On the 11th of November NPC took part in the rescue of two endangered white bellied spider monkeys and three tufted capuchins.

The monkeys were tied in very bad conditions in a tourist center in Rioja, Peru. One of the capuchins was an infant tied to a little wooden box with a 40 cm rope. The spider monkeys were each tied to a tree with very heavy chains. All of them were given leftovers from the tourist centre, very different from their natural diet.

The owner of the monkeys was keeping them illegally and probably bought them from local hunters.

The Forestry Management Unit of Moyobamba led by Joaquin Esteban Romero and Erik Cachique, did an excellent and professional job in confiscating the monkeys. NPC and IKAMA Peru took part in coordinating the rescue and handling the monkeys, which were transferred to the IKAMA rescue center.

We are extremely happy with this collaboration which will give these monkeys a better life. Hopefully they will all be able to go back to the wild in the future.

Dr. Robert Horwich from US NGO Community Conservation has arrived for a second visit to our Peru project. Dr. Horwich has extensive experience with conservation projects all over the world which he shares with our project staff and the local communities. He is accompanied by Frank Boll, a professional videographer who is documenting our joint work in the area.

Together, we gave a presentation for San Martin Forestry Week, and a one day capacity building event in Nuevo Chirimoto to villagers from La Primavera, Libano, La Union and Nuevo Chirimoto; all of whom are involved in the creation of conservation reserves. Visits to four more communities, which have started the process of conserving their forests, are planned for the coming weeks. Also, a two day workshop organized for the 17-18th of November aiming to bring together many of the conservation players in San Martin and Amazonas including NGOs, government agencies and students, but mainly local people who have initiated conservation projects or are interested in doing so.

As birdwatchers keep arriving to La Esperanza and Yambrasbamba to enjoy the incredible diversity of bird species, more and more interesting species are being found. Probably the most interesting recent discovery is the existence of the Ochre-fronted Antpitta at the Yambrasbamba site. This is a rare and endemic species known from very few sites.

The long whiskered owlet, one of the rarest birds in the world, has been seen regularly since its discovery at the La Esperanza site and we are very happy that more then 95% of the birdwatchers who arrived to the area have managed to see this bird on their first night in the forest. The population of long whiskered owlets at the Yambrasbamba site seems to be a bit shyer, and although all visitors hear it, less manage to get a glimpse of it.

But probably the happiest news is that we have found cinnamon-Screech owl nest. The cinnamon screech owl is an uncommon bird, Endemic to Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador. Alejo Mego a local resident of La Esperanza managed to photograph the mother and young in the nest without disturbing them.

The name of La Esperanza and Yambrasbamba as excellent bird watching sites is spreading and a growing numbers of national and international visitors arrive. 100% of the income generated by tourism goes directly to the communities and we are hoping that with a growing stream of bird watchers, more of the community members will be able to be involved and benefit from it and that this will lead to increasing protection of these unique local forests.

Please download our latest newsletter, Vol. 17 for October 2011. Click here.

During the month of August we conducted environmental education workshops with children in elementary schools of Yambrasbamba, Vilcaniza, Agua Dulce and Shucayacu villages. The workshops were dictated by Jessica Sanchez Larrañaga and Patricia Neyra Vera Tudela.

Children learned about the environment and it importance for humanity. Together with the children, we brought and discussed ideas of how to protect the forests from clear cutting and hunting of wild animals such as yellow-tailed woolly monkey.

Community-based conservation volunteer, Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey Project.

Position Description:

We are seeking volunteers to help us collect data on the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey, to participate in habitat restoration and reforestation, and to assist in improving local awareness of environmental issues through education activities in schools.

Two 6-week-long expeditions starting January 2012 and mid February 2012 are available.

Qualifications/Experience: No qualifications or skills are necessary apart from a basic level of spoken Spanish, good fitness level and ability to cope with harsh working conditions and basic accommodation.

Salary/funding: A contribution is requested from the volunteer. It excludes travel to the field site but includes accommodation, food, wages for local guides, two excursions to Kuelap and the Gocta waterfall, training and a small contribution to the running of the project.

Contact Information: Nina Poletti,    nina.poletti-at-gmail.com

for more information click here.

Last Friday NPC took part in a meeting between the management committee of the Alto Mayo Protected Forest (BPAM) and members of the neighbouring Chisquilla community and the district municipality.

The meeting discussed issues related to the conservation of BPAM and it’s buffer zone. Explaining to the community the objectives of forest conservation, the importance of good management within and around the reserve and the challanges faced. The villagers expressed their interests and doubts. They presented their own initiative of a communal reserve they are conserving and asked for help in legal protection of this area.

Karla Ramirez of NPC offered our support and expertise to the community of Chisquilla on the process of registering the reserve, as

well as making presentations and workshops on environmental education.

The meeting finished with the formation of a committee that will organize and try to fund these issues. NPC is a member of the board of this new committee.

See these beautiful monkeys happily eating and moving around the forests of La Esperanza.

Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey from Sam Jones on Vimeo.

On the 26th of July we handed in the proposal for a new Conservation Concession in San Martin, Peru. The area, to be run by a local committee of villagers from Ricardo Palma is home to the endemic and Critically Endangered  (Callicebus oenanthe) and other primate species, as well as whole host of other endemic and endangered animals. The area of the concession covers over 1,500 ha of primary rain forest in one of the most deforested areas of Peru. This new area borders another Conservation Concession we are working towards with the community of Bagazan. Together the two areas will protect approximately 8,000 ha of habitat.

San Martin suffers from the highest deforestation rates in Peru with nearly 85% of the region completely deforested. The main threats to wildlife and forests in this area are clear cutting for pasture and logging concessions. The local people from the villages of Ricardo Palma and Bagazan are committed to conservation, not only through the registration of these reserves but also through their decision to cultivate organic cacao. We are now awaiting news from the regional and national authorities on the progress of these two proposals.