AMAZON CONSERVATION TEAM

LAND RIGHTS, PROTECTIONS & MANAGEMENT-WITH ACT'S FACILITATION, IN 2024, THE EFFECTIVE PROTECTION AND LEGAL SECURITY OF AT LEAST 1,700 HECTARES WAS FORMALIZED THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT AND/OR EXPANSION PROCEDURES OF INDIGENOUS RESERVES IN THE COLOMBIAN DEPARTMENTS OF CAUCA, GUAJIRA, QUINDO, CHOCO, TOLIMA, RISARALDA, AND PUTUMAYO, APPROVED BY COLOMBIA'S NATIONAL LAND AGENCY AND FORMALIZED UNDER THE CATEGORY OF INDIGENOUS RESERVE.-IN 2024, THROUGH COLOMBIAN OFFICIAL DECREE 2333, PROMOTED BY ACT, A PROTECTION CATEGORY FOR THE YURI-PASS ISOLATED PEOPLE'S TERRITORY WAS REALIZED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AMAZONAS FOR A TOTAL OF 1,410,990 HECTARES. THE RESULTING INTANGIBLE AREA IS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN THE PREVIOUS VERSION WITHIN THE RIO PUR NATIONAL PARK, AND NOW INCLUDES AREAS WITHIN THE PREDIO PUTUMAYO INDIGENOUS RESERVE. THE RESOLUTION ALSO ESTABLISHES A PROTECTIVE BUFFER ZONE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE RIO PUR NATIONAL PARK, WITH THE AIM OF LIMITING LOGGING ACTIVITY EXTENDING CLOSE TO THE PARK FROM THE PUTUMAYO RIVER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN ISOLATION HAVE RECEIVED OFFICIAL RECOGNITION IN COLOMBIA, ESTABLISHING A PROCEDURE THAT CAN BE FOLLOWED FOR OTHER ISOLATED GROUPS. -IN COLOMBIA'S SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA, IN 2024, 12 YOUTH LEADERS OF THE FOUR INDIGENOUS GROUPS OF THE REGIOKOGUI, ARHUACO, WIWA AND KANKUAMOSTRENGTHENED THEIR CAPACITIES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF SACRED SITES, THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN 19 WORKSHOPS AND 19 EXPEDITIONS FACILITATED BY ACT. -ADDITIONALLY, IN THE SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA, IN 2024, ACT COORDINATED THE DESIGN OF A TERRITORIAL MONITORING SYSTEM TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF PROTECTION ACTIONS. WITH INDIGENOUS TEAMS AND LEADERS, THE SYSTEM'S FIELD INFORMATION INTAKE SURVEY WAS CREATED.-IN SURINAME, IN 2024, INDIGENOUS RANGER TRAINING AND DATA COLLECTION COMMENCED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SIPALIWINI NATURE RESERVE. THIS INCLUDED CONDUCTING WATER QUALITY MEASUREMENTS USING FIELD KITS AND SMALL DEVICES, ALONG WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF CAMERA TRAPS. ACT TRAINING SESSIONS ALSO COMMENCED FOR OPERATING DRONES.-FOR SURINAME'S INDIGENOUS RANGERS, IN 2024, ACT CUSTOMIZED THE SURVEY123 MOBILE APPLICATION ALIGN WITH LOCAL INTERESTS, ENABLING DATA COLLECTION ON TOPICS SUCH AS FLOODING, SPECIES OCCURRENCES, WATER QUALITY, AND CAMERA TRAP OBSERVATIONS. THIS DATA IS SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSFERRED TO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SYSTEMS FOR SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION ON DASHBOARDS. -THE ACT INITIATIVE ANCESTRAL TIDES WORKS TO CONSERVE SEA TURTLES WITH A NETWORK OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. AS OF 2024, THERE IS AN OPERATIONAL SEA TURTLE HATCHERY IN EACH OF THE FIVE ACT ANCESTRAL TIDES SITES IN COLOMBIA, PANAMA, COSTA RICA AND MEXICO, WITH MORE THAN 100,000 SEA TURTLE HATCHLINGS PROTECTED AND RELEASED FROM THE WILD AND HATCHERIES IN THE PAST YEAR, AND MORE THAN 1,400 SEA TURTLE NESTS PROTECTED. ALSO IN 2024, A WORKSHOP FOR TRAINING AND EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES GATHERED REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL ANCESTRAL TIDES SITES, ALLOWING THE COMCAC, GUNA, EMBERA AND ARHUACO REPRESENTATIVES TO BOTH RECEIVE TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL TRAINING FOR MONITORING SEA TURTLES AND EXCHANGE EXPERIENCES FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES AND CULTURES, CREATING A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP WITHIN OUR INITIATIVE AND BETWEEN THE PEOPLES.

GOVERNANCE AND CULTURE -IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AGUSTN CODAZZI GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE (IGAC)THE ENTITY OF THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE NATION'S OFFICIAL MAPSACT HAS HELPED INTEGRATE INDIGENOUS PLACE NAMES INTO OFFICIAL GEOGRAPHIC DATABASES, AN IMPORTANT OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF THE VALUE OF LOCAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND A WAY TO HELP PRESERVE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE, IDENTITY, AND TRADITIONAL CULTURAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TERRITORY. IN 2024, WITH ACT'S FACILITATION, TRADITIONAL LEADERS OF THE COFN PEOPLES OF THE PUTUMAYO DEPARTMENT MAPPED 40 CULTURALLY IMPORTANT PLACE NAMES IN THEIR TERRITORY, INFORMATION NOW AVAILABLE IN AN INTERACTIVE, OFFLINE-ENABLED MAPPING PLATFORM THAT PRESENTS LOCAL COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR TERRITORIES THROUGH INTEGRATED AUDIO, VIDEO, PHOTOS AND TEXT. -IN FRENCH GUIANA, IN 2024, WITH ACT'S GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT, ORAL HISTORIES WERE COLLECTED FOR ALUKU AND WAYANA COMMUNITIES RESIDING IN BORDER VILLAGES.-IN THE VILLAGE OF URUNAI IN AN EXTREMELY REMOTE REGION OF NORTHERN BRAZIL, ACT IS GUIDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIGENOUS MEDICINE PROGRAM TO HELP DOCUMENT, REVITALIZE, AND TEACH YOUNGER GENERATIONS THE ANCESTRAL HEALING KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR PEOPLE. CENTRAL TO THAT EFFORT WAS CONSTRUCTION OF AN INTERCULTURAL HEALTH CENTER WITH BOTH WESTERN AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE TREATMENT WINGS AND SPACE FOR MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS. IN OCTOBER 2024, THE CENTER WAS INAUGURATED. SIX TO SEVEN COMMUNITIES LIVING ALONG THE MARAPI RIVER WILL BE SERVED BY APPROXIMATELY 40 HEALTH APPRENTICES WORKING OUT OF THE URUNAI VILLAGE CENTER. -IN NOVEMBER 2024, IN BRAZIL'S CUI CUI INDIGENOUS TERRITORY, THE MIRANHA PEOPLE FROM BRAZIL AND COLOMBIA HAD THEIR FIRST TRANSBOUNDARY EXCHANGE, SPONSORED BY ACT. DURING THE COLONIAL ERA, MANY MIRANHA WERE FORCED TO MOVE FROM COLOMBIA TO BRAZIL BECAUSE OF THE RUBBER TRADE, CAUSING THEM TO LOSE THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE. SINCE DECEMBER 2023, THE MIRANHA GROUP HAS BEEN WORKING ON A PROJECT CALLED "STRENGTHENING HISTORY, CULTURE AND RESCUE OF THE MOTHER TONGUE" WITH ACT AND OTHER PARTNERS. THE MAIN GOALS ARE TO RECOVER THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE, RECONNECT WITH THEIR HISTORY, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR CULTURE AND GOVERNANCE. IN 2024, ACT HELPED THE CUI CUI RESIDENTS CREATE RECORDS OF THEIR LIFE STORIES, THEIR HISTORY, AND THE FORMATION OF THEIR TERRITORY. -TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED WITH ACT'S SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITIES OF THE FOUR INDIGENOUS GROUPS OF COLOMBIA'S SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA HAVE IMPROVED THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AND STRENGTHENED THEIR RECOVERY OF ANCESTRAL PRACTICES AND SELF-GOVERNANCE. 150 KANKUAMO FAMILIES ARE BENEFITTING FROM A HEALING AND HEALTHCARE TRAINING CENTER IN THE COMMUNITY OF CHEMESQUEMENA, BUILT IN 2024 USING BOTH TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN ARCHITECTURAL TECHNIQUES. ADDITIONALLY IN 2024, A CEREMONIAL "HOUSE OF THOUGHT" WAS BUILT FOR THE KANKUAMO RESERVE'S PRIMARY SCHOOLS.