ARCAmazon


The Las Piedras region of the Peruvian Amazon is part of the Western Andes Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet and home to some of the world’s last uncontacted indigenous tribes. Since 2013, Wild Forests & Fauna has been working with their Peru-based partner, ARCAmazon, to design and establish their non-profit organization. ARCAmazon utilizes educational programs, ecotourism, and other sustainable resource-based business activities to:

  • CONSERVE the region’s rich biodiversity
  • MINIMIZE threats to the environment and the local communities
  • CONNECT local and international students with the Amazon rainforest

Deforestation Threat LPAC 2014

Expanding Conservation Capacity In Las Piedras

Through its partnership with WFF, ARCAmazon gained the rights to an 11,000-acre Ecotourism Concession in early 2015. This strategic land acquisition will play a key part in conserving regional wildlife and buffering the more remote reaches of the upper river system.

ARCAmazon is constructing the Las Piedras Amazon Center (LPAC), a rainforest camp dedicated to wildlife study and community support. LPAC is designed to attract students, researchers, and tourists interested in experiencing the Amazon and promoting sustainable economic development in the local communities.

In addition, ARCAmazon is quickly developing a world-class education center, the Amazon Academy, to engage local and foreign students through field-based rainforest education programs. The goal is to document ongoing fieldwork and develop a video series on the importance of protecting the Amazon.

Amazon Academy S01 Episode 03 – Smooth Fronted Caiman from Amazon Academy on Vimeo.

Creating a Stronghold Amid Environmental Exploitation

WFF’s ongoing partnership with ARCAmazon is essential to maintaining the beauty and richness of the Las Piedras watershed. Without an active conservation presence in the Las Piedras watershed, this precious ecosystem is quickly being degraded and deforested by a combination of timber extraction, bush meat hunting, slash-and-burn farming, and a rapid influx of immigrants in search of land.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

Whether you are an adventurer, a vacationer, or a researcher, WFF and ARCAmazon offer a range of opportunities to Experience the Amazon firsthand, such as:

  • Volunteer and internship programs
  • Field courses and workshops
  • Researcher services
  • Camping and ecotours
Skills

Posted on

August 1, 2015