For 25 years, we’ve been working with local partners, communities, and governments in the Amazon to provide technical support that will help strengthen sustainable land use and establish new protected areas, keeping forests intact and wildlife thriving. Through multiple analyses (including MAAP #183 and a recent carbon analysis from MAAP #213), we have shown that protected areas and Indigenous territories offer some of the best defenses against deforestation. 

Protected areas encompass key ecosystems that are essential for the health of the overall Amazon, which affects the entire planet. Key protected areas we’ve helped establish lend a hand in conserving key ecological corridors that ensure connectivity to protect biodiversity and species adaptation to a warming planet, regulate water levels and flooding to protect watershed health for the entire Amazon River basin, and build forests that are more fire resilient, which can prevent major fires that devastate the Amazon and local communities.

Achieving greater protection of the Amazon’s forests is more urgent now than ever. 

Take action for the Amazon today!

Establishing conservation areas takes a lot of time and work, and we are grateful for your generous support. We at Amazon Conservation continue to utilize innovative tools and partnerships to protect new areas and ensure their continued protection.

In addition to the importance of protected areas and Indigenous territories as tools to prevent deforestation, establishing more and larger areas for conservation also supports landscape and biodiversity connectivity, which is critical for healthy forests and ecosystems. 

This year, we celebrated the establishment of two new conservation areas that protect more than 1.25 million acres of forest in the Bolivian Amazon.

Thanks to the support of donors like you, we now directly protect a total of 10.5 MILLION ACRES of wild places across 37 protected areas across the headwaters of the Amazon in Peru and Bolivia! 

But establishing protected areas won’t be effective on its own without also ensuring the sustainable management of these areas, which is another piece of Amazon Conservation’s work to protect wild areas.

We are at the forefront of urgent action by using real-time satellite monitoring, locally-managed drone piloting programs, and innovative tools like the Fires App, through which we track fires and analyze their causes and their correlation with destructive activities. With this valuable data and by fostering healthy, connected ecosystems, we are making forests more resilient to the impacts of these fires. 

Your support for Amazon Conservation’s work helps prioritize the innovative use of technology to ensure connectivity and the sustainability of protected areas needed to conserve biodiversity and healthy forests resilient to climate change.

Images provided by Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA

 

We are constantly grateful for all the support we have received over the past two decades, which has helped move our conservation efforts forward. This support keeps the Amazon thriving and allows us to carry out our initiatives that benefit local and indigenous communities and wildlife that depend on it. 

This year, we’re giving special thanks because your support has enabled us to achieve some significant milestones. In no particular order, we’re naming 5 of our top accomplishments achieved so far in 2024: 

 

1. Amazon Conservation Took Part in COP16, One of the Most Globally Significant Conservation Summits

Last month, we were very grateful to be in attendance at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia, to share our innovative conservation model with attendees, host a side event on The Power of Partnerships and Technology to Stop Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon, and participate in many other events and meetings dedicated to protecting the world’s biological diversity. 

In Cali, our Alliance sister organizations Conservación Amazónica-ACCA in Peru and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA in Bolivia joined us along with colleagues from our on-the-ground partners Fundación EcoCiencia (Ecuador), FCDS (Colombia), FENAMAD (Peru), Instituto Igarapé (Brazil), and others, to share our collective experiences working across borders to tackle some of the greatest threats to the Amazon’s biodiversity.

Our participation in this event allowed us to gain key insights on the regional organization and cross-national cooperation between the eight countries of the Amazon to prioritize biodiversity protection. Understanding these logistics shapes the narrative for our strategy in implementing effective conservation tactics across the Amazon basin. 

 

2. National Geographic featured our Andean Bear Conservation Project in Their October Issue “Into the Amazon”

National Geographic published a special October issue called “Into the Amazon,” which offers a stunning, immersive journey that takes readers deep into the depths of the Amazon’s intricate ecosystems and landscapes. This edition features the work of biologist Ruthmery Pillco, lead coordinator of our Andean Bear Conservation Project, and her research team at our Wayqecha Biological Station. 

Ruthmery is an Indigenous Peruvian botanist from a village outside of Cusco. Her field research is supported by her rescue dog Ukuku, who is trained in scent detection to help find scat samples from Andean bears. In 2021, Ruthmery was announced as one of fifteen changemakers worldwide to be selected for National Geographic’s Emerging Explorers award, and was also named a Disney Conservation Hero the following year.

Ruthermery and her research team have lead the Andean Bear Conservation Project in collaboration with researchers, volunteers, authorities, and local communities to conduct studies on the distribution and behavior of mammals in the area to help us better understand wildlife responses to environmental change and the functional diversity of ecosystems. “Bears of the Cloud Forests” highlights this work at our Wayqecha Biological Station, educating readers on the important ecological role of this iconic Peruvian species. We are extremely proud of the hard work carried out by such a dedicated team, and congratulate them on their well-deserved recognition.

 

3. We Built New Strategic Partnerships To Amplify Our Conservation Efforts

To expand our reach across the Amazon and globally, Amazon Conservation has formed alliances and partnerships both on the ground and internationally to develop new conservation strategies and maximize its impacts. As of late April, we officially became a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an institution that unites governments and civil society to advance sustainable development for a world that deeply values nature. Each organization in the ICUN plays a unique role in a democratic process, contributing to discussions, agendas, and resolutions that develop the foundation for global conservation.

We also recently partnered with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to improve our real-time monitoring of illegal gold mining across the Amazon basin, and joined The Amazon Gold Working Group, a collaborative innovation network created by Amazon Aid for stakeholders, Indigenous leaders, industry experts, policymakers, and others to launch strategic actions to confront the issue faced by the gold supply chain. 

We are continuing to expanding our allyships to raise awareness for nature-positive solutions and strengthen our efforts to help combat negative climate and environmental impacts in the Amazon, and thank you for your support in this process.

 

4. Our MAAP Team Used the First Ever Illegal Gold Mining Impact Calculator to Measure Socio-Environmental Impacts

In May, our MAAP team published MAAP #196, a detailed report on the socio-environmental impacts caused by illegal mining using a unique tool—the first-ever “Illegal Gold Mining Impact Calculator” developed by Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF).

Since gold mining first became an issue in the Peruvian Amazon, quantifying these specific types of impacts in monetary terms has been a challenge for national authorities, who lack adequate instruments for understanding the economic values of illegal mining’s negative impact on the Amazon. Given this challenge, the organization Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) developed the Mining Impacts Calculator, a novel digital economic valuation tool that allows users to calculate the social and environmental cost of illegal gold mining in the Amazon.

By incorporating data from this calculator into our MAAP report, we were able to provide vital data that helps government officials, journalists, and civil society fully understand the complex context of gold mining and how its negative impacts extend beyond environmental harm. 

 

5. We Helped Establish 2 New Conservation Areas in Bolivia, Protecting Over 10.5 million acres of Amazonian Forests

The combination of your support and generous contributions from Andes Amazon Fund, our Bolivian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA was able to establish two new conservation areas in some of the most critical areas of the Amazon:

• The Arroyo Guarichona Conservation Area in the Beni Department was established in July and now protects 492,815 acres of vital natural spaces with savannas, lowland forests, and high biodiversity as part of the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP). 
• The Tahuamanu-Orthon Conservation Area in the Pando Department was established just last month to preserve biodiversity and safeguard resources across 762,248 acres. 

Protected areas are not only crucial for conserving surrounding ecosystems and biodiversity, but also help ensure clean water resources and food security for local populations. The establishment of these two new areas now adds 1.2 million acres of forest to our landscape of wild places we help protect, bringing our total to 10.5 million acres of protected forests in the Amazon!

 

As we begin reflecting on our accomplishments so far, we are reminded that none of this would have been possible without YOU. Your contributions are making a significant impact on the ground, benefitting people, wildlife, and the entire planet. We are eternally grateful for how far this support has gotten us, and we, along with the Amazon, thank you for your commitment to our mission.

Mark your calendars, because now we’re only a few days away from Giving Tuesday!

This special day reminds people just like you of the power you hold in making a difference this holiday season. This Giving Tuesday, YOU have the opportunity to make an even greater impact on the Amazon.

Since 1999, Amazon Conservation has flourished into what it is today thanks to the support of our committed community of conservationists. For over 20 years, we’ve been at the forefront of the fight to keep forests standing and thriving by harnessing cutting-edge science, innovative technology, and unique partnership models to find new ways to overcome the immense challenges faced by the Amazon.

In this moment, the Amazon–and the planet itself–is at a critical crossroads. 

Deforestation, climate change, and illegal activities continue to threaten the health of this vital ecosystem. But not all hope is lost. With urgent action and innovation, you can directly support our efforts in: 

• Innovating technology to detect and combat deforestation and illegal activities to keep conservation areas protected and thriving.
• Collaborating with Indigenous communities to safeguard their lands, resources, and ways of life for future generations.
• Creating climate-smart sustainable alternatives that empower local people, maintain healthy forests, and build a resilient forest economy.

So mark your calendars for Giving Tuesday on December 3rd, and join us in taking urgent action to protect the Amazon! Together, we can continue developing science-informed solutions that protect forests, wildlife, and the people who depend on them. The Amazon’s future is in our hands, so give back today and show your support!

Give today to help safeguard the Amazon!

Last month, we were very grateful to be in attendance at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia, to share our innovative conservation model with attendees, host a side event on The Power of Partnerships and Technology to Stop Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon, and participate in many other events and meetings dedicated to protecting the world’s biological diversity. 

 In Cali, our Alliance sister organizations Conservación Amazónica-ACCA in Peru and Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA in Bolivia joined us, as well as colleagues from our on-the-ground partners Fundación EcoCiencia (Ecuador), FCDS (Colombia), FENAMAD (Peru), Instituto Igarapé (Brazil), and others, to share our collective experiences working across borders to tackle some of the greatest threats to the Amazon’s biodiversity.

 

Our Director of Strategy and Policy, Blaise Bodin, shares his perspective about the key takeaways of COP16 and Amazon Conservation’s role moving forward.

 

 

 

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Q: What is the importance of COP16 on Biodiversity?

Blaise: The Conference of the Parties (also known as “COP”) is the decision-making body of international conventions, such as the UN Convention on Climate Change and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Climate COPs happen every year, while CBD COPs happen once every two years. At COPs, the parties to the Convention (the countries that have signed up for it) discuss more detailed targets to reach the overarching goals of the convention and ways in which they will contribute to these global targets through domestic action. COP16 was particularly important because it followed the adoption of a new global biodiversity framework comprising 23 targets at COP15. This was the first time that parties were meeting since adopting the global framework, and the main topics of discussion were the submission of national plans to implement the global targets and the financing needed for their implementation. 

 

Q: What role do non-governmental organizations like Amazon Conservation play at global summits like COP?

Blaise: In addition to the official negotiations between countries, the COPs have also served as global events for civil society and international organizations to gather, showcase their work, and build new initiatives and partnerships aligned with the goals of the conventions. COP16 in Cali was no exception, and the vast majority of participants came to attend side events and for the opportunity to network rather than participate in the official negotiations as government representatives. 

The work of Amazon Conservation’s team in Cali was focused on these opportunities to network and present our work to new potential partners and hear what others are doing in the region. The fact that the COP was in one of the Amazonian countries meant that there were a lot of representatives from organizations working in the region and many events focused on the Amazon, so it was a great opportunity in that sense, and so will the next climate COP that will be hosted in the Amazonian city of Belem, in Brazil, at the end of next year. 

 

Q: What key takeaways do you have from COP16 related to the conservation of the Amazon? 

Blaise: There’s really a flurry of action and new initiatives surrounding the Amazon and a sense that it is a critical piece in achieving any global goals for biodiversity or climate change. Especially with the extreme drought that has struck the region over the past 2 years and reached new records this year, there’s a renewed sense of urgency and that the time to act is now. 

One really positive signal is that the dedicated regional organization in charge of cooperation between the eight countries of the Amazon, called ACTO (Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization), appointed a new Secretary-General. The announcement was made at the COP in Cali because the new Secretary-General of ACTO is from Colombia, so this could really give new impetus to conservation efforts from these governments at the regional scale. The Colombian government also launched a process for developing a global agreement on the traceability of rare metals, which could greatly help in the fight against illegal gold mining in the Amazon. 

 

Q: Do you have any insights from the event about key opportunities for expanding the impact of Amazon Conservation’s and our partners’ work across the region?

Blaise: This is a great moment for Amazon Conservation to show the relevance of its extensive network of partners in the region and participate in a united front of civil society organizations to hold regional governments accountable for their promises to curb deforestation. 

The message from the scientific community–which is now very much on everyone’s mind–couldn’t be clearer: we cannot afford to lose the Amazon if we want to stand a chance against the twin global challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. 

That means defending the Amazon against illegal activities as we have done and will continue to do in the coming years by expanding our monitoring work, especially focused on gold mining. But it also means ensuring that people living in the Amazon can thrive in ways that don’t require destroying the forest. This pivot to “bioeconomies” or “forest-based economies” was very present in the discussions at this COP; it’s clear that there are a lot of institutions that want to invest heavily in this transition. The main thing that these institutions need is “bankable projects” to invest in, projects that are well-structured but also well-connected to the communities on the ground. This is exactly what Amazon Conservation, through the Alliance and through our extended network of partners, can provide. 

A recording of our side event at COP16 on The Power of Partnerships and Technology to Stop Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon (presented in both English and Spanish) is available on the IUCN’s YouTube Channel here. 

In efforts to highlight key challenges and solutions to protecting the Amazon, we, along with our Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, bring together scientists, environmental professionals, and conservation enthusiasts each year to take part in AmazonTEC: a platform to discuss the science, technology, and innovation needed to help conserve the Amazon basin. 

This month, we hosted an exclusive webinar as part of the second session of AmazonTEC 2024, “4D Technology for Biodiversity Monitoring in the Amazon,” to highlight technological and scientific advances that strengthen monitoring for the conservation of biodiversity in the Amazon. The session featured many key speakers and leading experts who addressed how technology is transforming our understanding of biodiversity and how advances in the use of artificial intelligence and big data platforms enhance the potential to map critical areas and develop more effective conservation strategies. These tools, in combination with projects that operate in near real-time, are part of the approach known as 4D Technology, which is considered key to monitoring and conserving biodiversity in the Amazon.

The session began with opening remarks from the Executive Director of Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, María Elena Gutiérrez, who stressed the importance of using technological tools to face environmental challenges and promote concrete actions to protect the Amazon’s intricate ecosystems. She also commented that, after COP16 in Cali, Colombia, where the active participation of indigenous communities, civil society, and the private sector marked a milestone, the upcoming COP30 in Belém in 2025 is expected to be a space to translate the commitments to conservation made into concrete actions that comprehensively address the interconnection between biodiversity and climate change, reinforcing the role of technology in this global challenge.

The event also featured PhD Corine Vriesendorp, a renowned ecologist and advisor to the Scientific Panel for the Amazon, who will take over as Director of Science at Conservación Amazónica – ACCA in 2025, and world-renowned conservationist and cofounder of Amazon Conservation Adrian Forsyth, who gave closing remarks on the science that transcends cultural and political barriers, as well as how its value will be critical for the future. 

Watch the full session of 4D Technology for Biodiversity Monitoring in the Amazon

We would like to thank the following funders whose support helped make AmazonTEC possible: NORAD/NICFI Development Cooperation, Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, Science Panel for the Amazon, WildMon, Planet, Conservation X Labs, ConcyTEC, PUCP, Wyss Academy, San Diego Zoo, CITA–UTEC

Learn more about AmazonTEC at amazontec.pe

 

Amazon Conservation has an extensive history of tracking illegal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon via our real-time satellite monitoring program, Monitoring of the Andes Amazon Program (MAAP). Over the years, we have continuously expanded our scope across all 9 countries of the Amazon, partnering with numerous local NGOs and civil society organizations who often utilize this information to take legal action against illegal gold mining and other harmful deforestation activities. 

To further support our efforts, Amazon Conservation was recently granted generous funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to improve our real-time monitoring of illegal gold mining across the Amazon basin and advance mechanisms for using this information to improve law enforcement responses. With this grant, we will work directly with local authorities and civil society organizations in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to improve our collective abilities to quickly detect gold mining and protect key conservation areas and Indigenous territories throughout the Amazon Basin.

Recent MAAP reports reveal that illegal gold mining activities continue to expand in these countries, negatively impacting thousands of acres of pristine forests, contaminating major waterways, and threatening the natural resources that many Indigenous communities depend on. Additionally, illegal mining also leads to large economic losses due to the direct impact on ecosystem services and other sustainable economic activities. Given the recent expansion of these mining activities, it is vital that we step up our efforts to help local authorities and civil society organizations on the ground to strengthen their capacity to mitigate the negative impacts of gold mining on both biodiversity and human health.

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The Gordon and Betty Moore grant will allow us to achieve the following goals by 2026: 

• A comprehensive information platform covering 100% of the Amazon will be established to enable stakeholders to access and utilize advanced detection, mapping, and visualization tools to improve the monitoring and analysis of both legal and illegal gold mining activities.
• Civil society partners will have improved technical skills, strategic capacities, and tools to effectively support government enforcement and policy actions against illegal mining.
• Civil society partners can prompt swift government action to curb and prevent illegal mining in the Amazon, enhancing monitoring and enforcement efforts while also strengthening the policy and legal framework surrounding gold mining.
• Amazon Conservation and its civil society partners lead targeted communication campaigns to share insights, analyses, and outcomes from project interventions. By collaborating with key media outlets and stakeholders, they ensure that this information reaches a wide audience and informs relevant policies.

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Our current civil society partners we will be working with under this grant include: 

                         

Several of our partners recently showcased our partnership to address illegal gold mining in the Amazon at this year’s CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. We invite you to watch a recording of the event livestream here. 

We are extremely grateful for the generous support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and look forward to what we can accomplish through our expanding partnership network.

 

Over the past few months, we’ve released a series of MAAP reports (MAAP #215 & MAAP #217) that introduced a critical new dataset (Planet’s Forest Carbon Diligence product) that provides wall-to-wall estimates for aboveground carbon, which has allowed us to highlight the highest (peak) aboveground carbon levels in parts of the Amazon.

Our newest report, MAAP #220, is part 3 of this series, focusing on aboveground carbon loss and gain across the Amazon over the 10 years of the data gathered.

For context, the Amazon loses carbon to the atmosphere due to deforestation, selective logging, human-caused fires, or natural disturbances, while it gains carbon from regeneration and old-growth forests sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Overall, we find that the Amazon still narrowly functions as an overall carbon sink (meaning the carbon gain is greater than the loss).

However, this gain is quite small relative to the total aboveground carbon contained across the Amazon, reinforcing concerns that the Amazon could flip to a carbon source (with carbon loss becoming greater than its gain) due to increasing deforestation, degradation, and fires.

In this report, we illustrate these findings with a series of novel maps zooming in on emblematic cases of high carbon loss and gain across the Amazon over the past 10 years. These cases include forest loss from agriculture, gold mining, and roads and forest gain from remote primary forests.

Zooming in to the site level yields additional important findings. For example, we can now estimate the carbon loss from major deforestation events across the Amazon during the past ten years. On the flip side, we can also calculate the carbon gain from both secondary and primary forests.

 

Read the full report here.

 

Last month, we were thrilled to share that we’ll be taking part in one of the world’s most critical conservation summits— the CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. As global biodiversity faces unprecedented threats, this event offers a vital platform for shaping solutions to help protect ecosystems and species across the planet. 

As we dive into conversations that could redefine the future of conservation, our organization will be hosting an exclusive side event that unveils groundbreaking strategies and solutions implemented to intervene against illegal gold mining: one of the most prominent threats to the Amazon basin. 

As detailed in many of our ongoing MAAP reports, the Amazon is at risk of approaching a dangerous tipping point due to deforestation, converting itself from a lush forest to a savanna ecosystem and becoming a net carbon source. Illegal gold mining activities continue to escalate across this vital rainforest basin, devastating the health of surrounding communities, wildlife habitats, and water resources. Although protected areas cover more than 30% of the Amazon biome, deforestation and degradation continue to threaten the ecological health of millions of acres, and continued gold mining runs counter to an effectively conserved and well-connected network of protected areas in the region. 

Given the drastic environmental and social impacts of illegal gold mining, addressing this threat is essential to reducing the loss of areas with high biodiversity importance and ecological integrity, both of which are widespread in the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth. 

For this reason, Amazon Conservation will be hosting The Power of Technology and Partnerships to Stop Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon: a side event that will showcase the solutions devised and implemented by a constellation of civil society organizations working in the region to monitor in real-time the expansion of gold mining, compel governments to intervene against illegal mining, reduce its impacts – including through mercury pollution- and to track the illicit financial flows that fuel its expansion. 

We are eager to share our proposed efforts in combating illegal gold mining across the Amazon, inspiring advocacy and taking action to protect one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. 

Click here for more details on this event

 

In previous reports (MAAP #182, MAAP #219), evidence has shown that mining activities have increased in the Ecuadorian Amazon, drastically affecting protected areas and Indigenous territories.

Now, our newest report from MAAP,  MAAP #221, provides an in-depth analysis of four protected areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon that are currently threatened by mining activities. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery, this report details the impacts of these mining activities in the following areas:

• Podocarpus and Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Parks,
• Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve, and
• El Zarza Wildlife Refuge.

The analysis’s findings show that mining deforestation deep within Podocarpus National Park, along the Loyola River, has increased to 50 hectares, representing a growth of 125% between 2023 and 2024.

In other examples, we show how the rapid mining expansion within their buffer zones has recently penetrated the boundaries of the Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park and the Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve.

 

Read the full report here. 

 

 

Our 2023 Impact Report is here! 

2023 was a year full of collaboration and ground-breaking endeavors that have allowed us to push the boundaries of conservation, extending our impact even further and deeper across the Amazon Basin. We are delighted to share our accomplishments with you, our committed community of supporters, and conservationists.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors that fuel our work across the region, we were able to accomplish major milestones in 2023: 

• Halting a massive deforestation project in the Amazon of Suriname by providing local partners with MAAP data that analyzed the impacts of a proposed land deal. This information reached the Surinamese government, and, following the publication of this MAAP report, the government officially announced the termination of this project that would have destroyed over 1 million acres of forests. 
• In coordination with our Peruvian sister organization, we helped establish a legal clinic to provide counsel to local and Indigenous communities fighting illegal deforestation in their forest homes. This support helped them confront nature crimes in their territories, enabling them to submit legal claims and prosecute illicit actors. 
• Through close collaboration with local partners and Indigenous groups, we provided actionable, real-time data that enabled local authorities to conduct 15 major field operations to stop incidents of illegal gold mining, one of them destroying roughly $11 million worth of mining equipment and heavy machinery, making this one of the largest illegal mining raids in Peruvian history. 
• Continued the hard work of protecting 9.3 million acres of wild places, and advanced in the long-term process of creating new protected areas that will protect millions more.

 

We are grateful to have such a dedicated network of supporters, partners, and team members who have helped drive our conservation efforts forward. These incredible achievements would not have been possible without YOU. Here’s to another great year of conservation! 

Click here to read our 2023 Annual Impact Report.