We have recently returned from visiting four potential projects to expand ARC’s conservation efforts in the Peruvian Amazon. We are excited to announce that all four not only represent fantastic opportunities for ARC to make a vital difference in protecting the overall health of the Amazon rainforest, but also embody ARC’s new commitment to work in partnerships with well-established Peruvian conservation organizations and local communities.
The other good news is that thanks to you, our generous supporters, we have funds available to begin supporting some of these projects immediately.In this newsletter I will give you a quick overview of each project, and in future newsletters I will go into more detail on each one in turn.
1: GOCTA FALLS: Protecting the Headwaters of the Amazon Rainforest
Until its “discovery” in 2006, by a German explorer, Gocta Falls was remote and pristine, with no real road connection to the rest of Peru. Since then, the area has experienced increased migration, land-buying and road construction, causing pollution, habitat loss and wildlife disturbance. With COVID restrictions waning, outside developers are now eyeing the area as a new tourism hot spot with plans to build more roads, hotels and condos.
With this project, ARC will partner with the Tourism Association of Cocachimba (the local community) to stop unsustainable development, create a conservation corridor for wildlife, implement waterway protection measures and provide support for sustainable tourism. We share the passion of the people of Cocachimba to protect their native waterfalls, peat bogs and forests, so they remain intact for future generations.
2: BOSQUE GUARDIÁN: Wildlife Corridor and Sustainable Living
ARC is partnering with Bosque Guardián (BG), a Peruvian non-profit organization, to create a conservation/wildlife corridor in the valley between the two mountain ranges of the Cordillera Escalera Regional Park.
This valley is home to approximately 170 families, the majority of whom are currently earning their living as cattle ranchers. As well as acquiring land for direct conservation, ARC will work with the local families to reforest areas that have been cleared for cattle grazing, and to expand the alternative livelihood projects initiated by BG (ecotourism, agroforestry, artisanal paper making, and beekeeping for honey production).
3. JARDINES ÁNGEL DEL SOL: “Closing the Horseshoe”
Ten years ago, La Asociación Amazónicos por la Amazonía (AMPA), a Peruvian non-profit association, helped a group of families create a conservation association after the families noticed the unhealthy impact cattle ranching and overhunting was having on their forests. Members of this association (Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios la Primavera – APALP) decided to cease cattle ranching and produce sustainably harvested coffee instead. At the same time, they donated their own land to establish Jardines Ángel Del Sol, a large horseshoe-shaped conservation concession.
Due to its remoteness, this region still has large areas of virgin forest, but those forests are now under threat from international mining companies who wish to exploit and extract reserves of precious metals from the ground. With this project, ARC will unite with AMPA and APALP to launch a forest ranger program to protect the 7,164 ha conservation concession and to monitor and control access to this at-risk region. We will also aid APALP in acquiring the land within the ‘horseshoe’ (shown in image) to close it off and shut down existing points of access into the protected land.
4. SANTA ELENA: Protecting the Palm Swamps and Lagoons
The Aguajal and Renacal Rio Romero Conservation Association (ACARR) was formed by 16 families who recognized that the expansion of rice fields was threatening the ecosystem of their region. With the support of AMPA, they created a 1,245 ha conservation concession in an area surrounded by roads and rice fields that acts a safe haven for the region’s wildlife. ARC is partnering with AMPA and ACARR to acquire land adjacent to the existing concession to establish a larger area of conservation for these important Amazonian wetlands. The goal is to protect the fragile ecosystem from further contamination from the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow rice.
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Thank you for your on-going support and taking the time to read about ARC’s current activity to protect the Amazon Rainforest. At this time, while we do have some funds to begin the work of securing some critical conservation areas, we would LOVE your support in increasing our efforts on all fronts. Please consider donating using the link below. Together we CAN make a difference!
Warmest regards,
Jana and the ARC team.
P.S. Click/tap here to view an interactive map using Google Earth
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