The Shamans and Apprentices Program: A Promise to Kwamalasamutu
The success of the Shamans and Apprentices program was just the beginning of the pioneering biocultural conservation work that ACT has gone on to do. In the spirit of supporting communities in their own efforts — as opposed to implementing foreign, top-down initiatives — ACT sought to secure culturally appropriate means for human and environmental wellbeing, and increase recognition of indigenous culture and self-determination. In this way, we were able to merge the strengths and tools of the Western world in a way that complements but doesn’t dominate the ideals and goals of the local community.
Read MoreTORTUGAS PRECIOSAS DE OSA
Tortugas Preciosas de Osa has released 32,219 baby turtles of three different species, reduced predation and nest theft by 60%, and established a baseline of the biology and ecology of these species in danger of extinction in one of the most biodiverse places in the world. As if that were not enough, during this time we have discovered that this location is one of the most important for hawksbill turtle nesting in the Pacific region of Central America.
Read MoreTortugas Preciosas de Osa: Saving the Sea Turtles of the Osa Peninsula
Tortugas Preciosas de Osa has released 32,219 baby turtles of three different species, reduced predation and nest theft by 60%, and established a baseline of the biology and ecology of these species in danger of extinction in one of the most biodiverse places in the world. As if that were not enough, during this time we have discovered that this location is one of the most important for hawksbill turtle nesting in the Pacific region of Central America.
Read More25 Years Ago: Why We Founded the Amazon Conservation Team
Liliana Madrigal, ACT co-founder, recounts what inspired her to leave the world of conventional environmental conservation and create a new and innovative conservation organization that works for and with the indigenous peoples of critical ecosystems in the Amazon.
Read MoreIndigenous Women Achieve “Mamakunapa” Civil Society Nature Reserve
On December 2, 2020, a species-rich stand of Andes-Amazon rainforest stewarded by indigenous women of ASOMI achieved legal designation as a Civil Society Nature Reserve, “Mamakunapa”.
Read MoreOur COVID-19 Response: Update
The pandemic is hitting indigenous communities of the Amazon from all sides. They are in dire need of support to ward off the virus and save human lives right now, and to protect their cultures and forests from mounting ecological threats and economic pressures.
ACT is continuing to scale our efforts to support communities in tackling this critical issue from within in alliance with local organizations and government agencies. In areas where aid is simply not available or public services lack the capacity or will to independently reach communities in need, our work has been indispensable.
Read MoreCould the Amazon Save Your Life? – The New York Times
Scientists are looking at the medicinal potential of plants and animals in the region’s vast tropical forests.
Read MoreCountering Emerging Crises in the Amazon: Covid-19 & Fires
In the following report, the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) highlights some of its on-the-ground efforts in response to the two tragedies that have defined the last year in the Amazon: the fires of 2019, and the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. To view the report, please click on the image:
Read MoreCOVID-19 Response June, 2020
The pandemic is still sweeping through the Amazon, showing how exposed this seemingly impermeable forest can be. Indigenous and traditional communities of the rainforest are in dire need of support.
ACT continues to band together with civil society and governments in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Suriname to mitigate and manage the crisis locally. Our partners span universities, public health departments, volunteer air patrols, health NGOs, indigenous organizations, ACT-trained Amazon Conservation Rangers, and more.
COVID-19 Response May, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Amazonia, indigenous and local communities are some of the most vulnerable.
While we have had to leave our offices and field locations and pause many of our projects, we have strategically pivoted to address communities’ most pressing needs in the face of the current global health crisis.
This is how we have reshaped our current priorities in response to COVID-19
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