We innovate by applying the latest in science and technology to our conservation work and managing a premier network of conservation hubs.

We put science and technology to work:

Real-Time Deforestation Monitoring

By establishing a comprehensive real-time monitoring system across the entire Amazon, we combine field-based and top-of-line remote sensing technology to improve communities and governments’ ability to detect, report, and act upon threats as they happen.

Conservation Hubs

Through our network of conservation hubs, we drive innovation by hosting world-class scientific research and piloting cutting-edge technology — such as acoustic monitoring, camera traps, and environmental DNA analysis — to improve biodiversity monitoring and ecological health.

Advancing Science

We conduct scientific research and put innovative technology to use to monitor ecological health and the effects of climate change, as well as promote better understanding that drives conservation decisions and actions.

Conservation Hubs: Living Laboratories Providing Solutions through Science, Conservation and Education

Located where the Andes meet the Amazon, our three conservation hubs are the cornerstone of our work and a vital asset to further the world’s understanding of the Amazon. Each conservation hub advances our mission by serving as:

Biological research stations: Comprising the only network of biological stations in the world arrayed along an elevational gradient from Andean cloud forest to Amazon lowlands, our facilities enable scientists to study the impacts of climate change, monitor the forest’s ecological health, and deepen our knowledge of species, habitats, and ecosystems. Learn more about our three research stations in Peru >
Conservation outposts: Protecting and connecting major conservation areas and indigenous territories, our hubs guarantee our permanent presence and long-term support for conservation in the Amazon.
Education and training centers: Our hubs provide a platform for applying research to conservation practice and policy, where students, researchers, and policymakers can learn and explore solutions to conservation challenges.
Premier ecolodges: Our conservation hubs offer a gateway for conservation-minded tourists to explore the Amazon while having their trip support the very forest they visit. We created a social enterprise, Amazon Journeys, as a funding mechanism, where tourism revenue advances our conservation work. See how you can explore the Amazon firsthand through our ecolodges>

Stopping Deforestation Using Real-Time Technology

The vastness of the Amazon can be a major challenge to keeping it protected. We’re using technology to change that. Our monitoring system is helping reduce deforestation by using satellite imagery, drones and GIS to find, analyze, and report deforestation as it happens in real-time. To date, we’ve exposed over 2.5 million acres of deforestation. Not only do we provide this vital analysis in real-time, but we are also helping bridge the gap between generating information and taking action on the ground. To achieve this, we partner with Peruvian government officials, park guards, police, judges, and prosecutors to train them on the use of satellite and drone imagery as a legal tool to prosecute offenders. Together we have been able to stop several incidents of illegal gold mining and logging, including in protected indigenous territories.

Developing High-Tech Solutions that Support Community Livelihoods

Knowing the exact location of key tree species in a forest can help answer questions that improve conservation decisions and make forest production easier for communities. For the local communities in Santa Rosa del Abuná in Bolivia, finding a mature Brazil nut tree can mean having to walk for an entire day or more in difficult forest terrain, since no forest inventory existed. We have developed an innovative system to detect, analyze, and classify Brazil nut trees using remote sensing, drones and photogrammetric analysis. This has helped communities identify and collect information on over 53,000 Brazil nut trees, helping clarify species density, potential production, and forest health. This data is also being useful for municipal and community leadership to inform their natural resource use and conservation decisions, as it helps promote forest-friendly production.

Our Results

Over 500 Studies published to date on research conducted at our biological stations

More than 2.5 million acres of deforestation exposed with technology

100+ Deforestation alerts issued to date

The Latest from the Amazon

MAAP #134: Agriculture And Deforestation In The Peruvian Amazon

For the first time, Peru has a detailed National Agricultural Area Map. This unique map, produced with high-resolution satellite imagery, was published by the Peruvian Ministry of Agrarian Development (MIDAGRI) in January.* This map reveals that the agricultural area at the national level is 11.6 million hectares, as of 2018. Here, we analyze this new information […]

Satellite Images of “Rivers of Gold” Raise Awareness of Major Deforestation in the Amazon

An image provided by the International Space Station has been circulating around the internet showing an aerial view of cascading ‘rivers of gold’ in the Peruvian Amazon. These fascinating ‘rivers’ are in fact destructive and toxic pits that form as a result of illegal gold mining activities. Though these pits are a common sight for […]

New Biodiversity Monitoring Projects at Los Amigos Conservation Hub

Researchers Dr. Andy Whitworth and Dr. Henry Pollock from Osa Conservation began a new research project at our Los Amigos Conservation Hub to assess how many white-lipped peccaries are present in the world’s first conservation concession. This species has a vulnerable status with the IUCN red list and was recorded to have almost disappeared in […]