Driving Down Illegal Deforestation in the Amazon Illegal deforestation in the Amazon often moves faster than governments can respond, especially in remote Indigenous territories affected by illegal gold mining. Over the past five years, Amazon Conservation’s Technology Meets Policy initiative worked to close that gap by linking real-time monitoring with coordinated enforcement and stronger governance. […]

Mining footprint doubles in four years, raising alarms over growing pressure on southern-Ecuadorian Amazon forests Article by Fundación EcoCiencia Quito, February 23, 2026 – A new report from the Amazon Conservation’s MAAP (Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Project) monitoring initiative documents for the first time in detail the expansion of gold mining in the southern-Ecuadorian […]

Driving Down Illegal Deforestation in the Amazon Illegal deforestation in the Amazon often moves faster than governments can respond, especially in remote Indigenous territories affected by illegal gold mining. Over the past five years, Amazon Conservation’s Technology Meets Policy initiative worked to close that gap by linking real-time monitoring with coordinated enforcement and stronger governance. […]

Illegal gold mining continues to grow exponentially across the Amazon Basin, crossing the borders of the nine countries it encompasses, and causing far-reaching environmental and social impacts everywhere it reaches.  “Gold mining has become a transnational activity that affects the Amazon at scale,” said Andrés Santana, Senior Manager for Combating Illegal Deforestation at Amazon Conservation. […]

Drawing on 24 years of satellite data, the analysis maps gold-mining deforestation across the country and shows recent incursions into protected areas. A new analysis by Amazon Conservation Association’s Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP), combining over two decades’ worth of satellite data with recent AI monitoring results from Amazon Mining Watch, reveals that […]

In 2025, your support to Amazon Conservation made meaningful results possible across the Amazon Rainforest, strengthening local people’s ability to defend their forests, expanding protected areas, and elevating Indigenous leadership, while ensuring that science, partnerships, and action moved forward together. Here are some highlights of what we achieved together during our 25th anniversary year.  Through […]

Dear Friend of the Amazon, My name is Nadia Mamani, and I come from the Madre de Dios region of Peru, a place of stunning beauty and deep cultural roots, but also one of the most threatened by illegal gold mining and deforestation. These activities have destroyed forests, poisoned rivers, and displaced local communities. Using […]

What would you do if your future depended on the health of the forest around you? For many in the Amazon, that’s not a hypothetical—it’s daily life. Across the rainforest, powerful stories are unfolding—stories of strength, hope, and courage. Indigenous communities and local leaders are working hard to protect the forest that sustains their life, […]

Dear Supporters of Amazon Conservation, As I begin my tenure as Board Chair, I am honored to build on the extraordinary legacy that has defined Amazon Conservation for nearly 25 years. This organization has always stood apart for one simple reason: its commitment to pairing world-class science and technology with the experience, leadership, and resilience […]

  When COP30 opened its doors in Belém, Brazil, the first United Nations climate summit ever held in the Amazon, it became clear that the world had arrived not only to negotiate but also to listen. With more than 190 countries represented, over 50,000 delegates gathered, and historic participation from more than 2,500 Indigenous leaders,  […]