To download our latest newsletter, Vol. 16 for July 2011, click here.

This week the Peruvian ministry of the environment has announced the official resolution (Resolución Ministerial Nº123-2011-MINAM) creating the Private Conservation Area “Hierba Buena-Allpayacu”. This reserve covers an area of 2,282.12 hectares of cloud forests in the community of Corosha, Amazonas department. We began work in this area in 2007/8 and have been joined by other institutions, headed by The Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) to help register the reserve.

The reserve is home to two endemic primate species, the yellow tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) and the Peruvian night monkey (Aotus miconax) and many spectacular bird species including the long whiskered owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) and the Pale-billed Antpitta (Grallaria carrikerii). The reserve also protects other species of flora and fauna, preserves the communities water resources, which are also used as the source of hydroelectric energy as well as conserving the community’s cultural heritage. The creation of this area is the first of a series of community run reserves NPC is working to make in the north east of Peru.

Visitors who wish to visit the reserve can contact us through our website to arrange for guides and accommodation. 100% of profits from tourism go directly to the members of the community.

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This week we officially entered a request for a new Conservation Concession for an area of 440 ha of forest near the village of Delta, Amazonas department. The request is in the name of Senor Rosas Torres Guerrero a local farmer that has been protecting this area for the last 10 years and asked for our help in gaining legal recognition. The area will be called “Iguahuana -Delta’s Dry Forests”. Iguahuana is the local name of an endemic tree species abundant in the area. The forests in the area are classed as Dry Forest of the Marañon River Valley, they suffer from extremely high rates of destruction and as yet this forest type is not found in any protected area. We hope that the authorities will approve the request promptly. We wish to thank all the people that helped in the elaboration of this request.

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NPC has found a new site to see the Long-whiskered Owlet near the village of Yambrasbamba, Amazonas. The site, located just off a well maintained dirt road is by far the most accessible site to see this legendary bird. The site has attracted the interest of the residents of the community who have decided to protect it and develop ecotourism, NPC is of course helping the community. The site has been secured with a fence and a payment of $15 has been implemented for tourists wishing to visit area. 100% of this money goes to the community: divided between the maintenance of a 5000 ha communal conservation area, and generating income for local residents. Local field guides have been trained by Neotropical Birding Tours. The area is about half an hour drive from the town of Pomacochas, there is a small hotel and basic restaurants in the village itself.

All visits to the area must be pre-arranged by contacting NPC.

In research conducted earlier in the year a team from NPC completed the first range wide survey of its Peru projects flagship species, the yellow tailed woolly monkey. While searching new areas we were able to record this species in the department of Huanuco for the first time and also in the department of La Libertad for the first time since 1974. These areas are often overlooked by conservationists as most of the species known range is found in the neighbouring departments of Amazonas and San Martin.  

Native only to a small area of Andean cloud forest in north-eastern Peru, and cited by the IUCN as one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, the yellow tailed woolly monkey is so rare that it was believed to have gone extinct until, in the mid 1970’s, a small number of sightings were made of the elusive primate.

With so few remaining in the wild these new areas give hope for the species’ survival. NPC already works with many local communities, NGOs and governments throughout Amazonas and San Martin to promote conservation of this species and its habitat. What we now hope to do is extend our work to include these new populations.