Training Community Rangers to Protect the World’s Greenest Country 

At the airport in Suriname’s capital city, travelers are greeted by a sign beneath a vibrant photo of frogs, parrots, and other rainforest creatures. It reads: “Welcome to Suriname: The most forested country in the world.”  Tucked on the northeastern edge of South America, the former Dutch colony is the continent’s smallest country by both…

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Colombia Embraces Indigenous Health as National Policy

Last month, in a historic act, Colombia’s national government formally adopted the Indigenous Intercultural Health System (SISPI) as national public policy by signing Decree 480. The President signed the decree alongside representatives from the Minga Indigena and other organizations from across Colombia.  Indigenous organizations, Colombia’s Ministry of Health, and other state entities worked together for…

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Christian Science Monitor Highlights Landmark Protection of Isolated Indigenous Territory in Colombia

The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) was recently highlighted in The Christian Science Monitor’s Points of Progress column for its role in a landmark conservation and human rights victory in Colombia. The article celebrates the official recognition of 2.7 million acres as off-limits to development and human contact, safeguarding the isolated Yuri-Passé people. ACT was recognized…

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Meet the Amazon Tapir: The Rainforest’s Gentle Giant

Every April 27, we celebrate World Tapir Day—a chance to shine a spotlight on one of the Amazon’s most unique and underappreciated animals: the tapir.  Often described as a cross between a pig and an anteater, the Amazon tapir (also known as the South American tapir or lowland tapir) is neither. In fact, its closest…

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The Jaguar: Guardian of the Amazon 

Jaguar

In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, one elusive and powerful creature reigns supreme—the jaguar. Known as el tigre in much of South America, the jaguar is more than just an apex predator. Jaguar conservation in the Amazon is essential for the health and resilience of Amazonian ecosystems. The jaguar is also a sacred being…

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Colombia Makes History: Legal Protection for Indigenous Peoples in Isolation

Isolated indigenous peoples long house aerial view in the Colombian Amazon

Colombia Makes History: Legal Protection for Isolated Indigenous peoples in Colombia In a groundbreaking move, the Colombian government has taken an unprecedented step to protect Indigenous Peoples Living in Isolation by defining their territory—with Indigenous allies, the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT), and a coalition of partner organizations playing central roles in fostering this historic resolution.  Indigenous…

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Conservation victory in Colombia’s deforestation hotspot 

On the shores of the Caquetá River, among tall Amazonian palms and fast flowing waters brown with silt, are three indigenous reserves– Huitorá, Coropoyá and Jericó Consaya. These reserves are home to 138 families of the Murui Muina and Korebajʉ people, who have long assumed responsibility for caring for the life within their biodiverse territory.  

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Colombian National Land Agency formalizes fourth expansion of the Kogui-Malayo-Arhuaco Indigenous Reserve 

The KMA reserve is inhabited by three of the four peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: the Wiwa people (Malayo or Arzario), Kággaba (Kogui) and Ikᵾ (Arhuaco), with jurisdiction in the departments of Magdalena, Cesar and La Guajira. 3,575 indigenous families benefit from the 213 new hectares, which are allocated to cultural and environmental protection and recovery between the upper and lower areas of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, increasing the area of ​​the reserve to just over 407,839 hectares. 

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