ACT SEPTEMBER UPDATE  September 2003

Dear Friends,

The World Parks Conference is taking place this week in Durban, South Africa. This meeting - held once every ten years - focuses on the state of the world's protected areas and features innovative projects and approaches from all over the globe.

ACT is extremely proud of the fact that our efforts in the northwest Amazon are being highlighted at the conference. ACT worked in close partnership with the Ingano Indians and the Colombian Park Service to establish Indi Wasi National Park -  the Amazon's first biocultural reserve. The presentation in Durban is being given by Mario Jacanamijoy (an Ingano shaman's apprentice) and Ignacio Giraldo of our Northwest Amazon Program accompanied by Juan Carlos Riascos, Director of Colombia's highly-regarded National Park Service.

We are happy to report that we were able to raise the $100,000 necessary to match the $100,000 challenge grant for the Xingu Reserve in the southeast Brazilian Amazon. The Xingu is home to 14 very traditional tribes and represents the largest tract of forest (7 million acres!) in  the southeast Amazon. Our special thanks to all of you who made it possible.

And a big thanks to Board Member Heather Thomas for arranging and hosting a benefit for ACT at the Hogan boutique in Los Angeles on September 9th.  Hogan is a purveyor of fine shoes and handbags, and they held a special preview of their fall and winter line to benefit ACT.  We will receive a portion of the proceeds from all shoes and bags that were sold.

This Saturday, the 20th of September, there is another benefit for ACT.  Proceeds from food and t-shirt sales at the Funkjunction concert in Apple Valley, Minnesota will be donated to ACT.  

We would like to welcome some new staff to ACT Headquarters.  Dr. Darron Collins is joining the Team on Sept. 21. Darron is an ethnobotanist who will be working at ACT Headquarters as the Director of Development

The Amazon Conservation Team