WILDLIFE PRESERVATION

GUYANA

Guyana’s biological diversity includes iconic Amazonian species like jaguars, harpy eagles, giant river otters, arapaima, and giant anteaters, largely in thanks to the nation valuing its ecological resources. This small South American nation has been so effective in preserving its rainforests that 80% of the country’s land cover consists of rainforest. By no account does this mean the rainforests aren’t at risk as oil exploration and timber companies have began to slither their way into the country looking to capitalize on the developing nation’s self interests. 

Just as Guyana is biologically diverse, it is also culturally diverse with indigenous peoples that include the Akawaio, Arawak, Arecuna, Carib, Makushi, Patamona, Wai Wai, Wapishana, and the Warao. Of these communities, the Makushi are the dominant group in the North Rupununi region where their ancestors can be traced back thousands of years. As their homeland now faces certain levels of development, the Makushi are forced to find ways to navigate these new opportunities and challenges in order to keep their culture’s traditional knowledge alive and ensure a sustainable future that protects the local ecology and integrity of their people. 

Read More:

• Learning From Local Knowledge in Guyana

• The Ability of Medium and Large Bodied, Neotropical Terrestrial Mammal Species to Act as Bioindicators of Ecological Health - A Review and Synthesis.

• Design Elements within Community-Based Conservation Education Programs and Their Ability to Change Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors

PERU

By partnering with over 50 rural communities along the Amazon and Napo rivers, CONAPAC (Conservacion de la Naturaleza Amazonica Del Peru, A.C.) forms conservation agreements with citizens in order to preserve the Amazon Rainforest’s ecologically vital resources. Each community dedicates itself to developing their community and caring for the health of their local environment. To aid in supporting community needs, the conservation agreement includes the NGO providing:

• An annual delivery of school supplies for every student, teacher, and classroom

• Teacher training workshops that focus on environmental education and rainforest ecosystem sciences

• Access to clean water systems, including community training and ongoing technical support

• Workshops for community leaders on topics like sustainable farming practices in the Amazon, navigating bureaucracy, and conservation planning

• Economic development projects in which farmers are trained in sustainable agricultural practices and are connected to markets 

• Construction of school kitchens so that children may eat healthy meals in sanitary locations

• Careful selection of teachers in government schools in partnership with the Peruvian Ministry of Education 

• Service projects completed by international travelers to meet specific community requests 

For more information, please visit www.conapac.org.

Read More:

• Local Ecological Knowledge Interviews in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon Provide Insights on Mammal Species Presence, Commonality, and Trends Over Time

• The Ability of Medium and Large Bodied, Neotropical Terrestrial Mammal Species to Act as Bioindicators of Ecological Health - A Review and Synthesis.

• Education: Constructing School Kitchens in Peru

• Education: Preserving the Rainforest, One Child at a Time

BELIZE

For a nation about the size of Vermont, Belize is home to a surprising variety of ecosystems that include rainforests, savannas, coral reefs, and aquatic mangroves. Within these diverse ecosystems, keystone species like jaguars, tapirs, spider monkeys, toucans, sea turtles, and parrot fish thrive, keeping their respective ecosystems in balance through behaviors like predation, seed dispersal, and grazing. This is further aided by people like Dorla Rhaburn and her neighbors who collectively operate the Community Baboon Sanctuary, a nature preserve set up in a farming community that has protected habitat corridors so howler monkeys (an other species) can continue their normal movements in natural spaces, bringing with them the ecological services they provide for free. Furthermore, this sort of ecological preservation also stimulates a green economy as ecotourists visit to observe the monkeys and even stay in the community by renting rooms from the locals who participate in a lodging program. Sustainable practices like these can be found throughout Belize whether you are looking to snorkel or experience the jungle. In many cases, such practices make sustainable ecotourism not just an option but an obligation to all who hope to see these beautiful places, animals, and cultures again in the future. 

Read More:

• Preservation Through Community Based Conservation

• Design Elements within Community-Based Conservation Education Programs and Their Ability to Change Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors

• The Ability of Medium and Large Bodied, Neotropical Terrestrial Mammal Species to Act as Bioindicators of Ecological Health - A Review and Synthesis.

TURPENTINE CREEK WILDLIFE REFUGE (EUREKA SPRINGS, AR)

On December 6 the U.S. Senate passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263, Senate companion bill S. 1210) by unanimous consent. This follows the bill’s passage by the U.S. House of Representatives on July 29. The legislation prohibits keeping tigers, lions and other big cat species as pets, and bans public contact with these species, including paid interactive experiences like cub petting. The legislation was sponsored and championed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Rep. Michael Quigley, D-Ill., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. The bill has since been signed into law by President Biden.

This legislation is long overdue as big cats have suffered in private ownership through neglect, malnutrition, abuse, and put the public at risk due to inadequate housing. This new act will protect captive big cats from such dangers and leave their proper care in the hands of accredited zoos and sanctuaries like Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge who make it their life’s mission to provide a safe haven for such animals in need.

Please consider supporting the efforts of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to protect big cats: https://www.turpentinecreek.org/support/