How we’re protecting 2.5M hectares of rainforest—that’s 7,000× the size of Central Park

Just the gist

Short on time? Here’s what you need to know for this update:

• 🛰️ Building two new monitoring hubs — The expansions of the Rainforest Alert program into the Santa Clotilde region and Monterrico de Angoteros community will help protect an extra 2.5M hectares of Amazon rainforest.
• 🗺️ Safeguarding Indigenous land — 15 villages have received government-issued geo-referenced maps, which will form a basis for the administrative titling procedures needed to protect their land.
• 📓 Gaining confidence in storytelling and new technologies — Indigenous communities have learned how to communicate effectively and utilize a new mobile application for forest management, while encouraging the participation of women.

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Building two new monitoring hubs

Thanks to the support from Wren members, our Tech-enabled Rainforest Protection project partners are quickly scaling operations in the Napo River Basin of the Amazon.

They recently finished building two new Rainforest Alert tech hubs in the Santa Clotilde region and the Indigenous community of Monterrico de Angoteros, ready to protect over 2.5 million hectares of rainforest. That’s 7,000× the size of Central Park!

The information gathered at these sites will monitor forests for illegal logging or other encroachment. If any threats are detected, Indigenous leaders in the program will visit the scene or use drones to capture images for law enforcement to respond quickly.

Watch this video from our partners at Rainforest Foundation US for a quick refresher on how the community-led monitoring program works:

Research shows that community monitoring, early deforestation alerts, training, and incentives for monitors play a vital role in reducing tree cover loss. Securing land tenure for Indigenous Peoples empowers them as conservation stewards.

Safeguarding Indigenous land

The Regional Government of Loreto in the Caballococha region recently issued the first official geo-referenced maps to fifteen villages of the Ticuna, Yagua, and Awajun people—covering over 34,200 hectares of the Amazon.

These official maps will be the basis for formal Indigenous land ownership through administrative titling procedures.

Agribusiness, mining, or oil companies often buy, lease, or illegally invade local territories, and pose a threat to forests and Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods. Our project partners support Indigenous land rights by helping to secure formal titles, in addition to preventing deforestation and protecting wildlife.

Gaining confidence in storytelling and new technologies

Our partners at Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) and Indigenous trainers from the Federation of Native Ticuna and Yagua Communities (FECONATIYA) hosted training sessions to help forest monitors communicate the stories of the Amazon.

Over three days, participants completed workshops on storytelling and audio-video skills. This training empowers them to effectively convey local narratives, helping to preserve their cultural heritage and amplify their voices around the world.

In addition, RFUS facilitated a meeting between 12 Kichwa communities and the Peruvian forest supervision authority to empower these Indigenous communities to pioneer the use of a mobile app for forest management and conservation.

A key highlight of both the workshops and the RFUS meeting was the implementation of gender-affirmative measures to ensure the full participation of women, as it’s long been demonstrated that female participation in conservation efforts leads to greater community engagement.

Women are often the primary caregivers and managers of household resources, giving them a unique understanding of the environment. Their involvement can mobilize entire communities, fostering a more inclusive and cohesive approach to conservation.

To help, RFUS set up a temporary daycare during these trainings and meetings. Children from the communities learned to name and identify Amazonian animals through art.

Promoting fairness and social cohesion ensures women have equal opportunities in conservation. When families see their children cared for and educated, it builds trust and support for conservation programs.

Wren and our project partners prioritize the well-being of the communities we work with by leveraging traditional knowledge and fostering inclusive, collaborative conservation approaches. These achievements are just the beginning.

That's all for this update! As always, thank you for your support.
— the Wren team 🧡