodiversity of the Amazon.

When it comes to protecting wild places and empowering people in the Amazon, the range of threats and drivers jeopardizing the future of these forests may make finding effective solutions seem intimidating. However, Amazon Conservation knows that protecting the Amazon requires real change and long-term solutions, which in turn require the sustained support of a team of changemakers committed to achieving our shared mission.

Our team of Wild Keepers provides ongoing monthly contributions that create a sustainable and impactful support system that provides a solid foundation for our work. By becoming a Wild Keeper today, you help advance our long-term conservation objectives and ensure your contributions make a real difference. 

Here are some of the unique impacts of our Wild Keepers program: 

 

• Consistency and long-term impact: Regular contributions ensure a steady and predictable stream of funding for our conservation programs. This stability allows us and the people we work with on the ground to plan projects more effectively, knowing we have a reliable source of support over time. By joining a monthly giving program, you become a vital partner in these long-term efforts that empower local people and make a sustained impact on the causes you care about.

 

• Increased giving power: As a Wild Keeper, you have the opportunity to give more over time. Since a larger one-time donation is not always feasible for everyone, contributing a feasible amount each month can add up to a substantial gift over the course of a year. This allows you to amplify impact over time without straining your budget. Since you’re also contributing to a pool of resources through the power of collective giving, our Wild Keepers help fund significant projects, drive innovation, and create lasting change across the Amazon.

 

• Convenience and ease: Our monthly giving program makes supporting a cause easy and convenient. Once you set up your monthly contribution, your contributions are automated, saving you the time and effort of remembering to donate or going through the hassle of filling out forms repeatedly. This simplicity allows you to focus on the impact you are making rather than the logistics of donating. 

 

• Empowerment and engagement: Joining our Wild Keepers program goes beyond the act of giving; it also empowers you to actively participate in the causes you care about. By aligning yourself with other Wild Keepers, you become part of a community of like-minded individuals who share the common vision of a thriving Amazon that sustains the full diversity of life. This community provides opportunities for engagement that deepen your connection to Amazon Conservation and allows you to see the direct impact of your support.

 

• Direct program benefits: Being a Wild Keeper means you’ll also have access to exclusive program benefits, including Wild Keeper-specific emails, news, and updates from the ground; local events; discounts to visit our Conservation Hubs and ecolodges in Peru; and participate in quarterly giveaways of unique handicrafts made by local artisans from the communities who thrive from your support. Learn more about these and other program benefits here.

 

So consider becoming a Wild Keeper today to take a stand to help fight deforestation and climate change. Join other passionate conservationists in building a transformative force for positive change. Together, we have the power to create a real, lasting impact on the Amazon!

Become a Wild Keeper Today! >

A series of reports have shown that deforestation caused by gold mining is escalating in the Ecuadorian Amazon (MAAP #186). Protected areas and indigenous territories such as Podocarpus National Park, Cuenca Alta del Río Nangaritza Protected Forest, and Shuar Arutam Indigenous territory have been highly susceptible to these activities, which are now beginning to affect the Cofán – Bermejo Ecological Reserve.

221 sites with mining activity have been identified since February 2023 on the southeastern outer margin of the reserve. Many of these cadasters where the accelerated growth of mining activities is concentrated are still in the process of being approved. 

Through the updated information of the MapBiomas Amazonía project (2022), it is evident that areas with mining activity have increased by 386 hectares, representing a growth of more than 350% within the last 5 years of analysis.

Four case studies within the area of analysis have been selected to exemplify the velocity with which mining activity has extended between 2017 – 2023. The total surface area affected by the mining of the four reported cases is 303 hectares, the equivalent of 420 professional soccer fields.

Read the full report HERE

 

Happy International Day for Biodiversity! In celebration of this day, we want to give special thanks to the many individuals and partners who have supported us in our conservation initiatives that contribute to our mission: to unite science, innovation, and people to protect biodiversity in the Amazon.

We also want to share our appreciation for all the parts of our ecosystems that keep our forests strong, rivers running, and climate regulated. Our passion for protecting biodiversity extends beyond admiring the beauty of the Amazon. No matter how big or small, every living being in the Amazon plays an important role in regulating this ecosystem – improving air and water quality, adapting to the warming climate, and sustaining all forms of life through mutualistic relationships.

Pollinators

We have come to know and love the role of bees in our environment, and how they are an important part of pollination for many plants and for supporting biodiversity. However, bees are not the only pollinators we rely on. Other winged insects prevalent throughout the Amazon such as butterflies, moths, and beetles can distribute pollen from one flower to the other. Even animals such as hummingbirds and bats are also contributors to pollination, keeping the process of reproduction flowing and promoting genetic diversity.

 

 

Indicator Species

Certain species in the rainforest are highly susceptible to their environment. Their well-being can easily be impacted by small changes in the ecosystem. Changes in their behavior, diet, absence, or presence are vital indicators for water, air, forest, and overall environmental quality in a particular area. From large mammals like the jaguar to insects like the dung beetle or plants like orchids, indicator species can come from all walks of life and help researchers track ecological changes to find ways in restoring the balance of forest ecosystems.

 

 

Seed Dispersers

Animals like the agouti often play the role of the ‘gardeners’ in the forest. They help with transporting nuts and seeds from one place to another. More often than not, these animals will forget where they buried their goodies, and within weeks, a new plant is born. Brazil nuts, most commonly distributed by the agouti, rely heavily on their seed dispersal for reproduction. Other animals like the Andean bear spread nutrients from fish and seeds through their waste across a wide range of areas.

 

 

 

Climate Regulators

The Amazon is the world’s largest carbon sink, absorbing 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, representing 5% of global emissions per year. This helps regulate climate change, reduce greenhouse gasses, and purify the air by absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen and sulfur dioxides. The Amazon’s forests also sequester, or store, more than 150 billion metric tons of carbon, which is more than one-third of all the carbon stored in tropical forests worldwide. In turn, these forests account for about 20% of the world’s oxygen, allowing us to maintain good air quality for human and animal respiration.

 

 

In order to keep this carbon in the ground and out of the atmosphere and keep regulating the world’s emissions, it’s important we keep these forests standing and these ecosystems healthy and thriving.

So on this International Day for Biodiversity, say thank you to all the wild creatures who help make our world a better place. Their hard work surely goes a long way!

 

 

 

In 1973, over 3.7 million acres of tropical forests were formalized as Manu National Park: a protected area located between the foothills of the Andes Mountains and Amazon basin in southeastern Peru. It serves as one of the most globally recognized areas for terrestrial biodiversity, and around 850 different species of birds, as well as rare species like the giant otter, have been identified here. In 2009, the National Park extended to cover the foothills of the Andes, totaling 4.24 million acres of protected areas. Today, 50 years later, the park continues to be a haven for conservation enthusiasts and researchers alike.

Amazon Conservation established the Manu (formerly Villa Carmen) Research Station  (pictured right) in August of 2010 as a conservation hub to promote sustainable agroforestry and aquaculture, host educational programs, and further incorporate local communities into conservation efforts. Its main intent is to do what we do best: contribute to the understanding and protection of the greater Manu landscape. 

The station is part of 7,500 acres of land within the UNESCO-designated Manu Biosphere Reserve, spanning an elevational gradient of 1,700 to almost 4,000 feet above sea level. It follows the Manu River basin that runs through the Madre de Dios and Cusco Departments, borders the Madre de Dios watershed, and Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in southeast Peru. Neighboring right on the edge of the National Park are two more of our research stations: Wayqecha Cloud Forest Research Station, located at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 9,800 feet above sea level, and down the Andes foothills near the southeastern edge of Manu National Park, Los Amigos Conservation Hub at less than 1,000 feet in elevation.

From cloud forests to montane and lowland rainforest, our stations work to support and protect an incredible array of species found in a variety of habitats. The vital areas protected within Manu National Park are a core part of the Manu-Madidi Corridor: 23.5 million-acre stretches of protected forests within the Manu National Park in Peru that connect with Madidi National Park in Bolivia. Protecting these large areas of biodiversity and ensuring connectivity for these landscapes not only helps protect habitat and food sources for wildlife in the region, but it is also an important tool for minimizing the impacts of climate change. As the planet continues to get warmer and ecosystems change, flora and fauna will need to adapt as well. Ecological corridors and increased connectivity provide species with more options to adapt, such as the ability to safely move uphill into cooler forests.

Despite the many factors that can threaten these vital habitats, Amazon Conservation is working hard with partners on the ground to protect these areas, using our technological and scientific expertise in combination with our history of successful partnerships with government agencies, as well as rural and indigenous communities that reside within and in buffer zones around Manu National Park. With new monitoring enforcements carried out by communities and government officials, key data for law enforcement, decision-making, and management can help strengthen protection measures for communities and governments, mitigating impacts from major threats.

As we celebrate this 50th Anniversary of Manu National Park, we greatly appreciate the government of Peru for all of its work to protect the incredible biodiversity of Manu National Park over the past 50 years. We are honored to work alongside partners from SERNANP (National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State), Serfor (National Forestry and Wildlife Service), Zoological Society of Frankfurt (FZS) and the San Diego Zoo, as well as other non-governmental organizations and local communities to protect the Manu Biosphere Reserve.

Read more about our conservation efforts on the ground, and how we work to keep biodiversity and local communities safe and sound.

As Earth Month comes to a close in these final days of April, we want to share some of the inspiring ways that supporters like you have helped empower future generations of conservationists. Whether we’re talking with local students who have grown up surrounded by rainforest or classrooms of students continents away, we have seen how enthusiastic young people in the Amazon and around the globe are about protecting the planet and its forests. 

At Amazon Conservation, Investing in Our Future means encouraging this appreciation for the Amazon and supporting future conservationists by:

1. Supporting local programs that help ensure today’s youth have the space and resources to learn about and feel inspired to protect their local forests. Programs like the Children’s Forest in the Bolivian community of Motacusal help safeguard spaces where communities can pass on local forest knowledge to their children and ensure that future generations have the opportunity to continue living healthy lives in the Amazon.

   Your contribution of just $25 can help safeguard 15 acres of forest to protect the home and resources of local Amazonian communities like Motacusal for future generations.

2. Creating opportunities for local youth to learn about the importance of their local forests and species and how to keep the Amazon standing. We believe environmental education is fundamental in inspiring young people to become conservationists, like the recently inaugurated Andean Bear Interpretation Center at our Wayqecha Conservation Hub in the cloud forests near Cuzco, Peru, located in an area encompassing a uniquely biodiverse landscape that bridges the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Rainforest. The Interpretation Center is an important space for connecting local youth with the nature and science of their region and empowering them to support local conservation efforts and become stewards of their forest.
   

   Your contribution of just $50 sponsors one local student to take part in an environmental education program that utilize resources like the Andean Bear Interpretation Center at Wayqecha to teach them about the local ecosystem, wildlife species, and the important role of protecting local habitat and resources to conserve the larger Amazon.

3. Providing new tools and resources for local students in the Amazon to observe and interact with their forests and native wildlife in new ways. These tools, paired with environmental education programs in local schools, help empower and inspire future generations of conservationists.

   Last December, we delivered 7 new high-quality binoculars to a school in the Municipality of Puerto Rico in the northern Bolivian Amazon and hosted a workshop with the school of 26 students between 4 and 16 years old to demonstrate how to use the binoculars to observe and record wildlife in the forests around their community. For many of these students, the experience provided new insight into the importance of preserving the forests in and around their community.

   Your contribution of just $100 can provide one set of new high-quality binoculars to local youth like those in Puerto Rico to empower them to learn about their forests and local wildlife in new ways.

4. Ensuring field experience and opportunities for local scientists to contribute to ground-breaking research and local conservation efforts at our Conservation Hubs. In 2022, supporters like you funded research scholarships to 4 young Peruvian scientists through the Catto Shaw 2022 internship program to spend seven months with Team Ukuku working to restore Andean bear habitat and food sources at our Wayqecha Conservation Hub. These scholarship programs are central to our work because they provide local scientists with competitive field experience, space to explore their home country’s ecosystems and biodiversity, and opportunities to better understand the importance of their local forests for the larger Amazon region.

   

   Click to learn more about Yessenia’s work with Team Ukuku.

   Your contribution of $1000 can help provide a scholarship for one local student to conduct field work and gain valuable biology experience at one of our research stations, thus inspiring future generations of local scientists to help conserve the Amazon.

5. Encouraging young supporters globally to get involved and help save the Amazon. Earlier this year, we partnered with Year 4 students at Avonwood Primary School in the United Kingdom to put together a fundraiser to raise £100 to raise awareness about the Amazon and our Los Amigos Conservation Hub in Peru. The 8-year-old students learned about the important species that depend on the rainforest and created wildlife portraits to fill a virtual gallery that they centered in their fundraiser to spread awareness and raise more than £170 for the Amazon, surpassing their goal by 70%!

   Thanks to these young students eager to make a difference and their family and friends for supporting them, we know the future of the Amazon and the planet depends on supporting our youngest conservationists today.

Continue reading “Earth Month Wrap Up: Invest in Our Future to Empower the Next Generation of Conservationists” →

Experts from Conservación Amazónica – ACCA in Peru hosted a training workshop in the use of the RAMI (Radar Mining Monitoring) tool at an event with the goal of building capacity and transferring technology to specialists in environmental monitoring at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability (SEMAS) in the Brazilian state of Pará.

The main objective of the training workshop held this past April 12-14 was to replicate Peru’s gold mining monitoring system in Brazil’s Tapajós River basin, located in Pará, using detection with radar images. In addition, it focused on improving SEMAS staff’s capacity to use free and open-source resources to process large amounts of data using the Google Earth Engine platform.

Conservación Amazónica – ACCA’s Director of GIS and Conservation Technology Sidney Novoa highlighted the similarities between Brazil’s and Peru’s territories, such as the presence of Indigenous territories, conservation and environmental protection areas, and national parks, which at times overlap with miners’ rights and mining licenses, generating land and resource conflicts. Because of these similarities, valuable lessons learned in Peru related to the implementation of monitoring technology may also be applicable in the Tapajós region. In addition, Sidney added that the technology transfer used to fight illegal mining in Peru was made possible thanks to the support of the Institute of Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification (IMAFLORA), which works closely with authorities from Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainability (SEMAS) who have also hired a local specialist to adapt the methodology to the region’s needs.

The RAMI tool, developed through a collaboration between Peruvian experts from Conservación Amazónica – ACCA and SERVIR-Amazonia, is a new geospatial technology tool that has been successfully implemented in the Madre de Dios region of Peru to help detect illegal gold mining activities. During the recent training workshop, our monitoring specialists shared their knowledge about RAMI’s programming language, data interpretation, and data qualification with the Brazilian environmental monitoring specialists.

SEMAS Secretary Mauro O’de Almeida explained that the Tapajós region was chosen for the RAMI operation because of the high levels of illegal gold mining activity. He hopes that this tool will help address the problem of illegal mining, which is a major challenge for environmental management in Pará and negatively impacts the region’s economy and natural resources.

RAMI will be a critical tool in reinforcing SEMAS’s environmental control and monitoring strategy by helping combat illegal mining, supervising licensed companies, and protecting the environment and communities that depend on these natural resources. In addition, this technology will be shared with other federal agencies in Pará to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and help ensure the sustainability of the Amazon.

RAMI is implemented by Conservación Amazónica – ACCA thanks to support of the SERVIR-Amazonia, a program developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Agency for Development International (USAID).

This April, the Municipality of Cobija in the Department of Pando along with our sister organization in Bolivia, Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, celebrated the first anniversary of the city’s first and only protected area. The Arroyo Bahía Conservation Area (known by the acronym ANGICAB in Spanish) protects 8,952 acres (3,623 hectares) of forests and critical water sources. The area has also been identified by the Bolivian government as a priority for biodiversity conservation.

ANGICAB was established in April 2022 thanks to support from the Andes Amazon Fund with the goal of protecting the Arroyo Bahía stream and watershed, which provide freshwater to more than 80,000 people including residents of Cobija, surrounding communities in the Department of Pando, and communities neighboring Pando in Peru to the west and in Brazil to the north and east. The conservation area also protects a range of flora and fauna, including more than 351 plant, 35 amphibian, 13 reptile, 185 bird, 32 mammal, and 30 fish species.

Since the 1980s, the Arroyo Bahía watershed has steadily lost forest cover due to a growing demand for land to raise livestock, which has progressively led to greater erosion, soil compaction, and sedimentation that clogs streams. This in turn has impacted forest regeneration, water and soil pollution, and a drop in water quality and potability for local residents. Local forest harvesters in the region have also noted a decrease in the production of Brazil nut trees in recent years in relation to these changes in the local forests and watershed.

Thanks to the establishment of ANGICAB, the local government of Cobija and Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA are optimistic that local residents will engage more in taking care of their local conservation area and protect the watershed from contamination and deforestation for their own health, the health of the ecosystem, and the health of the larger Amazon region. Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA continues to work together with the local government and local communities to complement sustainable land and water management through ANGICAB with programs that support sustainable livelihoods for local families and promote strategies that help mitigate floods, fires, pollution, and the effects of climate change.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Gordon Moore, Intel’s co-founder and close friend and supporter of Amazon Conservation.

Through the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Gordon has had a tremendous impact on our work to protect, conserve, and build a sustainable future for all those who call the Amazon Rainforest home. The foundation’s support of Amazon Conservation and our sister organizations has been paramount to getting us to where we are today, strengthening our science-driven approach to conservation and ensuring our focus on large, at-scale results.  

Our history with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is long, rich, and full of successes for conservation. The foundation’s most recent support to Amazon Conservation was in the form of a grant to enable the creation of our Wildlife Conservation Laboratory at our Los Amigos Conservation Hub, where we use field genomics to better understand local biodiversity as well as detect and track diseases in wildlife that could pose a risk to humans, potentially preventing future pandemics. 

In the past, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has supported our conservation projects in a myriad of ways from providing scholarships to young biologists to protecting our Los Amigos Conservation Concession from illegal loggers.

His legacy will continue to live on in our work as we strive to uphold his intent to “be innovative, intellectually rigorous, take risks, operate efficiently, exercise humility, and remain focused on measurable results.” 

We offer our condolences to the family and friends of Gordon Moore, and our eternal gratitude to his foundation for all the conservation it has made possible over the years. 

Spring is here and April is Earth Month! We’re celebrating the season of blooming and fresh starts by reflecting on ways we each can Invest in Our Future to Invest in Our Planet. Protecting the Amazon for future generations of animals and people who call it home is a huge task we can only achieve by working together and doing our part. Join us in Investing in Our Future to ensure a thriving Amazon for years to come. 

Here are 4 quick and easy ways you can Invest in Our Future and the Amazon this April:

1. Create your legacy for the Amazon by making your will today: Our trusted partner FreeWill is a great place to begin your estate planning process because it’s a free online solution that guides you through writing your will and making your legacy gift, all in about 20 minutes!

When you include Amazon Conservation in your estate plan, you’re investing in the future of our planet by ensuring our organization continues our fight well into the future. A legacy gift is an act of solidarity with our advocacy and education programs, which empower the youngest generations of future forest friends.

Make your will today and help us defend the Amazon for the next generation!

2. Become a Wild Keeper and help make our conservation programs more sustainable: When you donate to Amazon Conservation every month, you are providing the sustainable support we need to ensure the longevity of our programs on the ground across the rainforest. Starting your monthly donation of any amount in honor of Earth Month facilitates your giving plans and deepens your impact because recurring gifts help us plan for ongoing support of our most essential conservation efforts with long-term impacts.

Planting your seed as a Wild Keeper today means our programs that help prepare and empower youth will be able to flourish as youth conservationists, like these children in the community of Motacusal in the Bolivian Amazon and the Andean Bear Interpretation Center in the cloud forests of Peru, which serves as an important learning space for environmental education for local students and young scientists. 

Learn more about what it means to join our community of Wild Keepers here.

3. Learn the different ways to make your impact bloom: Do you know the variety of ways you can make your contribution to Amazon Conservation count? Check out our Ways to Give page and explore if your contribution might qualify for a match from your employer, explore other donation means that could mean bigger tax benefits, or consider sharing your love for the Amazon by selecting “I Want To Fundraise for This” on our Donation Page to start a Peer to Peer Fundraiser to raise funds to Invest in Our Future.

4. Get inspired! As you take in the start of spring and think about the future of the planet you want, share what inspires you. Work with your family, friends, and community to find a way that makes sense to plant your seeds. Plant a garden, go for a walk or bike ride, or share drawings or paintings of your favorite Amazon flora and fauna. Share your inspiration with us by tagging us @amazonconservation and using #InvestInTheAmazon!