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Peruvian woman creates eco-friendly Brazil nut treats

An October 2009 newsletter from USAID features Sara Hurtado, a Brazil nut harvester in the Madre de Dios region of Peru, who has turned her three-month-per-year brazil nut harvesting job into a year-round sustainable enterprise. Sara has been working in conjunction with the Amazon Conservation Association’s Brazil nut program which has helped nearly 500 local families acquire Brazil nutconcessions and organic or FSC certifications since 1997, including Sara’s. By establishing a line of Brazil nut candies and desserts Sara is now able to sell her value added products throughout the year and earn a sustainable livelihood to support her family. Read more (pdf) about Sara’s story. Or watch her on the BBC (video in Spanish).

National Public Radio travels 'The Amazon Road'

NPR's "All Things Considered" recently ran a series about Peru's Interoceanic Highway after accompanying ACA staff on a trip starting in the high Andes and ending in the Amazon. This 4-part series by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, featuring quotes from ACA Board members Enrique Ortiz, Adrian Forsyth, and Bruce Babbitt, was aired September 14-17, 2009. Part 1 is about economic opportunity and the highway. Part 2 is about gold. Part 3 focuses on threats to conservation and Brazil nut concessions. And Part 4 is about ACA's Los Amigos Conservation Concession! Read more about the series on the NPR site.

ACA Executive Director addresses Peruvian Congress

On September 7, 2009 ACA's Executive Director, Cesar Moran, spoke to the Peruvian national congress about the new conservation initiative Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). Cesar was the only civil society representative invited to speak at the congressional forum, “Payment for Environmental Services: Experiences and Dialogues,” which addressed opportunities for carbon finance and other ecosystem service markets.

At the Forum, Congressman Franklin Sanchez introduced draft legislation for national policy on compensation for environmental services, and Cesar addressed its proposals in his presentation, which highlighted our REDD projects at the Los Amigos Conservation Concession and in the buffer zone of Manu National Park.

The event, which was reported on by national news media in Peru, included presentations by the National Forest Finance Fund of Costa Rica (FONAFIFO), the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, and Cesar Moran's presentation.

How Jack Johnson Is Helping to Protect the Amazon

The Amazon Conservation Association partnered with Jack Johnson to help offset the carbon emissions from his 2008 summer “Sleeping through the Static” tour. Carbon emissions from buses, trucks, planes, hotels, and other emissions by the band and tour staff were calculated and converted into a monetary equivalent. These funds were donated to ACA through Jack Johnson's charitable fund “All at Once.” They will help protect over 1,000 acres of rainforest in the Los Amigos Biological Station in the Peruvian Amazon, offsetting more than 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Offsetting carbon is one of many important ways to support ACA in protecting the rainforest and preserving its rich biodiversity. You too can support ACA by donating now.

ACCA Recognized for Sustainable Resource Management

On May 22, 2009, ACA’s Peruvian sister organization, ACCA (Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca Amazónica) was officially recognized by the Professional Association of Peruvian Biologists (Cusco, Apurimac and Madre de Dios chapter) for excellence in sustainable resource management. The award ceremony was held at the Cusco Town Hall.

Previous to this, on June 5, 2008, ACCA also won an award for “Environmental Management” from the regional government of Cusco for its work supporting the Haramba Queros Wachiperi indigenous community in establishing an Ecological Reserve. The award also recognized ACCA’s protection of 360,000 acres of land at the Los Amigos Conservation Concession and the more than 618,000 acres of Brazil nut conservation concessions ACCA has helped to establish, benefiting 420 families.

Celebrating Seven Years of Success at Los Amigos

This September, ACA completed its seven year project to create and manage the Los Amigos Conservation Concession and CICRA Biological Station in Madre de Dios, Peru. This project, funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, was a resounding success. Read our final project report (PDF). Short attention span? Here's the comic version (PDF)! (Thanks to former ACA Science Director Nigel Pitman for his creative genius). Also, check out the latest news from the station.

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The ACA video associated with the Jack Johnson tours and All at Once site.

Executive Director César Morán and Ecosystem Services Coordinator Augusto Mulanovich, second and third from right with members of the Peruvian congress and the Ministry of Environment. Photo: Augusto Mulanovich

Participants registering for REDD Workshop. Photo: Miguel Moran

Jack Johnson at Pavilhao Atlantico, Lisbon, Portugal. Photo: K. Johnson

ACCA Cusco staff receiving award on May 22, 2009. Photo: ACCA

Recognition plaque awarded to ACCA by the Regional Government of Cusco. Photo: Miguel Moran