Protect The Bongolava Forest Corridor
DONATE TO FBM Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Fikambanana Bongolava Maitso (FBM) Location: Bongolava Forest Corridor Protected Area, Sofia Region, Madagascar Appeal Category: Community Support and Development Capacity Building and Training Protected Area Management Key Species: Madagascar rosewood Bongolava mouse lemur Coquerel’s sifaka Challenges And Threats: Forest fires Charcoal production Deforestation Actions: Fire prevention Protected area patrols Equipment to fight fires The Challenge Madagascar’s Bongolava Forest Corridor faces significant threats from forest fires caused by various human activities. These fires often originate from the renewal of grazing areas, leaks or explosions in charcoal kilns, and the clearing of crop fields using fire—all activities prohibited within the Protected Area. Fires spread quickly and uncontrollably, and the individuals responsible are often unidentified. Despite clear rules requiring authorization from the forestry administration for field clearing, including the presence of personnel to control the fire, these regulations are frequently ignored. As a result, fire use has become widespread and unregulated, posing a serious threat to the forests. Additionally, the dry season (July to December) has seen an alarming increase in fires, with 2023 incidents far surpassing those of the last five years. Fire damage during this period is especially critical, wreaking havoc on both farmland and Protected Areas. Outside the Corridor, the loss of forest cover has been immense, increasing pressure on the Protected Area for resources like charcoal production. Urgent Solutions FBM is working tirelessly to address these challenges through a multi-faceted approach involving collaboration with the forestry administration and local committees. Enhanced enforcement of fire-use regulations is a critical first step to prevent uncontrolled burns. FBM is committed to increasing patrols around the Protected Area to monitor for potential fire outbreaks, ensuring that early detection and rapid response minimize damage to the forest. In addition to monitoring efforts, equipping FBM with firefighting tools and training is essential to combat fires that do arise. Expanding their capacity will enable them to respond more effectively to incidents before they escalate into widespread destruction. Furthermore, FBM seeks to empower community members by providing education and resources to reduce reliance on harmful practices such as unsanctioned land clearing and charcoal production. This comprehensive strategy not only safeguards the Bongolava Forest Corridor but also strengthens the community’s ability to coexist sustainably with their environment. Why Your Donation Matters FBM is on the frontlines of protecting the Bongolava Forest Corridor from forest fires and other threats. Your support will empower FBM to train local committees in conflict resolution and enforcement of fire-use regulations, strengthening their ability to protect the forest. Donations will also help expand patrols, provide critical firefighting equipment, and fund education initiatives that promote sustainable practices. By contributing, you are helping FBM and the local community safeguard one of Madagascar’s most biodiverse regions, ensuring it remains a haven for wildlife and a vital resource for generations to come. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Fundación Cambugán
DONATE TO FUNDACIÓN CAMBUGAN Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Fundación Cambugán Location Ecuador, Latin America Category Land Purchases Protected Area Management Community Support and Development Urgent Appeals None currently Date Founded 2000 Website www.cambugan.org Partner Qualifications Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact About Fundación Cambugán Fundación Cambugán is an Ecuadorian non-profit organization dedicated to empowering communities and fostering positive and meaningful change. Cambugán believes that everyone deserves access to basic needs, education, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Their mission is to create sustainable programs and initiatives that address these fundamental areas, promoting social equality and enhancing the quality of life for those in need. Their Challenges The longest mountain chain in the world – the Andes – crosses the tropical equator in northernmost Ecuador. This region of mountainous cloud forest holds an unparalleled diversity of flora and fauna. In fact, these cloud forests collectively contain almost 15% of the planet’s known biodiversity, yet they cover less than 1% of the Earth’s surface. This biodiversity treasure troves also has rich soils which are ideal areas for cattle ranching and farming. As a consequence, the majority of these forests have already been destroyed. Cambugán is working to acquire properties in the cloud forest region to permanently protect them from deforestation. Their Approach Through a collaborative approach, Cambugán engages with local partners, community leaders, and volunteers to identify and address conservation challenges. They leverage their resources, expertise, and passion to develop innovative solutions that create lasting change. Their areas of focus include education, healthcare, environmental conservation, and socio-economic development. Education is at the heart of their efforts. They strive to provide children and young adults with access to quality education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Additionally, they work to improve the overall well-being of communities by supporting healthcare initiatives, promoting sustainable practices, and fostering entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Why They Need Your Help Fundación Cambugán is seeking support for their work protecting and managing cloud forests and endangered species, purchasing at-risk forests, and supporting university students in studying the biodiversity of the cloud forests, allowing them to develop and implement improved management plans.
Monitor Biodiversity In Madagascar
DONATE TO ASITY Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name ASITY Madagascar Location: 4 reserves across Madagascar Appeal Category: Community Support and Development Capacity Building and Training Education Endangered Species Protected Area Management Key Species: Sakalava Rail Verreaux’s sifaka Madagascan big-headed turtle Challenges And Threats: Clearance of rainforest for cattle ranching Habitat fragmentation Unsustainable resource use Actions: Protected area management Expand ecotourism infrastructure Community environmental education The Challenge Madagascar’s unique biodiversity faces significant threats from habitat loss, primarily through the clearance of rainforest for cattle ranching and other unsustainable practices. These activities endanger critical species like the Sakalava Rail, Verreaux’s sifaka, and the Madagascan big-headed turtle. ASITY Madagascar works to address these conservation challenges through community engagement, development projects, and collaboration with various sectors. Their approach focuses on protecting important locations while simultaneously improving the socio-economic conditions of local communities who depend on these natural resources. Urgent Appeal ASITY Madagascar’s conservation work spans four protected areas across Madagascar, each requiring consistent monitoring and management. Their efforts include capacity building for local communities and implementing sustainable management practices that balance ecological protection with human needs. Through focused initiatives, ASITY fosters long-term behavior change through awareness raising, information sharing, and environmental education. Their work empowers communities and future generations to understand the vital connection between their wellbeing and the conservation of local natural resources, creating pathways for sustainable coexistence. Why Your Donation Matters Donations directly support ASITY’s vital monitoring efforts in their four Protected Areas, including capacity building initiatives and the implementation of sustainable management practices. Every contribution makes a meaningful impact in preserving Madagascar’s natural ecosystems. By supporting ASITY Madagascar, donors play a crucial role in solving pressing conservation challenges. Through their integrated approach that combines environmental protection with community development, ASITY creates positive and lasting impacts for both people and biodiversity throughout Madagascar Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Save Panama’s Remaining Rainforests
DONATE TO ADOPTA Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Name Adopt a Panama Rainforest Association (ADOPTA) Location: Cerro Chucantí, Panama Appeal Category: Community Support and Development Ecotourism Ecosystem Restoration Endangered Species Government Policy Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Key Species: Colombian Spider Monkey Chucantí Centipede Snake Chucantí Salamander Challenges And Threats: Clearance of rainforest for cattle ranching Slash and burn activities Logging Actions: Protected area management Expand ecotourism infrastructure Community education and engagement The Challenge The cloud forests of Cerro Chucantí Reserve in eastern Panama rise to 4,700 feet in elevation and sustain a diverse tropical forest ecosystem. The geographic isolation of the Cerro Chucantí mountaintop reserve has allowed its flora and fauna to diversify considerably, such that it contains a number of locally endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. There have been many discoveries of species new to science at this unique site, including salamanders, frogs and snakes. Unfortunately, the rainforests in Cerro Chucantí are under significant threat from slash and burn activities, logging and cattle ranching. Urgent Solutions ADOPTA will work to strengthen the protection of the reserve through hiring forest guards and working in conjunction with the local government. Patrols will ensure the forest remains intact and poaching is stopped. An important part of the long-term strategy is ensuring local community support, and ADOPTA’s mission includes educating, training and engaging the community in conservation activities. Why Your Donation Matters With support from donors, ADOPTA can ensure the Cerro Chucantí Private Nature Reserve is safeguarded for all wildlife. Furthermore, the recently acquired San Bartolo Private Nature Reserve preserves the last remnants of lowland Pacific rainforest and fosters biodiversity akin to the biodiverse Osa Peninsula. By donating, supporters play a vital role in preserving these unique ecosystems and the remarkable species that inhabit them. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Urgent Protection Needed In Sierra Nevada De Santa Marta
FUNDING GOAL $12,175 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: El Dorado Nature Reserve, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia Appeal Category: Ecosystem Restoration Endangered Species Protected Area Management Reforestation Wildlife Conservation Key Species: Santa Marta Parakeet Santa Marta Toro San Lorenzo Harlequin Frog Challenges And Threats: Illegal Invasions to claim and clear forest Vacation home developments Cattle pasture lands Actions: Reserve rangers Improve Protection Forest restoration The Challenge On Colombia’s Caribbean shores stands the highest coastal mountain on earth. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a corrugated pyramid of rock that rises almost four miles high. This ancient massif that dates back to the Jurassic period contains a microcosm of the entire planet from deserts to rainforest to glaciers with an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else. It is regarded as the planet’s single most important site for threatened and endemic biodiversity, as it boasts the highest concentration of endemic bird species in the world. As a result, the prestigious journal Science dubbed the area the “Most Irreplaceable Site on Earth” and a major priority for biodiversity conservation. Located on the Sierra Nevada’s most vulnerable northwestern flank—less than ten miles from the city of Santa Marta—is perhaps the world’s most important nature reserve: El Dorado. Established in 2005 by our Colombian partner Fundación ProAves, the reserve protects over 3,200 acres, safeguarding habitat for threatened species such as the Critically Endangered Santa Marta Toro and the Santa Marta Harlequin Frog. However, in recent years land speculation around the reserve has spiraled out of control as the reserves offers surrounding areas with exceptional natural resources such as clean water, cooler climes and spectacular views. Unfortunately this speculation has spurred some unscrupulous individuals to try and illegal invade some parts of the reserve to claim land and then sell it. ProAves is desperate to increase protective measures at this Reserve. Urgent Solutions Following decades of uncontrolled colonization and agricultural expansion, less than 15 percent of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’s original highland forest remains intact. All the more important that the El Dorado Nature Reserve represents one of the last refuges of strict protection for this mecca of endemic biodiversity. Principle threats include illegal invasions of the reserve to claim and clear forest then sell it for vacation home developments. The construction of vacation homes in the cooler climes of the mountain poses a growing danger to the forests and with land prices quadrupling each year, the demand for land is putting immense pressure on the reserve boundaries and what little forest survives outside the reserve. Unfortunately, the area’s many endangered and endemic species are concentrated in these cooler montane forests where threats are greatest. Almost every endemic species in the massif is struggling to survive amidst the continued destruction of their habitat. This appeal will provide critical resources to fund and equip three new Reserve Rangers, establish a new Ranger Station where threats are greatest and establish a communication network for alerts across the reserve to rapidly respond to threats. Why Your Donation Matters With invasions and deforestation placing this biodiversity jewel at tremendous risk, our partner urgently seeks support increase protective measures with additional reserve Rangers, new ranger stations and a communications system for alerts across the reserve. Your help will ensure the reserve continues to be a safe haven for the planet’s most important biodiversity hotspot. Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes
Fosa Association
DONATE TO FOSA Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Fosa Association Location Madagascar, Africa Category Community Support and Development Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals None currently Date Founded 2023 Website www.fosa.mg Partner Qualifications Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Conservation Action Heroes About The Fosa Association The Fosa Association (Fikambanana Fosa Andranofasika), created by Dr. Luke Dollar and Conservation Allies, is a young organization mainly run by local residents within Ankarafantsika National Park. It started with Fossa monitoring and evolved through partnerships with student researchers to incorporate research, education, and patrols into its practices. They have also created women’s associations, which is unique, as women are oftentimes not included in conservation initiatives in Madagascar. With a main focus on wildlife conservation, they collaborate with the park manager (MNP) to increase their impact. Their Challenges Ankarafatsika National Park is facing strong pressures linked to forest and bushfires, charcoal mining, illegal logging, raffia exploitation, and human migration in search of arable land. These pressures destroy a large area of vegetation and thus cause the disappearance of a great deal of plant and animal biodiversity. The action of MNP alone is not currently sufficient to reduce and eradicate this scourge. Thus, Association Fikambanana Fosa Andranofasika decided to take action and collaborate with MNP to carry out effective patrols, leading to reduced wildfires and increased awareness. Their Approach Association Fikambanana Fosa Andranofasika was formed and is run mainly by local people who have an intimate knowledge of the land and the threats it faces. Some of their specific conservation actions include: Patrolling the buffer zones as well as the core of Ankarafantsika National Park and responding to threats, such as fires or illegal activities Recruiting young people in the region to join the cause, leading to the preservation of nature for future generations Holding awareness sessions in the villages surrounding the park to increase local engagement Why They Need Your Help Association Fikambanana Fosa Andranofasika is completely reliant upon donations to continue their operations. Donations support their daily conservation operations, improve patrolling techniques, and invest in better equipment for their rangers.
IMPACT Madagascar
DONATE TO IMPACT MADAGASCAR Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner IMPACT Madagascar Location Madagascar, Africa Category Community Support and Development Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals Protecting Madagascar Remaining Dry Forests: Save Kasijy Special Reserve! Date Founded 2014 Website www.impactmadagascar.org Partner Qualifications Verified Partner Legally Constituted Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes About IMPACT Madagascar IMPACT Madagascar is a Malagasy NGO who understands that you can’t protect endemic wildlife and endangered forests without taking into consideration the needs of the people living there. They take steps to preserve habitats and species while taking actions to benefit and empower local communities. Over the last decade, they have accomplished quantifiable and sustainable long-term solutions to the problems of biodiversity loss, deforestation and poverty. From tree nurseries and biodiversity conservation to improved farming techniques and income generation, they sponsor a variety of projects which build a bright and sustainable future for the people and wildlife of Madagascar. Their Challenges According to Global Forest Watch, Madagascar had 15.6 Mha of natural forest in 2020, extending over 26% of its land area. As of last year (2024) it has lost 226 kha of natural forest, equivalent to 115 Mt of CO₂ emissions. This is their primary challenge: the alarming rate of continual deforestation throughout Madagascar. Most of Madagascar’s tropical forests have been transformed into fragmented landscapes, leaving behind disconnected and degraded forest patches. This fragmentation creates barriers for wildlife and reduces available forest resources for all who rely on them. The reliance of local people on these incredibly limited forest resources is an additional challenge, and includes the issues of illegal logging, timber exploitation, charcoal production, wildlife poaching, overfishing with illegal traps and nets, land-clearing bushfires (often for agriculture), and general overuse of forest and aquatic resources. Notably, bushfires are a major concern in dry habitats, primarily occurring at the end of the dry season for agricultural preparation. Habitat threats are more prevalent when rangers are absent, particularly on weekends. Their Approach IMPACT Madagascar works alongside local people in order to empower communities, running community-led programs and coaching practical conservation skills that are sustainable for both people and the environment. They support IMPACT Madagascar’s communities through a holistic approach including: 1. Community Development and Community Conservation2. Environmental Outreach and Practical Environmental Education3. Forest and Wetlands Biodiversity and Habitat Monitoring4. Reforestation and Ecological Restoration They believe that successful conservation solutions must be implemented with community development at their core. Therefore, local people are involved in all stages of our conservation programs. We have established reforestation programs, where villages are actively restoring forest habitats via an annual tree planting program. Nursery species are also fast-growing to provide the communities with firewood, thereby conserving the protected forests. Local people are trained and then paid to monitor these programs as forest guards alongside the IMPACT team. Why They Need Your Help Madagascar is at serious risk of losing its remaining dry and gallery forest, along with the critically endangered species which live there. Increasing patrol capacity is vital to protecting these ecosystems, as threats occur mainly when rangers are absent, particularly over the weekends. Increasing crop yields and developing secondary income streams are vital for the long-term success of rural villages, reducing their dependence on harmful activities such as poaching or slash and burn agriculture. And environmental education provides the next generation with vital knowledge to continue this legacy of biodiversity protection. All of these initiatives are made possible by donations, and they are forever grateful for your generosity and support. Change cannot happen without your help, and they hope you will join them.
Corporación SalvaMontes
DONATE TO CORPORACIÓN SALVAMONTES Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Corporación SalvaMontes Location Colombia, Latin America Category Endangered Species Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals None currently Date Founded 2016 Website www.salvamontes.org Partner Qualifications Legally Constituted About Corporación SalvaMontes Corporación SalvaMontes is a non-profit organization in Colombia that focuses primarily on the biodiverse extreme north of the Tropical Andes hotspot. Managing 2,900 acres of natural reserves of cloud forests, they safeguard over 16 Threatened species. Their efforts center on the Alto de Ventanas, a significant biologically rich area at Colombia’s northern central Andes. This region holds prominence in Colombia’s updated National Strategy for Plant Conservation. Furthermore, it’s a proposed Key Biodiversity Area as per IUCN criteria. In the Alto de Centanas, Salva Montes manages three reserves spanning 1,900 acres, strategically placed to protect the magnolia trees, Handley’s slender opossums, and their habitat remnants. They also manage 123 acres of nature reserve in the Darién Gap of Chocó, protecting the unique and endangered Magnificent butterfly palm. Finally, SalvaMontes also co-manages 880 acres of forest in the highlands of northern-central Antioquia, where they are working to conserve the Critically Endangered Antioquia brushfinch. Their Challenges Forests in the Antioquia and Chocó departments of Colombia are in danger of being logged due to the opening of pastures for cattle and illegal wood production. Although these forests are home to a great abundance of biodiversity and several endemic, threatened species, the threat of deforestation continues on. Their primary challenge in guaranteeing the conservation of Colombia’s wildlife is in protecting the most well-preserved fragments of habitat that still remain. THey are also focused on restoring and rewilding the degraded areas of forest in order to reconnect fragments by mending the biological corridors. While restoring forests is very difficult given the region’s deforestation trend, it is a highly effective, essential step in fighting the climate and biodiversity crises of today. Their Approach SalvaMontes implements its conservation projects in the following ways: Creation and management of natural reserves in areas that hold the best remaining habitat fragments Restoration of habitat in degraded areas, allowing for the reconnection of habitat fragments and recreation of biological corridors Propagation and planting of threatened tree species Developing conservation plans for Critically Endangered species like the Antioquia brushfinch, Handley’s slender opossum, Ghost monkey orchid (also known as the Lemurella’s orchid), Magnificent butterfly palm, and Ventanas magnolia tree. Working with local people and landowners, SalvaMontes provides environmental education, raises awareness on environmental issues amongst communities, and works alongside locals in conservation action and sustainable development. Why They Need Your Help Currently, SalvaMontes is executing a conservation project to support the restoration of the natural populations of Magnolia trees. Activities include the monitoring of trees, the collection and germination of seeds in a tree propagation nursery, and the planting of produced trees in their natural habitat. This project will also help the expansion of Los Magnolios Natural Reserve through the purchase of a neighboring land parcel that has a large area of primary forests (608 acres), which will secure habitat for the species that inhabit this protected area. SalvaMontes depends on generous donations to continue their essential conservation work in Colombia. Your donation is used to support actions that produce a direct, positive impact in the conservation of threatened species and their habitats in Colombia.
Neotropical Primate Conservation
DONATE TO NPC Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Neotropical Primate Conservation Location Peru, Latin America Category Community Support and Development Protected Area Management Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals Helping Communities Preserve Primates Date Founded 2007 Website www.neoprimate.org Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes About Neotropical Primate Conservation Neotropical Primate Conservation (NPC) is a non-profit organization that use primates as flagship species to spearhead conservation efforts, but their work doesn’t only benefit primates. In order for primates to survive in the wild, they need a thriving ecosystem, which means NPC’s efforts also go towards protecting all the other species that live alongside primates and call the rainforest their home. NPC works with local communities as they believe conservation starts with people. Their projects ensure sustainable access to natural resources for local communities. NPC was founded by a group of friends who shared the same passion for conservation, beginning as a non-profit organization in the UK. Since then, NPC has expanded and now has branches in Peru, Colombia, and Argentina. Monkeys are crucial to ecosystem health and also play a significant role in traditions of many local peoples. Their Challenges Many of the primates that NPC helps to protect are among the least known and most threatened species in the world. This means that they face a very real danger of extinction in the near future. The main threats to primates are the loss of habitat through deforestation as well as hunting for the illegal wildlife trade and bushmeat. These threats are caused by unsustainable practices both locally and globally and will only worsen without action to safeguard their future. Their Approach NPC was set up in order to promote the conservation of forest habitats and wildlife through land protection, research, improvement of degraded habitat for wildlife, creation of public awareness programs, and sustainable development. They work to create private and community-run reserves to ensure long term habitat protection for wildlife. Through this work, they help local communities strengthen their stewardship of nature as well as protect their traditional and cultural identities, benefiting both humans and the environment. NPC runs many successful, low-cost projects, and they use their experiences to promote efficient conservation globally. NPC’s community-based conservation approach means that the reserves are protected by those who actually live in and around the forest, leading to real, on-the-ground protection by those with the most to gain from continued access to a healthy environment. This also leads to wider, ecosystem level conservation in areas between the reserves. At their main project site, the elimination of hunting of the Yellow-tailed woolly monkey led to a documented ~20% increase in the population since 2007, and local level bans on clear-cutting of forests led to deforestation rates dropping below those of surrounding areas. Their research into the Peruvian night monkey provided proof that the species is much more at-risk than previously thought, resulting in the IUCN raising its category from Vulnerable to Endangered, and so focusing more attention on its protection. In Colombia, Neotropical Primate Conservation is leading the National Conservation Plan for the Critically Endangered Colombian spider monkey, a species that only survives in some of the most troubled parts of the country. The action plan has become a legal document that guides government policy at the national and regional levels. Why They Need Your Help Neotropical Primate Conservation is reliant upon generous donations to continue their highly effective work in primate conservation and sustainable community development throughout Latin America.
Fundación ProAves
DONATE TO FUNDACIÓN PROAVES Verified for authenticity Learn More IMPACT PROMISE Our Partners are carefully selected due to their high conservation impact Partner Snapshot Partner Fundación ProAves Location Colombia, Latin America Category Endangered Species Land Purchases Wildlife Conservation Urgent Appeals Save Colombia’s Chocó Rainforest Urgent Land Purchase to Save Endangered Species Date Founded 1998 Website www.proaves.org Partner Qualifications IUCN Member Verified Partner Legally Constituted Top Accountability Effective Impact Conservation Action Heroes About Fundación ProAves The Fundación ProAves was hatched 25 years ago by a group of Colombian conservationists desperate to save the Yellow-eared parrot from the brink of extinction. They succeeded in what is widely considered one of the greatest species revivals ever documented. Inspired by this new hope, ProAves expanded its efforts to save other globally threatened species, especially birds and amphibians throughout Colombia, by means of research, innovative conservation actions, and community outreach. ProAves is the leading national conservation non-profit in Colombia, which is one of the most biologically diverse countries on earth. ProAves is active across all major biomes and regions of Colombia and manages 28 Nature Reserves in critical biodiversity hotspots, permanently protecting the homes of countless endangered species and unique habitats. The passion and commitment to conservation shown by the ProAves family is nurtured by alliances and collaboration with local and indigenous communities, with whom they work to save biodiversity. The mission of Fundación ProAves is to protect birds and biodiversity in Colombia through research, specific conservation actions, and outreach with the community. Their Challenges Colombia is home to an astounding diversity of landscapes, included a vast area of the Amazon, the glacier-capped mountains of the Andes, mangroves along the Pacific Coast, vast stretches of the Caribbean Sea, and the open savanna of the Orinoco River basin—combined, these habitats hold some of the greatest biological diversity on the planet. In fact, Colombia is second only to Brazil as the most “megadiverse” country on earth, hosting over 10% of the planet’s biodiversity. Worldwide, it ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies, freshwater fishes, and amphibians. Tragically, Colombia currently faces multiple major threats to its once-vast forest landscapes. The instability from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis allowed unscrupulous persons to invade protected areas and exploit natural resources as government entities struggled to respond. Combining this with the 2016 peace process that sparked a tsunami of natural resource exploitation and colonization, deforestation rates are skyrocketing to some of the highest worldwide. The unprecedented exploitation of Colombia’s natural treasures has decimated vital habitats necessary for the survival of many unique and range-restricted species. ProAves has scaled up their actions to stop deforestation. They continue to face mounting challenges but will continue to fight to save precious wildlife and habitats across Colombia. Their Approach ProAves conservation approach is built on 25 years of effective science-based, laser-focused biodiversity conservation action. Their tried and tested field experience has led to some of the most successful conservation impacts and outcomes in Latin America. Their objectives include: Targeted Research in Search of Conservation Solutions: Locating priority areas for endangered species, increasing knowledge of threats to those species, designing conservation actions that address those threats, and establishing conservation strategies for Colombia. Direct Conservation Action: Implementing science-based action plans and strategies to save endangered species and sites. This includes establishing new Protected Areas, improving and strengthening reserve management plans, and promoting policies for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and their habitats. Community Outreach: Working with local people is key to ensuring conservation actions survive in the long term. ProAves prioritizes environmental education for youth and helps provide communities with knowledge and skills to sustainably benefit from nature, such as ecotourism training and maintaining traditional knowledge and practices. ProAves Reserves are not islands of biodiversity, but are instead interactive nodes of conservation within the larger landscape. ProAves makes a concerted effort to work with and educate the community through campaigns, workshops, and capacity building. A clear example of these actions is at the El Paujíl ProAves Reserve, where direct conservation and environmental education carried out to save the Critically Endangered Blue-billed curassow resulted in a ban on hunting this turkey-sized bird. Consequently, the population density of the curassow has increased from 3.1 individuals per km2 in 2004 to over 8.4 individuals per km2 in 2020. This significant population increase shows the importance of the protected areas and working with the community. Why They Need Your Help Your donation to ProAves will help them to: Save more than 12% of all bird species on the planet (1,337 bird species in ProAves reserves) Protect in perpetuity more than 160,600 acres of crucial wildlife habitat across Colombia that contains an estimated 10% of all flora and fauna species on Earth Support over 70 conservationists dedicated to protecting Colombia’s wonderful wildlife