NATIVA
DONATE TO NATIVA Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Naturaleza, Tierra y Vida (NATIVA) Location Bolivia, Latin America Category Community Support and Development Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals Emergency Wildfire Response and Prevention in Bolivia Date Founded 2003 Website nativabolivia.org Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes About NATIVA Naturaleza, Tierra y Vida (NATIVA) is a Bolivian non profit that works to protect biodiversity across three of South America’s most important ecological regions—the Chaco, Chiquitania, and Pantanal. They pair science with strong community roots, collaborating with Indigenous communities, local governments, and civil society to safeguard endangered species, support sustainable livelihoods, and maintain ecological connectivity at a landscape scale. Their Challenges Bolivia’s most important ecosystems are under accelerating pressure. Large-scale deforestation, recurrent megafires, climate-induced drought, and illegal settlements are fragmenting habitat and degrading land and water at an alarming pace. Limited institutional capacity and scarce funding leave conservation groups stretched thin—right when rural communities and wildlife need them most. Their Approach NATIVA works at landscape scale, combining satellite monitoring, legal defense of territories, and community-based action. They run wildfire detection and response programs, support environmental governance, build water-resilience infrastructure, and drive policy dialogue, ensuring conservation benefits both nature and the people living alongside it. Why They Need Your Help International support keeps NATIVA’s monitoring systems running, strengthens rapid wildfire response, and powers community-led conservation on the frontlines. Your donation directly protects endangered species, preserves vital ecosystems, and backs the Indigenous and rural communities leading this work.
Emergency Wildfire Response and Prevention in Bolivia
DONATE TO NATIVA Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Naturaleza, Tierra y Vida (NATIVA) Location: Gran Paisajes del Chaco, Chiquitania y Pantanal, Bolivia Appeal Category: Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Community Support and Development Key Species: Jaguar, Chaco peccary, Lowland tapir Challenges And Threats: Megafires intensified by drought and climate change, burning through protected landscapes and Indigenous territories. Illegal settlements and deforestation fragmenting habitat across the Chaco, Chiquitania, and Pantanal. Limited equipment, monitoring, and logistics leave remote areas without rapid wildfire response. Actions: Equip and train community wildfire brigades with gear, protective equipment, and specialized firefighting skills. Expand satellite monitoring and early fire detection systems for real-time hotspot response. Provide emergency logistics and field operations support during active fire seasons. The Challenge Bolivia is in the middle of an escalating wildfire crisis. Prolonged drought, rising temperatures, and unsustainable land use have pushed the Chaco, Chiquitania, and Pantanal into increasingly frequent megafires. Each fire season destroys critical habitat, degrades soils and waterways, and puts Indigenous and rural communities at risk. Many protected landscapes still lack the equipment, early-warning systems, and trained brigades needed to contain fires before they spread. Urgent Solutions NATIVA is launching an integrated wildfire prevention and response program. They will strengthen local brigades with specialized training, protective equipment, and logistical support; expand satellite monitoring to detect hotspots in real time; and run awareness campaigns to help communities adopt preventive fire-management practices before the next dry season. The goal: sharply reduce wildfire impact and safeguard critical habitat for jaguars, Chaco peccaries, lowland tapirs, and the people who share their range. Why Your Donation Matters Your support goes straight to protecting some of Bolivia’s most extraordinary ecosystems. Every contribution equips a frontline brigade, keeps a monitoring system online, or fuels an emergency deployment when a fire breaks out. Investing in prevention now is how we stop irreversible biodiversity loss and defend Indigenous territories—before the next fire season hits. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
The Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia
DONATE TO SCNL Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) Location Monrovia, Liberia Category Protected Area Management Scientific Research Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals None currently Date Founded 1986 Website scnlliberia.org Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Effective Impact About SCNL The Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) is Liberia’s leading conservation organizations, working to protect the country’s globally significant forests, wildlife, and ecosystems. For nearly four decase, SCNL has delivered high-impact conservation in partnership with government, communities, and international networks including BirdLife International and IUCN, ensuring lasting benefits for both nature and people. Their Challenges Liberia’s forests are among West Africa’s last strongholds of biodiversity, but they are under increasing threat from mining, poaching, illegal logging, and weak enforcement capacity. At the same time, conservation efforts are constrained by limited long-term funding and growing pressure from communities seeking sustainable livelihoods. Without sustained investment, critical ecosystems and endangered species are at risk. Their Approach Your support enables SCNL to deliver proven, scalable solutions: Protect critical habitats through strengthened Protected Area management and anti-poaching efforts Support community-led conservation, empowering local people as stewards of their forests Advance climate solutions through carbon finance, agroforestry, and sustainable forest enterprises. Generate data for impact, using science to guide effective conservation action. SCNL works at the landscape scale, integrating conservation with livelihoods so that protected nature also improves lives. From community forestry to biodiversity monitoring systems, their approach is practical, inclusive, and results-driven. Why They Need Your Help By supporting SCNL, you are directly investing in the protection of one of Africa’s most important forest ecosystems while helping communities build resilient, sustainable futures. Your contribution directly protects wildlife, strengthens communities, and secures the future of Liberia’s natural heritage.
Protecting Guatemala’s Cloud Forest From Devastating Wildfires
DONATE TO DEFENSORES Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Defensores de la Naturaleza Location: Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve Actions: Hiring and training of rangers and forest firefighters to protect Guatemala’s largest continuous patch of cloud forest. Providing uniforms, tools, and transportation to ensure safe, efficient work. Forest protection actions to reduce wildfire risks and illegal activities while protecting critical areas and biodiversity. Appeal Category: Capacity Building and Training Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Key Species: Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) Horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus) Jaguar (Panthera onca) Golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) Challenges And Threats: Forest firefighters face high-risk situations combating wildfires affecting over 500 hectares annually. Adequate resources to address this emergency are not prioritized by government entities. The Challenge Each year, wildfires burn more than 1,200 acres in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, a vast mountain range in eastern Guatemala that protects the country’s largest remaining cloud forest. These fires destroy critical biodiversity and natural ecosystems while degrading air quality and threatening water availability for over 200 communities in the region. Forest firefighters are essential to both suppressing active fires and preventing future ones through community monitoring, raising awareness, and training local farmers in safer agricultural burning practices. Yet they work with insufficient resources and face life-threatening conditions during increasingly severe fire seasons driven by climate change. Without adequate support, these frontline defenders cannot effectively protect one of Guatemala’s most vital conservation areas. Urgent Solutions Defensores de la Naturaleza partners with local communities to combat wildfires in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve. This year, Porta Hotel Antigua joins these efforts, creating a cross-sector alliance to prevent and respond to the wildfire crisis. Why Your Donation Matters The Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve protects Guatemala’s largest continuous cloud forest and endangered species like the Baird’s tapir, Jaguar, and Horned guan, while regulating water supplies for hundreds of thousands of people and capturing carbon that fights climate change. Guatemala is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and wildfires are accelerating environmental destruction. When the Sierra de las Minas forest burns, communities lose clean water and livelihoods, wildlife loses habitat, and we all lose a critical climate ally. Your support protects this treasure when it’s needed most. Your donation funds the hiring, training, and equipping of community-based forest firefighters who serve as the frontline defense for this irreplaceable ecosystem. It provides the uniforms, tools, and transportation needed to work safely across thousands of acres of remote cloud forest. Trained teams suppress active fires, monitor vulnerable areas, educate communities about fire prevention, and restore burned landscapes. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Help Support Tesoro Escondido Reserve Parabiologists
DONATE TO TESORO Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Tesoro Escondido Reserve Foundation Location: Lowland Ecuadorian Chocó, Esmeraldas, Ecuador Actions: Wildlife monitoring with camera traps and surveys of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Jaguar coexistence; building community trust and promoting safe, respectful practices. Environmental education through workshops, school gardens, and hands-on learning. Community support in reforestation, pollinator gardens, meliponiculture, and Chachi community life-planning. Ongoing training to strengthen educational, technical, and research skills. Appeal Category: Capacity Building and Training Community Support and Development Education Endangered Species Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Key Species: Brown headed spider monkey Jaguar Giant macaw Harpy eagle Challenges And Threats: Logging Agricultural expansion Hunting Human-wildlife conflict The Challenge Ecuador’s current conservation reality is shifting dangerously. The merger of the Environment Ministry with the Energy and Mines Ministry signals a move toward extractive priorities, while illegal mining, expanding agriculture, timber extraction and organized crime continue to drive some of the country’s highest deforestation rates—especially in Esmeraldas, where the Tesoro Escondido Reserve is located. Local communities remain vulnerable, facing limited access to basic services and growing threats to their land rights. New national regulations restrict NGO action and increase costs, placing both forests and the Rights of Nature at risk. Meanwhile, funding for local conservation jobs is shrinking. We are running out of time to protect the forest and the people who defend it. Urgent Solutions Tesoro Escondido responds by strengthening community-led conservation through its team of local parabiologists—young leaders and agents of change who monitor wildlife, support jaguar coexistence, teach environmental education, restore forests, protect native bees, and support Chachi communities in participatory planning. In 2026, we aim to reinforce our institutional capacity: improving financial stability, governance, monitoring systems, community resilience, and youth leadership. Conservation must remain rooted in local knowledge, science, and strong communities—especially in a rapidly changing landscape. Why Your Donation Matters Your support directly funds the people who protect the forest every day. Parabiologists are essential—wildlife monitors, educators, community leaders, agents of change, role models, and the link between science and territory. Yet resources for local salaries are increasingly scarce. Your donation keeps monitoring active, strengthens community planning, supports women and youth, and ensures that conservation remains led by those who call this forest home. Supporting Tesoro Escondido means standing with the forest—and with its guardians. Partner Qualifications Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Save Colombia’s Chocó Rainforest
DONATE TO PROAVES Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Fundación ProAves Location: Las Tángaras Nature Reserve, Chocó, Northwest Colombia Appeal Category: Ecosystem Restoration Endangered Species Protected Area Management Reforestation Wildlife Conservation Key Species: Gold-ringed tanager Black-and-gold tanager Baudo guan Colombian black spider monkey Harlequin poison frog Challenges And Threats: Critical 242-acre property at risk of deforestation Habitat fragmentation threatening endangered species Agricultural expansion pressures, including pasture and abattoir development Actions: Secure the property to expand Las Tángaras Reserve. Maintain forest corridors for wildlife connectivity. Protect cloud forest ecosystems and biodiversity. The Challenge Colombia’s Chocó bioregion, one of the wettest and most biodiverse places on Earth, is vanishing at an alarming rate. More than 70% of its rainforest has already been lost, leaving only scattered remnants capable of supporting its astonishing wildlife. At the heart of this landscape lies the 9,960-acre Las Tángaras Reserve, one of the last intact strongholds for species found nowhere else. Its cloud forests shelter critically threatened wildlife, including the Gold-ringed tanager and the Colombian black spider monkey. But this refuge is now in immediate danger. A 242-acre property located inside the reserve boundary is scheduled for sale before year-end. If ProAves cannot secure it in time, it will be converted to cattle pasture and an abattoir triggering deforestation that would fragment the reserve, destroy habitat, and jeopardize the survival of its endangered species. This is one of the last unprotected properties directly bordering Las Tángaras Reserve. Losing it would break the forest corridor and tear apart the ecological continuity the entire ecosystem depends on. Urgent Solutions ProAves urgently seeks to purchase the 242-acre property to secure it forever. Your support will: Protect a rainforest and Cloud forest twice the size of Vatican City, sheltering ~68,600 mature trees. Prevent the release of 90,000 metric tons of stored CO₂ equivalent to the electricity use of 1,200 homes for a decade. Complete a unified 9,960-acre conservation corridor, strengthening habitat connectivity for threatened birds, mammals, and amphibians. Safeguard cloud forest headwaters that feed the Atrato River, a lifeline for Afro-Colombian communities downstream. Permanently protect one of Colombia’s most endangered biodiversity corridors at a critical moment. Why Your Donation Matters If this property is not secured before the end of the year, forest clearing will begin and the damage will be irreversible. This is a one-time opportunity to save a vital tract of rainforest that stabilizes climate, protects water systems, and shelters species found nowhere else on Earth. And right now, every donation is doubled, protecting twice as much rainforest when it matters most. Your Impact (Matched 1:1):$100 — Protects 9,720 sq. ft. of rainforest$250 — Protects 24,280 sq. ft. of rainforest$1,000 — Protects 97,200 sq. ft. of rainforest Every gift in your name helps secure irreplaceable habitat and keeps the Chocó’s extraordinary wildlife alive, forever. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Help Indigenous Forest Defenders Rebuild After Violent Attack
DONATE TO MAKIROVANA Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Makirovana Association Location: Makirovana-Tsihomanaomby Protected Area (Northeastern Madagascar) Appeal Category: Community Support and Development Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Key Species: Sanford’s lemur Crowned lemur Challenges And Threats: Violent retaliation from illegal gold miners Destruction of homes and conservation infrastructure Ongoing threats to Indigenous forest defenders Illegal mining within Protected Area Actions: Rebuild 88 destroyed family homes Restore conservation facilities and tree nurseries Strengthen community-led forest patrols Provide emergency support for displaced families The Challenge The Makirovana-Tsihomanaomby Protected Area protects critical habitat for Critically Endangered lemur species and countless additional species. An Indigenous community has co-managed this forest for generations through the Makirovana Association, a local grassroots organization and Conservation Allies partner. In November 2025, community patrols discovered illegal gold miners operating inside the Protected Area. Police arrested two miners, who promised not to return. In retaliation, a larger group of miners launched a violent attack on villages around the Protected Area. The miners targeted families directly involved in forest protection. They destroyed homes, threatened residents, and kidnapped one Association member. Many families evacuated to temporary shelter in nearby Sambava city. The violence escalated when miners returned and burned 88 family homes, the village chief’s house, and all conservation facilities including ten native tree nurseries and reforestation sites. Local authorities responded by deploying more than 60 armed officers who have begun making arrests. The kidnapped conservationist was safely released. However, the community has lost nearly everything and needs immediate help to rebuild their homes and restore the conservation infrastructure that protects this biodiverse landscape. Urgent Solutions The Makirovana community needs immediate support to rebuild and continue protecting this critical forest habitat. Your donation will fund: Rebuild Homes: Construct 88 new homes for families who lost everything while defending their forests, allowing them to return from temporary shelters and resume their lives. Restore Conservation Infrastructure: Rebuild ten native tree nurseries and reforestation sites that were burned, ensuring conservation work continues without interruption. Strengthen Community Patrols: Provide equipment, training, and operational support for patrols that protect the forest from illegal mining and other threats. Emergency Family Support: Provide immediate assistance to families currently displaced in Sambava, including food, supplies, and temporary housing needs. Enhance Security: Work with local authorities to improve safety measures for Indigenous forest defenders and ensure their rights as stewards of this landscape are protected. Restore Livelihoods: Help families rebuild the sustainable economic activities disrupted by the attack, providing long-term stability for conservation efforts. Why Your Donation Matters Your donation directly supports Indigenous people who have risked their safety to protect endangered wildlife and one of Madagascar’s most biodiverse forests. The Makirovana community faces an immediate crisis that threatens both their homes and the Protected Area they manage. The $15,000 fundraising goal will enable the Makirovana Association to rebuild destroyed infrastructure and continue their conservation work. Your support provides displaced families with new homes so they can return to their land. It restores years of conservation work lost when nurseries and reforestation sites were burned. This support also sends a clear message: communities defending forests against illegal activities are not alone. Your donation helps ensure that violent intimidation does not succeed in driving Indigenous stewards away from the landscapes they protect. The Makirovana people have shown commitment to their forests despite facing violence. By helping them rebuild, you enable them to continue protecting habitat for biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth. Your donation helps them recover from this attack and continue their role as forest defenders for future generations. Partner Qualifications Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre
DONATE TO GREENVIET Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre Location Danang City, Vietnam Category Community Support & Development Protected Area Management Ecosystem Restoration Endangered Species Urgent Appeals Coming soon Date Founded 2012 Website www.greenviet.org Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Effective Impact About GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre was founded in 2012 to protect ecosystems and endangered species of flora and fauna throughout Vietnam. The organization employs an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, which identifies and mobilizes the internal strengths of local communities to build effective conservation teams. By empowering communities to become active stewards of their natural resources, GreenViet creates sustainable, locally-driven conservation solutions that benefit both wildlife and people. Their Challenges Wildlife conservation in Vietnam faces critical threats to biodiversity. Habitat loss and fragmentation, driven by deforestation, agricultural expansion, hydropower projects, and rapid urbanization, reduce the size and quality of natural habitats, isolating wildlife populations and increasing extinction risk. Vietnam also serves as both a source and transit country in the illegal wildlife trade, with species such as pangolins, primates, and turtles heavily exploited for food, traditional medicine, and the pet trade. Despite stronger laws and international commitments, enforcement remains weak and demand persists. Additionally, many protected areas struggle with insufficient funding, staff, and equipment, while local communities dependent on forest resources face conflicts between conservation goals and livelihood needs. Their Approach GreenViet employs an integrated approach that strengthens both ecosystems and communities in Central Vietnam, where many rare and threatened species survive. The organization supports protected areas by enhancing forest ranger capacity through training, equipment provision, and technical support. Regular wildlife monitoring tracks population trends and threats—including hunting, logging, and habitat loss—to guide protection strategies. Crucially, GreenViet empowers local communities by recruiting and supporting village volunteers as community forest guards. These grassroots partnerships build local stewardship and create a frontline defense for endangered species, fostering a more sustainable and resilient future for both people and nature. Why They Need Your Help Conservation funds enable GreenViet to strengthen protected areas and local communities in Central Vietnam. Resources support training for local rangers in SMART patrol methods, which significantly improve forest protection effectiveness. The organization provides essential equipment including mobile phones, computers, and uniforms to ensure rangers can work safely and efficiently, while ranger awards recognize and motivate their dedication. Funds also support community volunteers who patrol their forests, fostering shared ownership in conservation efforts. Additionally, GreenViet monitors populations of endangered species such as the Grey-shanked douc langur and gibbons, using this data to target resources where they are most needed and ensure effective protection strategies for future generations.
Support the Peruaçu Communities in Coping with the Water Crisis
DONATE TO EKOS BRASIL Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Instituto Ekos Brasil Location: Vale do Peruaçu, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Januária, Itacarambi, and São João das Missões) Appeal Category: Community Support & Development Protected Area Management Reforestation Key Species: Rock Cavy Cougar & Mountain Lion Hoary Fox Bush Dog Giant Anteater Narrow-billed Woodcreeper Boa Constrictor Challenges And Threats: Forest fires Intense deforestation Water crisis Soil degradation Actions: • Contribute to water security and increase the availability and quality of waterin the region• Identify more sustainable income-generating activities and productionpractices aligned with the conservation of natural resources and localbiodiversity• Highlight the vital role of Indigenous communities in protecting and conservingnatural resources and biodiversity The Challenge The Brazilian Cerrado is a vast tropical savanna that covers more than 20% of the national territory and is the second-largest biome in the country. Over half of its native vegetation has been converted for agribusiness, making the region a major global supplier of soy. Scientists are increasingly concerned about how these land use changes may affect the future of the biome and its communities—especially given the Cerrado’s higher vulnerability to climate change and drought compared to other regions in Brazil. This project, led by Instituto Ekos Brasil, focuses on the Peruaçu Cluster, part of the Sertão Veredas–Peruaçu Mosaic (MSVP) in Minas Gerais. The area spans five municipalities, with a total population of 118,233 inhabitants. Located within Brazil’s Drought Polygon, the Peruaçu region faces harsh conditions such as irregular rainfall, high temperatures, and low water reserves—leading to water insecurity, social vulnerability, and rural exodus, particularly among the youth. Water scarcity is considered the most pressing issue in the region. The Mosaic lies within a watershed with a negative water balance, and the unregulated use of groundwater has intensified the crisis. Another critical challenge is the high incidence of wildfires, some of which are illegal and others characteristic of the biome, but increasingly worsened by prolonged dry periods. Despite these threats, the region plays a vital role in conserving the Cerrado’s biodiversity. The Peruaçu Caves National Park and the Peruaçu Caves Environmental Protection Area are especially important for local communities, who rely on their natural and cultural heritage as sources of income aligned with conservation. These landscapes represent not only ecological value, but also the cultural and economic resilience of traditional populations. Urgent Solutions To address the escalating climate and water crisis in the Peruaçu region, Instituto Ekos Brasil has developed a rapid-response package of nature-based, community-driven solutions that are ready for implementation in the most severely impacted areas. Their proposed interventions include: Installing rainwater harvesting cisterns to immediately improve household water access and reduce dependence on overdrawn underground sources; Creating productive home gardens with native Cerrado species to support food security and diversify income in a landscape where water is increasingly scarce; Restoring degraded springs and riparian zones to safeguard the region’s fragile water sources; Conducting on-the-ground climate risk mapping, co-created with local communities, to guide future adaptation efforts; Hosting community workshops that integrate scientific and traditional knowledge, empowering residents to become local leaders in climate resilience. These solutions are low-cost, scalable, and rooted in traditional livelihoods. With donor support, they can be launched within the first 12 months of the project, directly benefiting over 30 families and contributing to the stabilization of a vital ecosystem. Why Your Donation Matters The implementation of this project will enable these marginalized communities, who are directly affected by the impacts of climate change but play a crucial role in the conservation and stewardship of ecosystems, to not only survive with dignity but also overcome their vulnerabilities in the face of the ongoing climate and water crisis affecting the region. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Instituto Ekos Brasil
DONATE TO EKOS Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Instituto Ekos Brasil Location São Paulo, Brazil Category Community Support & Development Protected Area Management Reforestation Urgent Appeals Support the Peruaçu Communities in Coping with the Water Crisis Date Founded 2001 Website www.ekosbrasil.org Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Effective Impact About Instituto Ekos Brasil Instituto Ekos Brasil is a Brazilian non-profit organization with over 20 years of experience designing and implementing high-impact initiatives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. They bring together technical excellence, deep territorial knowledge, and a strong network of partners to deliver lasting, nature- based solutions. Their work is rooted in the understanding that conservation and community development are inseparable. Since 2002, they have been active in northern Minas Gerais, in the heart of the Cerrado biome—one of the most biodiverse savannas on the planet and a critical ecosystem for climate regulation and water security in South America. In the region of the Peruaçu Caves National Park—a site of immense ecological and cultural significance—they supported the development of the park’s management plan and the implementation of key infrastructure. Since 2017, they have maintained a formal cooperation agreement with ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation)—the Brazilian federal agency responsible for managing national parks and other protected areas—to develop and implement projects both within the park and in its surrounding areas. Their initiatives promote sustainable livelihoods, strengthen community engagement, and enhance territorial resilience in a region facing increasing social and environmental pressures. Since 2020, Ekos has served as the Executive Secretariat of the Sertão Veredas Peruaçu Mosaic, a collaborative platform uniting over 40 institutions. This role enables us to strengthen regional governance and catalyze integrated actions for conservation, climate adaptation, and inclusive development across this strategic portion of the Cerrado. Their Challenges The Peruaçu River Basin, in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil, is experiencing one of the most severe socio-environmental crises in the country. The region is suffering from soil degradation, advanced erosion, and acute water scarcity. Classified by Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment as an area susceptible to desertification, the basin is also labeled “highly critical” for water availability by the São Francisco River Basin Plan. Recent scientific studies show that the last four decades were the driest in the past 700 years. These extreme climatic conditions are reducing groundwater recharge and threatening the livelihoods of over 25 traditional communities—including Indigenous groups — quilombolas, veredeiras, and vazanteiras who depend on this landscape for survival. The degradation is driven by climate change, unregulated land use, and lack of environmental governance. Without urgent intervention, the region faces a future of deepening ecological collapse and social vulnerability. Their Approach Instituto Ekos Brasil has worked in the Peruaçu region for nearly 20 years, combining science, local knowledge, and inclusive governance to drive sustainable solutions. Through a formal cooperation agreement with ICMBio, Brazil’s federal agency for protected areas, Ekos supports conservation actions in the Peruaçu Caves National Park and surrounding territories. Their approach integrates: • Spring mapping and restoration of degraded water sources • Community-led conservation and environmental education • Implementation of social technologies for water access and climate adaptation • Strengthening of territorial governance, through coordination of over 40 institutions in the Sertão Veredas–Peruaçu Mosaic They believe lasting change happens when communities are empowered, science guides action, and investments focus on long-term resilience. Their work not only protects biodiversity—it sustains life, culture, and hope in one of Brazil’s most vulnerable regions. Why They Need Your Help Your donation helps us respond to the urgent and complex challenges of the Peruaçu River Basin. Despite the region’s ecological and cultural importance, it receives limited national and international investment. With your support, Instituto Ekos Brasil will: • Restore degraded springs and riparian areas vital to water security • Train and mobilize traditional communities to lead restoration and adaptation efforts • Expand conservation initiatives within and beyond protected areas • Promote nature-based solutions that regenerate landscapes and protect biodiversity Each contribution strengthens our ability to act at scale and with integrity. This is not just about protecting a place—it is about securing climate resilience, water access, and social equity in one of Brazil’s most threatened and overlooked territories.