A Visitor Gets a Firsthand View of Conservation Efforts in the Peruvian Amazon

 by Laura L. Messer

I  have just recently returned from a trip to Peru with several Chicago-area residents on a tour sponsored by the Rainforest Conservation Fund (RCF), a Chicago-area non-profit organization dedicated to protection of tropical forests.  RCF's main area of focus is on the Área de Conservación Regional Comunal Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo (ARCTT - Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Regional Communal Conservation Area) in the Loreto Province,  a 1-million acre protected area of Amazon rainforest located in northeastern Peru near the country's borders with Brazil and Columbia. 

The visitors stayed at the Tahuayo Lodge, a facility operated by Amazonia Expeditions, a local tour company that also supports the RCF, near the ARCTT reserve.  They were accompanied by David Meyer, a Chicago-area attorney and current president of RCF.  During their time in the jungle, they were led by local guides employed by Amazonia Expeditions in hiking, canoeing, fishing, and other activities, giving them a firsthand experience of the immense diversity of the Amazon region.  Some of the area's more unique and interesting wildlife includes the Amazon pink river dolphin, a species of dolphin that lives in the local rivers, the blue morpho butterfly, piranha, and several species of poison dart frogs.

The visitors also learned about RCF projects in the area, which include conservation education in local schools, sustainable agriculture, financial support for local medical providers and programs, and a research station open to scientists and university students studying the Amazon rain forest.  The visitors met local residents involved in community outreach and were also invited to a school in one of the nearby villages to watch a lesson on biodiversity.

RCF's aim in supporting schools is to teach children about the uniqueness of their home area in order to get the younger generations to continue to support conservation efforts.  The involvement of local people is key to continued preservation of the region.  This was witnessed by the visitors during the trip, as they were allowed to watch a community meeting that took place in the village of Chino after local residents, supported by the RCF president and local police, stopped logs illegally cut in the ARCTT reserve from being transported upriver to the city of Iquitos.  The local police commander and representatives of the Peruvian government also attended the meeting to express their support of the local residents who had intervened to stop the illegal loggers.  This was the first time that the government had expressed support locally and was considered to be a major breakthrough in RCF's efforts.

During the upcoming year, RCF plans to continue its ongoing projects as well as work toward expanding the boundaries of the ARCTT to the Brazilian border.  You can also join RCF's work to protect the rain forest by becoming a member.  More information about RCF can be found at http://www.rainforestconservation.org.