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.

 

August reminds us of the importance of legacy and preparation, as it’s National Make-A-Will month! Make-A-Will month is a time that empowers us to think about the future and ensure our intentions are honored so that we can rest easy knowing the future we craft today will be bright and green tomorrow.

Amazon Conservation is proud to partner with FreeWill, a tool that simplifies the will-making process. It’s a trusted resource that over a million people have used to create their plans for the future. Plus, it offers an easy way to make your favorite cause a part of your legacy, such as keeping the Amazon thriving.

Here are some compelling reasons to take action now:

• Security: Your will lays out your wishes clearly, granting you peace of mind knowing your vision for the future is in place.
• Peace of mind: Assure care for loved ones and pets so they’re well taken care of no matter what.
• Impact: Electing a beneficiary for non-probate assets is important, as some of these are not covered in your will.

Create my free will

In around 20 minutes, you can create a plan that:

• Achieves certainty, knowing your wishes are clearly outlined.
• Embeds your values into a document that honors your loved ones and the causes you
  treasure.
• Makes a mark on the world by supporting the Amazon’s preservation for years to come.

Create your will this month, and let’s continue to envision a thriving Amazon that sustains the full diversity of life. Your actions today can echo through the canopy of time.

P.S. If Amazon Conservation is already part of your plans, please let us know by filling out this quick form!

The Amazon biome plays a vital role in stabilizing global climate, having long been one of the largest carbon sinks in the world. Despite this, accurate estimations of this carbon have been a challenge. Still, thanks to new satellite-based technologies providing major advances (most notably NASA’s GEDI mission [see MAAP #213] and, most recently, Planet Forest Carbon Diligence), MAAP has been able to collect new data sets that give a more detailed estimate of the total above-ground carbon in the Amazon. 

MAAP #215 presents an analysis of Planet’s cutting-edge new dataset, featuring a 10-year historical time series (2013 – 2022) with wall-to-wall estimates for aboveground carbon density at 30-meter resolution. Through a generous sharing agreement with Planet, we have been granted access to this data across the entire Amazon biome for the analysis presented in the following three-part series:

1. Estimate and illustrate total aboveground forest carbon across the Amazon biome in unprecedented detail (see below).
2. Highlight which parts of the Amazon are home to the highest aboveground carbon levels, including protected areas and Indigenous territories (see part 2).
3. Present emblematic deforestation cases have resulted in the highest aboveground carbon emissions across the Amazon (see part 3).

This report presents the major results for part 1. More reports on parts 2 and 3 will follow in the upcoming weeks. 

Based on our analysis of Planet Forest Carbon Diligence, we estimate that the Amazon contained 56.8 billion metric tons of aboveground carbon, as of 2022 (see Base Map), with peak carbon levels largely concentrated in the southwest Amazon (southern Peru and adjacent western Brazil) and northeast Amazon (northeast Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname).

The Countries with the most aboveground carbon are 1) Brazil (57%), 2) Peru (15%), 3) Colombia (7%), 4) Venezuela (6%), and 5) Bolivia (6%). These countries are followed by Guyana (3%), Suriname (3%), Ecuador (2%), and French Guiana (2%). 

Read the full report here.

Agriculture has become one of the leading causes of deforestation across the Amazon. As MAAP has continued to closely monitor its impacts, a burst of new data and online visualization tools are revealing key land use patterns across the Amazon, particularly regarding the critical topic of agriculture. MAAP #214, merges and analyzes these new datasets to provide our first overall estimate of Amazonian land use, the most detailed effort to date across all nine countries of the biome that zooms in on three key regions to show the data in greater detail:
The Eastern Brazilian Amazon, Andean Amazon (Peru and Ecuador), and Northeast Amazon (Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana).

These new datasets include:

• Crops. The International Food Policy Research Institute, with support from WRI’s Land & Carbon Lab, recently launched the latest version of their innovative crop monitoring product, the Spatial Production Allocation Model (SPAM), featuring spatial data for 46 crops.
• Cattle pasture. The Atlas of Pastures, developed by the Federal University of Goiás, facilitates access to data regarding Brazilian cattle pastures generated by MapBiomas.

The Base Map above illustrates the following major findings:

1) Crops
40 crops in the SPAM dataset overlap with the Amazon, covering over 106 million hectares (13% of the Amazon biome).

Soybean covers over 67.5 million hectares, mostly concentrated in southern Brazil and Bolivia. Relatedly, maize covers 70 million hectares, often as a secondary rotational crop with soy.

Oil palm covers nearly 8 million hectares, concentrated in eastern Brazil, central Peru, northern Ecuador, and northern Colombia.

Cocoa and coffee are concentrated in the Andean Amazon zones of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia (8 million and 6.7 million hectares, respectively).

Other major crops across the Amazon include rice (13.8 million hectares), sorghum (10.9 million hectares), cassava (9.8 million hectares), sugarcane (9.6 million hectares), and wheat (5.8 million hectares).

2) Cattle Pasture
Cattle pasture covers 76.3 million hectares (9% of the Amazon biome). The vast majority (92%) of the pasture is in Brazil, followed by Colombia and Bolivia.

3) Crops + Cattle Pasture
Overall, accounting for overlaps between the data, it is estimated that crops and pasture combined cover 115.8 million hectares.

This total is the equivalent of 19% of the Amazon biome. For comparison, open-pit gold mining covered 1.9 million hectares (0.23% of the Amazon biome).

Read the full report here. 

As part of a significant step in advancing the sustainable management of regional conservation areas in Peru, our sister organization in Peru Conservación Amazónica–ACCA donated 290,000 Peruvian Soles (about $77,100) to the Cuzco Regional Government in support of a project aiming to create a regional system of protected areas in the country’s Andes-Amazon region. This initiative arises from an agreement between the Cuzco Regional Government and Conservación Amazónica–ACCA to sustainably manage the Chuyapi Urusayhua Regional Conservation Area (RCA), one of the region’s five RCAs.

Thanks to the financial support of the Andes Amazon Fund, this is Conservación Amazónica–ACCA’s third donation to the Cuzco Regional Government totaling more than 725,500 Soles (about $193,100) since 2022. These funds are dedicated to the sustainable management of several Regional Conservation Areas including Ausangate, Tres Cañones, and Chuyapi Urusayhua. With this latest contribution, Conservación Amazónica–ACCA and the Cuzco Regional Government continue to consolidate their commitment to the conservation and environmental management of the region’s rich biodiversity.

The Chuyapi Urusayhua RCA was established in 2021 to conserve water resources; to preserve vulnerable ecosystems, including highland grasslands called punas and the Yungas forests; and to protect emblematic species such as the Andean bear (or spectacled bear), cock-of-the-rock, puma, and jaguarundi. The recent funds from Conservación Amazónica–ACCA supports continued control and surveillance activities, sustainable economic activities, and a range of conservation and protection mechanisms that help further the overarching objectives of the RCAs.

The latest donation reinforces the commitment of both entities to the protection of biodiversity, natural resources, and the well-being of local communities. The ongoing partnership demonstrates that joint efforts can more effectively achieve shared objectives, and it shows the Cuzco Regional Government’s political will to continue improving the conservation of its ecosystems and the management of the RCAs. It also highlights the Cuzco Regional Government’s commitment to building a regional system of protected areas, as well as the creation of new regional conservation areas such as the proposed Araza Forests RCA.

We are excited to announce that the new conservation area “Arroyo Guarichona” Conservation Area was officially created in the department of Beni, Bolivia on July 5, 2024! 

Located in the municipality of San Ramón in the province of Mamoré, the “Arroyo Guarichona” Conservation Area protects 199,435 hectares (492,814.8 acres) of vital natural spaces with savannas, lowland forests, and high biodiversity as part of the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP).

With the creation of Arroyo Guarichona, the local government and community members seek to prevent the indiscriminate extraction and degradation of hydrobiological resources, forests, savannahs, soils, and lands. It also hopes to stop deforestation and the deterioration of the Laguna Grande de San Ramón, a lagoon that provides the local population with potable water. Declaring a territory a protected area provides refuge for flora and fauna, helps to maintain the natural balance of ecosystemic processes that contribute to the region’s ecological health, and promotes the protection, stewardship, and promotion of the cultural and natural heritage of these spaces. In addition to conserving the ecosystem and biodiversity, protected areas can also improve local people’s well-being through sustainable livelihoods, clean water, and food security for local populations. Well-managed protected areas can generate significant economic benefits and contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction at local and national levels.

 This groundbreaking achievement was made possible thanks to an initiative led by the Autonomous Municipal Government of San Ramón (GAM San Ramón in Spanish) in 2019, which brought together local communities, volunteers, and rural farmers who wanted to protect the tributaries of the Guarichona stream and the existing lagoons in the declared area. The owners of these farms requested a general ban on indiscriminate fishing to promote sustainable fishing and offered to be “voluntary guardians” of responsible fishing. As part of these efforts, the San Antonio del Poyori Indigenous community also proposed declaring this entire system of streams and lagoons a protected area. Our sister organization in Bolivia, Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA, joined this initiative in 2023 to provide technical support to local leaders to help declare this territory a “Municipal Protected Area.” This new title would allow the implementation of conservation processes based on the comprehensive management of forests and natural pampas or grasslands, ensuring the protection of valuable ecosystems for generations to come. 

More than just a natural water resource for local people, the ecosystem’s significance extends far beyond the local community and wildlife. For approximately 2,800 years, the landscape’s seasonal flooding pattern has shaped both its landscape and biodiversity and influenced many socioeconomic and cultural activities. The Mamoré River flows south to north to join the Beni and Iténez rivers and form the Madeira River, one of the main tributaries of the Amazon River. As part of the Llanos de Moxos ecoregion with high levels of flooding and water retention, San Ramón’s lower elevation flood plain helps regulate water levels and flooding for the Amazon, so conservation of the region helps sustain the ecological health of the larger Amazon. In addition, these plains have a strong historical and cultural legacy as they were once home to pre-Columbian societies with complex structural adaptations such as dams, embankments, and ridges that left a valuable archaeological heritage in Beni.

The creation of this new conservation area would not have been possible without the generous contributions of the Andes Amazon Fund to support our sister organization in the creation and management of protected areas across Bolivia.

Along with Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA we are eager to celebrate the declaration of this protected area and the collaborative hard work of all of the institutions and social actors contributing to our efforts for a prosperous and thriving Amazon.

With summer in full swing and summer vacation plans looming, we were excited to speak with Eleanor and Malcolm whose passion for birding, as well as socially and environmentally responsible travel, has taken them to many incredible destinations. Concurrently, their travels to some of the world’s most biodiverse regions have also exposed them to some of the biggest risks to the planet, including illegal mining and logging. Through their travels and birding, Eleanor and Malcolm have become increasingly committed to helping protect the Amazon and doing what they can in the face of climate change.

While Eleanor and Malcolm normally prefer to support causes local to their home in Maine (where they know their donations will have the greatest impact), Amazon Conservation has demonstrated a comparable level of real, localized impact that empowers local communities through conservation. Malcolm explains, “To see how much you are doing to empower local communities as part of the partnerships, that resonates with what we care about.”

Eleanor and Malcolm first learned about Amazon Conservation through birding trips to our three biological stations in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon. There, they had the opportunity to chat with young researchers and community members to learn more about the value of the work carried out on the ground in Peru to conserve the Amazon biome for the benefit of the entire planet. This first-hand experience inspired the two to become donors to Amazon Conservation’s mission, and to this day, we are one of the few international organizations they choose to support due to our impact on the ground.

Eleanor sums up why they support Amazon Conservation: “You’re a great organization doing good work on the ground with local partners, based on science and technology, and trying to maintain healthy biodiversity that’s critical for the longevity of this planet. What’s more important than that?”

Read on for the full Q&A with supporters Eleanor Goldberg and Malcolm Burson.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Can you tell us a little background about you?

Malcolm: My primary interest is birding. I’m a lifelong birder, and we’ve done a lot of birding together over the years. I also spent the end of my working career doing policy development for our state environmental agency, so it’s a combination of those things that have been important to me in thinking about the natural world and conservation.

Eleanor: I’m not a lifelong birder. I’ve been birding for about 25 years, but I have developed a real passion for it. Starting in my twenties, I developed a real love for the outdoors and just being out in nature. I certainly have come to appreciate over the years what’s happening to this planet in terms of the loss of biodiversity and the impact of global warming and climate change. We saw some evidence of that in Peru when we were there, and so I have come to appreciate the work that Amazon Conservation does.

Malcolm: My primary work for Maine’s DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] was being in charge of developing the state’s climate change program from the very beginning, back in the early 2000s. So my awareness of the importance of doing this kind of work, as the planet warms, has been magnified.

Eleanor: We are both from the Chicago area, although we met in Maine 22 years ago. I grew up in the city of Chicago, in a very urban environment, moved to Boston after graduating from the University of Michigan, and then lived there for a long time. I moved to Portland in 1987; Malcolm moved to Maine in 1978. Then I bought a summer home on a lake in the woods in Maine where we spent weekends. Since we’ve both retired, we have spent our summers up in Maine for the last 10 or 12 years.

One of the things that Malcolm likes to say is that we used to bird while we traveled because we’re both avid and passionate travelers. But now, birding is often a primary purpose of our travels. I can’t remember a trip in the last 15 years where we didn’t bird. The binoculars are always with us.

Malcolm: Before Peru, we’d made two previous trips to the Ecuadorian Amazon as part of our various adventures, and I think it really elicited my longer-term interest in the Amazon just by being in those places.

Eleanor and Malcom in front of the Madre de Dios river which leads to our Los Amigos Biological Station.

What initially inspired you to care for the environment generally and the Amazon specifically?

Eleanor: I would say the initial interest was birding, as well as being a global citizen, but it’s also recognizing how crucial the Amazon is to the health of the planet overall. It’s so vitally important, so the work to protect the Amazon has ramifications for everybody.

[The Amazon is] so vitally important, so the work to protect the Amazon has ramifications for everybody.

Malcolm: The whole notion of preventing deforestation and on the other hand watching as the numbers come in year by year, particularly from Brazil but also from other places, just how much has been lost and is being lost makes the conservation for the “lungs of the planet” all the more important.

Eleanor: When we were in Peru taking the boat down the Madre de Dios River, we saw a lot of illegal gold mining. It was stunning and shocking in a very negative way to see how much of that was going on. That brought home the destruction of the environment that was occurring, even in very remote locations, and at Los Amigos [Biological Station] where we stayed for a few days, you could just look across the river and see the mining and logging going on right there. It was depressing.

How did you initially learn about Amazon Conservation’s work?

Eleanor: We learned about Amazon Conservation during our trip to Peru, where we stayed at Wayqecha, Manu, and Los Amigos Biological Stations. At Los Amigos, we had an evening presentation by one of the researchers there at the biological station, which was really interesting. So we knew about you through that introduction, and then later more intimately through our friends Laura and Charles when we were sharing notes about our trip. We worked with a man in Cuzco who plans birding trips, and he booked us at your biological stations. We were very happy to learn about it and it was fascinating to learn about all of the different work going on at each of the different locations. It was quite impressive.

Malcolm: One of the high points for me was meeting all the young scientists who were working at the stations. The interesting work they were doing, and the opportunity to see the way in which the kids, two generations down from us, are getting engaged with that kind of work.

Eleanor: Right, kids marching off at 4:30 or 5 in the morning to go sit at the base of the trees where the monkeys were and counting vocalizations – it was very cool.

Eleanor: Over the last 10 or 12 years, we have tried to keep our giving local to Maine, where we know it makes an impact and we know the people involved in the non-governmental organizations or non-profits. That’s different from how we used to give 15 or 20 years ago. Amazon Conservation is really one of the only bigger picture, larger, non-Maine 501(c)3s that we choose to donate to because the work is so important.

What is it about Amazon Conservation that sticks out and motivates you to support our work compared to other organizations?

Eleanor: One of the things that strikes me is that you have so many partners and that the local communities are up front and center in the work you do, as well as the government agencies who are also important. But the fact that you’re working with Indigenous communities, that the projects are all science-based, and that you are on the ground doing the actual work to protect and conserve the Amazon.

Malcolm: On all of our birding expeditions, we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and be with members of Indigenous communities in their communities. That’s been really important and great. So to see how much you are doing to empower local communities as part of the partnerships really resonates with what we care about.

So to see how much you are doing to empower local communities as part of the partnerships really resonates with what we care about.

Eleanor: Way too many organizations come into a place and tell communities, “This is what you should do.” We know better, and we don’t get that from Amazon Conservation.

We also think your website is excellent. It has so much information, is easy to navigate and it tells the story of Amazon Conservation in a powerful way.

Is there a specific program or initiative that stands out to you most?

Malcolm: I’m increasingly interested in knowing that your “heartbeat” has always been Peru and Bolivia, but I think the whole MAAP program is really a step ahead in reaching the whole Amazon. We’re planning a trip to Guyana soon, at the northern end of the Amazon, and it’s great to know MAAP has even done work up there.

What would you say to other environmentally-conscious people who want to make a difference in the Amazon and help fight climate change?

Malcolm: I would be happy to tell anybody about the 3-pronged, thoughtful, well-conceived plan of action that you folks are branching out with in all directions. It’s not just focused on one species, but your combination of science and on-the-ground work seems like a great way forward for an organization like this.

Eleanor: I also think that it’s so important that there’s a plan, a 10-year plan for really getting work done that you’re constantly evaluating and re-evaluating to see whether you’re going in the direction that you want to be going, but the idea of having an overarching plan with strategic steps, partners, and science supporting it makes a big difference in terms of making an impact.

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

Eleanor: You’re a great organization doing good work on the ground with local partners, based on science and technology, and trying to maintain healthy biodiversity that’s critical for the longevity of this planet. What’s more important than that?

 

In previous MAAP reports, such as MAAP #199, NASA’s GEDI data has helped measure an estimate of above-ground biomass density per hectare (Mg/ha) which can then be converted to aboveground carbon estimates. Despite this advance, these lasers used by NASA, have not yet achieved full coverage in the Amazon, leaving considerable gaps in the data and resulting maps.

Our newest report MAAP #213 features two new tools that will help us fill in these gaps and provide a more detailed estimate of aboveground biomass for specific areas.

The first is the OBI-WAN forest carbon reporting app, which uses statistical inference to produce mean, total, and uncertainty estimates for biomass baselines at any given scale (from local to worldwide). The second is a fused product from GEDI and TanDEM-X missions. The combination of lidar (GEDI) and radar (TanDEM-X) has started to produce unmatched maps that combine the ability of lidar to retrieve forest structure and the ability of radar to offer wall-to-wall coverage at multiple resolutions.

With the aid of these two tools, this report focuses on estimating aboveground carbon for two critical land designations in the Amazon: protected areas and indigenous territories. Both are critical to the long-term conservation of the Amazon, and we hope that providing precise carbon data will provide additional incentives for their long-term conservation.

Read the full report here.

The Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is a key product of wild collection in the Amazon forests and serves as a crucial source of income for families in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. For years, our alliance with our sister organizations Conservación Amazónica – ACCA and Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA has helped Brazil nut, açaí, and other forest product harvesters earn organic certifications to follow forest-friendly guidelines that keep production sustainable and mitigate harm to Amazonian forests. 

What exactly is the significance of organic certification? Organic certification is an incentive mechanism that assesses sustainable wild production for the development of specific markets. Producers must develop proper pre and post-harvest precautions and complete information specific to the harvesting of forest products like Brazil nuts, as well as follow specific norms for organic wild production. Official certification is granted by the international certifier CERES – Certification of Environmental Standards after a long process of inspection, assessments, and evaluation of supporting documentation by a certification committee. 

Overall, these certifications, in combination with Peruvian harvesting laws and standards, help to ensure that safe harvesting practices are being implemented without depleting natural forest resources. Recently, Conservación Amazónica – ACCA began working with 48 Amazonian Brazil nut collectors to help renew their organic certification as they underwent the Conformity Evaluation Service, which is based on national and international regulations for organic certification, such as Peruvian Law 29196 for the Promotion of Organic or Ecological Production, as well as the regulations of the European Union, the United States, and Canada. To follow these guidelines to maintain their certification, these Brazil nut harvesters have demonstrated how they avoid the use of contaminants and pesticides, while consistently training in compliance with Peruvian and international organic production standards. Additionally, they continue to implement the considerations of the Peruvian Technical Standard on Good Collection Practices to ensure production stays sustainable. 

Sustainable management of the Brazil nut is essential for ensuring stable livelihoods and contributing to forest protection, thereby supporting the sustainable economic development of these communities. Read more about our work with productive forest management here.

As leaders in conservation in the Amazon for the past 20+ years, we often receive questions from schools and students eager to learn more about the Amazon Rainforest and our conservation efforts. In this blog post, we provide some key information that we hope will be useful for your research and school projects. 

Unfortunately, due to limited time and capacity, our very small team based in Washington, DC cannot participate in interviews for school projects at this time. However, we hope this FAQ document and the resources listed below will help students gain a better understanding of the Amazon Rainforest and our efforts to protect it.

ABOUT THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

Why is the Amazon Rainforest important? 

The Amazon is home to more than 10% of the world’s known wildlife species, with more than 100 new species discovered each year. It is an incredibly diverse ecosystem consisting of forests, rivers, and savannas that all work together to help regulate the planet’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and sequestering it into the ground. Additionally, the Amazon is not only home to a diverse range of fauna and flora, but also to local Indigenous communities and over 400 tribes, each with a distinct culture, language, and territory. These people rely on resources from their forests for their daily needs, such as food, water, fiber, and traditional medicine. Protecting a healthy forest ecosystem in the Amazon helps conserve biodiversity and resources important for the survival of local people and the whole planet.

You can learn more about why the Amazon is important here. 

How big is the Amazon?

The Amazon basin covers more than 1.6 billion acres across nine countries (Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname). It contains the single largest tropical rainforest on the planet and covers about 40% of the South American continent. These forests stretch from the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains to the upland glaciers, streams, and wetlands that feed the Amazon rivers which end up in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Why is the Amazon being deforested and what are the main drivers of deforestation?

The main drivers of deforestation vary by region and country, so there is no single reason why the Amazon is being deforested. In reality, it’s a complex combination of reasons. Forests are sometimes cut down and cleared for the expansion of farms and agriculture, the conversion of land to cattle pasture, and illegal economic activities like logging and mining. The Amazon is also damaged by fires (in the form of forest fires as well as human-started fires for slash-and-burn agriculture or cattle ranching that may spread out of control), poorly-planned infrastructure (such as roads, which increase access deep into the forest and dams that often cause flooding and alter river structure and paths over time), and climate change (which often causes more extreme weather events like droughts and floods).

You can learn more about threats to the Amazon here.

How does deforestation impact wildlife/fauna and flora?

Deforestation affects habitats and can limit important resources for native flora and fauna, which can cause declining populations or even contribute to the extinction of a species. Each plant and animal plays a vital role in the rainforest ecosystem. If one species is affected, it creates a chain reaction that affects others. For example, keystone species such as the Andean bear (also called the spectacled bear) are vital for seed dispersal. The Andean bear eats fruits and plants, and the seeds of those fruits and plants are generally returned to the soil through the bears’ feces. Because these bears travel far across their large home ranges, they are able to “plant” seeds of various species across long distances, helping regenerate the forest and keep ecosystems diverse as the seeds grow into new plants and trees. When the forest is deforested, the bears’ habitat gets smaller and food sources become more limited, which affects the diversity of plants they eat and their ability to disperse seeds across larger areas. These limitations lead to less plant growth, less plant diversity, and a less healthy forest ecosystem overall. Having a smaller habitat can also limit their ability to find sufficient food sources or meet a mate to reproduce. With forest habitats continuing to be threatened by deforestation and climate change, the Andean bear is considered a species vulnerable to extinction.

What is biodiversity and why is it important for the Amazon?  

Short for “biological diversity,” “biodiversity” is a term that refers to the diverse array of wild plants and animals within an ecosystem. The Amazon is home to a wide variety of species (for example, it’s home to more than 7,500 species of butterflies!), each playing an important and unique role necessary for the ecosystem to thrive. The Amazon is considered by many scientists to be the most biodiverse place on the planet as it contains more species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem. When one component of an ecosystem is thrown off, the entire ecosystem can become imbalanced, so protecting biological diversity is extremely important. Some ways to promote and protect biological diversity in the Amazon include pollination, seed dispersal, population and pest control, nutrient cycling, and more. 

Read more about biodiversity and its importance here. 

How many species are there in the Amazon? What are some of the most endangered species in the Amazon? 

The Amazon Rainforest is the most biodiverse place on the planet. It is home to more than 3 million species of animals and plants, including 400 mammal species, 1,300 bird species, 350 reptile species, and 400 amphibian species, and each year, 100+ new species are discovered. Many of these species are endemic, meaning they are only found in the Amazon. It is also home to over 2,700 threatened or endangered species that are important to the overall health of our planet. Some notable endangered species in the Amazon are the jaguar, spectacled bear, giant armadillo, tapir, giant anteater, and the harpy eagle.

Read more about species in the Amazon here.

How does climate change impact the Amazon, its people, fauna, and flora?

The Amazon is home to the greatest diversity of wildlife on the planet and is the birthplace of the waters that feed the Amazon River basin. Additionally, dozens of Indigenous groups, including several uncontacted tribes, reside in the region and depend on its forests and waters to continue their largely traditional lifestyle. As climate change affects global weather patterns, warmer and dryer periods will bring new stresses such as droughts, and make yearly fire seasons even more devastating, limiting critical water and forest resources that people and wildlife depend on.

Why should people care about the Amazon? How is it connected to our daily lives for those of us who live far away from it?

The Amazon’s role as a climate regulator is critical as the planet gets hotter and drier. Amazon forests store over 150 billion metric tons of carbon—more than a third of all the carbon stored in tropical forests worldwide—and they absorb 2 billion tons of CO2 each year, representing five percent of global annual emissions. This helps limit the amount of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere, leading to less heat being trapped in the air, and keeping temperatures stable. 

The world’s ecosystems are also interconnected and interdependent, and declining ecosystem health in one region can impact ecosystems and species near and far. For example, many migratory bird species go to the Amazon during colder months in the northern hemisphere. If they don’t find the food sources and habitat in the Amazon before they need to make the journey back north in the warmer months, these populations will decline and alter ecosystems in North America.

What are some resources to learn more about the Amazon Rainforest?

Other fellow conservation organizations have created wonderful resources specifically for teachers and students, such as this one and this one. 

ABOUT AMAZON CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

What is Amazon Conservation doing to protect the Amazon Rainforest?

We’re the type of non-profit organization that does a little bit of everything — whatever it takes to protect the forest! Conservation to us is not a one-size-fits-all solution. As the Amazon Rainforest is so vast and diverse, it requires a big-picture approach that adapts to the needs of each region and its people. 

Our comprehensive approach to conservation is developed from three key areas of work: protecting wild places, empowering people, and putting science and technology to work. Together, these areas allow us to create conservation solutions to benefit both nature and people. Some examples of the work we do include reforestation, creating new protected areas, sustainably managing existing protected areas, helping local people build sustainable economies from natural resources from the forest, using technology to stop illegal deforestation, creating spaces for scientists and students to do research in the Amazon, and so much more. 

How we work in the Amazon is also important and unique. We are an alliance of three local sister organizations (Amazon Conservation in the US, Conservación Amazónica-ACCA in Peru, and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA in Bolivia). We have the shared goal of protecting the Amazon and working together to increase each organization’s impact. We also have an impact in other Amazonian countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Suriname by working with local partners to detect and stop deforestation as it’s happening through our Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Program (MAAP). To implement our on-the-ground efforts, we collaborate a lot with local communities, governments, Indigenous groups, scientists, and other non-governmental organizations. 

Read more about our conservation approach and strategy here.

Where does Amazon Conservation work?

We work on the ground across five interconnected landscapes in Peru and Bolivia: the Manu-Madidi Biodiversity Corridor, Uncontacted Indigenous Peoples Homeland, Productive Forests, Andean Living Waters, and Amazon savannas. Each of these unique landscapes is home to diverse ecosystems, each with its own threats and opportunities, which provide the basis for our unique conservation solutions. Our bold new strategy increases our impact by ensuring the long-term conservation of these 124 million acres of forests, savannas, wetlands, glaciers, and other irreplaceable habitats in these regions. In addition to our work on the ground, our real-time monitoring covers the entirety of the Amazon basin, providing local people, decision-makers, the media, and the general public with key analysis of what is happening across the region to help drive action locally and at scale.

Read more about these landscapes here.

What is the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Program (MAAP) and how does it help combat deforestation? 

Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Program (MAAP) is an initiative of Amazon Conservation to help stop deforestation in the Amazon. We use satellite technology to monitor deforestation across the entire Amazon as it happens (what we call “real-time”), and then we provide this important information in an easy-to-understand format to policymakers, civil society, researchers, local organizations, media, and the general public so that collective action can be taken against deforestation. We also help empower local people with the data, tools, and technology they need to be able to fight crimes against the forest, such as illegal logging, mining, and wildlife trafficking. 

This program is unique because it uses technology to speed up the process of locating, documenting, and stopping deforestation activities. Before MAAP launched in 2015, it could take months or years before local authorities discovered illegal deforestation in the Amazon because the rainforest is so remote, dense, and difficult to navigate. Local authorities would have to take long boat rides or patrol on foot for days to look for and document where deforestation was happening. The people doing the illegal activities would often move on to their next site within weeks or months, much faster than authorities could organize a team to stop them. This changed with advances in technology and MAAP. Now, we can use satellite images to pinpoint where the deforestation is taking place within a matter of hours or days, and then inform the local authorities of the exact coordinates for where to find the perpetrators and stop the illegal deforestation quickly. So now, instead of letting deforestation go on unnoticed and spread quickly for months or years before it can be stopped, we are able to give local authorities the tools to stop them quickly without spending as much time and as many resources navigating the remote forest.

Visit our MAAP website to learn more.

What can I/my classroom/my school do to help protect the Amazon Rainforest? 

You’re already helping us by sharing a little bit about the Amazon Rainforest with your friends, families, and classmates/students! Sharing this information helps educate people about why the rainforest is so important and how – even though it seems really far away from us – it is very interconnected with our daily lives. 

If you want to go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of the wildlife and people living in the Amazon, you can create a fundraising campaign for Amazon Conservation, such as organizing a bake sale or lemonade stand, or consider asking for donations from your family and friends for your birthday or special celebration. All donations enable us to make conservation happen across the Amazon and without them, we would not be able to protect the rainforest. Every penny helps, but most importantly, be creative and have fun!

Another way to support our work is to share our content on social media, which helps amplify the voices of the Amazonian people we represent and spreads awareness of the importance of Amazon (we are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn).

Learn more about what you can do for the Amazon here.  

What are some resources to learn more about the Amazon Conservation Association?

You can learn more about Amazon Conservation and our conservation efforts by signing up for our newsletter, reading our monthly blog posts, or following our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn). You can also read more about the current state of the Amazon through our MAAP website.