29/06/2026
“Conservation without funds is just a conversation.”
Those words set the tone for an insightful fourth Conservation Conversation, hosted by the Protected Areas Trust - Guyana in collaboration with EMC Foundation, where the spotlight was placed on the remarkable work of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development 🌳
Here’s some context: At the 10th meeting of the Heads of Government of Commonwealth Nations, in Malaysia (1989), the Langkawi Declaration on Environment was adopted. It was at that meeting that then president, H.E Desmond Hoyte, pledged to set aside a significant portion of forest to demonstrate that sustainable management and conservation of biodiversity can work hand in hand.
Comprising of 371,681 hectares of forest (nearly one million acres), IIC was established in 1996.
Dr. Raquel Thomas, Director of Resource Management and Training, shared how Iwokrama has spent more than 30 years proving that conservation, scientific research, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development can indeed successfully coexist. Some of the greatest conservation successes come from merging traditional ecological knowledge with western science. This approach has guided Iwokrama since its inception 🍃
The discussion also highlighted the unique relationship between the Iwokrama Forest and the Makushi people of Fair View Village, the only Amerindian community located within the forest - or as it is fondly referred to: the Greenheart of Guyana.
Did you know that Iwokrama International Centre pioneered one of the first canopy walkways in this hemisphere? This protected area is also the only forest in Guyana and the Caribbean with renewed FSC Forest Management Certification. Iwokrama continues to set an international standard for sustainable forest management!
Yet, as inspiring as these achievements are, they are not without challenges. Illegal mining remains one of the greatest threats to the forest. A reminder that protecting our natural heritage requires more than conversation.
This was another meaningful space to learn from those leading conservation efforts in Guyana.
Photo credits: Slides 1, 2 - Protected Areas Trust
