News
Legendary Field Botanist and ACT Honored by Surinamese Government
Surinamese Minister of the Environment Marciano Dasai recognized legendary field botanist Frits van Troon along with other members of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) for their outstanding contributions to forest conservation in the region. The recognition took place during a special event at TBL Cinemas, where the life of field botanist Van Troon, 89, was…
Read MoreThe Amazon Rainforest: Fascinating Facts About Its Importance and Biodiversity
The Amazon Rainforest represents one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth, home to an incredible variety of plants, animals, and indigenous tribes. As the world’s largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon is crucial not only for its biodiversity but also for its role in regulating the global climate and supporting human life. As a result,…
Read MoreThe Unresolved Fight For Indigenous Land Rights In Suriname
In recent years, indigenous communities across the Americas have fought hard to protect their land. From Standing Rock in the U.S. to protests in Brazil, indigenous peoples have demanded recognition of their rights. But in Suriname, a small country on South America’s northeast coast, indigenous land rights are still not legally guaranteed. Suriname is the…
Read MoreStingless Beekeeping: A Sweet Solution for Culture and Community
Sustainable Stingless Beekeeping for Conservation In the heart of Suriname, Colombia and Brazil, sustainable stingless beekeeping for conservation is doing more than just producing honey—it’s sustaining livelihoods, preserving cultural traditions, and protecting vital ecosystems. Through our stingless beekeeping (meliponiculture) initiatives, ACT is working hand-in-hand with partner communities to harness the benefits of native bees for…
Read MoreThe Amazon is ablaze again. What it means for us (commentary) – Mongabay.com
The following article by ACT President Mark Plotkin, responding to the renewed and alarming intensity of forest fires in the Amazon, was originally published on MongaBay.com. In 2019, the world watched in horror as images of the Amazon rainforest ablaze flooded the news. Over 70,000 wildfires raged uncontrollably, killing wildlife, filling hospitals with patients struggling…
Read MoreCrafting Conservation Stories: 2023 StoryMaps Competition Q&A
Living Territories: Stories of Territorial Justice
Join the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) for stories of the ways in which our work to improve territorial rights empowers communities to better manage and preserve some of the world’s most critical ecosystems. (2023, English) Read more
Read MoreFrom logging to reforestation: how the peasant farmers of Colombia’s Bajo Caguán region changed
By María Fernanda Lizcano / March 13, 2023 “When I was young, my dad gave me a chainsaw, and I felt like a man knocking down the forest. My dad’s pride was teaching me that. But now I tell my son, ‘You will not do what I did, you are going to take a shovel and plant…
Read MorePor la protección de los PIACI en Perú
Ancestral Tides Working to Conserve Coastal Ecosystems & Protect Sea Turtles by Laura Monti
“Sea turtles, a species emblematic of the connection between the two great biomes the desert and tropical rainforests, are an indicator of the health of marine and coastal ecosystems. Utilizing both indigenous knowledge and western scientific traditions, the indigenous sea turtle conservation communities exchanged knowledge and strategies to simultaneously conserve these coastal ecosystems and sea turtles while revitalizing associated cultural traditions”.
Read More