Our Dear Rainforest Guardians,
Have you ever wondered what our Forest Guardians accomplish in a month?
Short Answer: A lot!
Longer Answer: Seriously, a lot! Here is just a sample of what they accomplished last month:
Reforestation
At our newest reforestation site, the team cleared a 3-acre parcel of former cattle pasture in preparation for planting. As you might imagine, this is hard, physically demanding work. The area is first cleared by hand using machetes while carefully watching for venomous snakes. A second round of clearing is then completed using weed whackers. Legumes are then planted to naturally enrich the soil. That is followed by the digging of planting holes.
The team then planted 424 tree seedlings grown in our nursery – including 268 mahogany trees. Each seedling was marked with a species identification stake to allow for future monitoring.
At our fifth and sixth reforestation sites, the Forest Guardians carried out regular maintenance. Every three months, grass and other competing vegetation must be cut back. If this isn’t done, it can overwhelm young trees and slow their growth.
Habitat Enhancement and Wildlife Monitoring
To increase food resources for pollinators, the team collected native heliconia seeds and planted heliconia seedlings grown in our nursery. These flowering plants provide important nectar sources for hummingbirds and other wildlife.
The Forest Guardians also:
- conducted bird monitoring surveys and added new observations to our eBird species list
- installed 30 dart frog nurseries as part of our amphibian conservation program
- retrieved, configured, and redeployed eight camera traps in six strategic locations to monitor wildlife activity throughout the corridor
- measured and photographed wildlife tracks – helping us document the species using protected lands
Coming soon!
Next month, we’re excited to be launching our new Sponsor a Forest Guardian program. This special initiative gives you the opportunity to directly support one of our five full-time Forest Guardians – Cesar, Aristides, Juanito, Jorge, or Lucas. You’ll become part of their conservation journey.
We’ll be sharing more details soon but if you’d like a sneak peek, just let me know. I’d be happy to send you the program information before it’s officially announced.
With gratitude,
Jana
Founder & President
Amazon Rainforest Conservancy