Andes Amazon Fund

06/12/2026

We are excited to announce that the Aguas Calientes Maquia Regional Conservation Area (RCA) was established on June 10th, 2026 after a process that was initiated in 2013 led by our partner Center for the Development of the Amazonian Indigenous People (CEDIA Perú). The new protected area conserves 242,563 acres (98,162 hectares) of highly biodiverse Amazonian forests, wetlands, waterfalls and rivers that include unique hot springs and salt licks in Loreto, Peru. 📍

🌳 The area is home to countless Amazonian species including jaguars (Panthera onca), lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), red-and-green macaws (Ara chloropterus), Endangered white-bellied spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth), and Vulnerable Ucayali bald-headed uakaris (Cacajao calvus ucayalii), among many others.

Conserving this territory helps guarantee water access for approximately 31,147 residents from Indigenous communities downstream.

Aguas Calientes Maquia is adjacent to the Sierra del Divisor National Park and overlaps with a portion of the Sierra Del Divisor Occidental Indigenous Reserve, strengthening protection for Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact.

The most accessible portion of the RCA, far from the strict protection zone, boasts numerous ecotourism attractions. Hundreds of macaws and individuals of other species gather at salt licks, creating a rare opportunity to spot wildlife, while hot springs—rich in sulfates, sulfur, and fluorides—emerge from the subsoil at near-boiling temperatures.

➡️ Over the years, the creation process has been supported by the Center for the Development of the Amazonian Indigenous People (CEDIA) and was made possible by the Gobierno Regional de Loreto and Organización Regional Aidesep Ucayali - ORAU. It has also received financial support from the Wyss Foundation and Art into Acres via Andes Amazon Fund, Rainforest Trust, Re:wild, Conservation International, as well as technical assistance from Peru's National Protected Area Service - Sernanp Oficial, Peru's Ministry of the Environment - MINAM, and the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental - SPDA).

📷: Diego Pérez

06/11/2026

Today we are celebrating the creation of the Chontabamba Huancabamba Regional Conservation Area in Pasco, Peru. In a process that spanned over a decade, the local government, community leaders, and allies have been working to formally protect these 33,938 acres (13,734 hectares) of cloud forests that supply water to communities downstream and provide essential wildlife habitat.📍

The rugged terrain of the new Regional Conservation Area (RCA) is home to the Andean bear, Andean cock-of-the-rock (gallito de las rocas), and puma as well as over 100 species of birds, including some found only in this region of Peru. The cloud forests of the new RCA act as water factories, capturing fog that feeds into the headwaters of the Huancabamba, Chontabamba, and Huaylamayo Rivers.

Protecting Chontabamba Huancabamba as a Regional Conservation Area opens up environmentally responsible development opportunities for the province of Oxapampa, such as ecotourism, native honey production, and scientific research, ensuring that present and future generations can continue to benefit from these important ecosystems. 🌳

➡️ The new Regional Conservation Area is the result of a collaborative effort between local governments, the Regional Government of Pasco, and various stakeholders committed to the future of the province of Oxapampa. They have worked in partnership with Instituto del Bien Común for over 12 years to make this a reality, with support from the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental - SPDA), Andes Amazon Fund (AAF) and Re:wild.

06/05/2026

To celebrate World Environment Day today we are sharing some stunning images captured by our partner Fundación Natura Bolivia of the new Serranía de Eva Eva Municipal Protected Area that was recently established in La Paz, Bolivia. The new protected area conserves 24,017 acres (9,719 hectares) of lowland Amazonian and cloud forest teeming with biodiversity.

🐆 Serranía de Eva Eva, established on April 18th, 2026, is home to countless Amazonian species including giant anteaters, red brocket deer, tapirs, short-eared dogs, jaguars, and razor-billed curassows, among many others. These species fulfill essential ecological roles to maintain a healthy forest environment, including seed dispersal and predation.

The intact cloud forest in the new protected area captures rainwater, feeding streams, springs, and tributaries that supply fresh water essential to communities within the Municipality of Palos Blancos.

🌸 This achievement was made possible by the Municipal Government of Palos Blancos and local communities with technical support from Fundacion Natura Bolivia and financial contributions from the Andes Amazon Fund.

05/22/2026

🌐 Happy International Day for Biological Diversity! 🎉🦎

To mark this important day, we are sharing these stunning captures from some emblematic protected areas we have supported in the region:

⏩️Park guards surveying biodiversity in the cloud forests of the Bosques de Shunte y Mishollo Regional Conservation Area in San Martín, Peru © Judah Marsden / CIMA - Cordillera Azul

⏩️Marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), jaguar (Panthera onca), and capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in a flooded area of the Pantanal Mato-Grossense National Park in Mato Grosso, Brazil © Cristian Dimitrius- Rede Pró UC and Aliança Pantanal

⏩️The vast Amazonian flood forests of the Medio Putumayo Algodon Regional Conservation Area in Loreto, Peru © Diego Perez / Instituto del Bien Común / Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental - SPDA

⏩️Rivers flowing through valleys and close to tepuis in the expansion area of Chiribiquete National Park in Guaviare, Colombia © Federico Pardo / Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo Sostenible

🚨This year, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity has chosen the theme: 'Acting locally for global impact.' As the global extinction crisis continues to impact our natural world, we at the Andes Amazon Fund remain dedicated to safeguarding the biodiversity-rich ecosystems of the Andes-Amazon region through durable local action. We do this by supporting the establishment and expansion of protected areas and Indigenous lands, enhancing land management through an integrated approach that allows both nature and local communities to thrive together.🌎

05/21/2026

Herencia Colombia

05/18/2026

05/12/2026

These management activities are being accomplished in the Bajo Putumayo Yaguas Communal Reserve in Loreto, Peru. Read more about the area here: https://www.andesamazonfund.org/country/peru/new-bajo-putumayo-yaguas-communal-reserve-supports-indigenous-stewardship-in-the-peruvian-amazon/

05/12/2026

05/07/2026

The Estrella Hídrica de Caldas Regional Protected Area spans 59,236 acres (23,972 hectares) of cloud forest, high-altitude grasslands, and wetlands in the department of Caldas, Colombia.

🌸 Established on February 24, 2026, the area-–which is the largest protected area in Caldas—plays a fundamental role in the regulation and provision of water for 5 municipalities. Additionally, its ecosystems cover a broad altitudinal gradient securing critical habitat for dozens of endangered species.

The new Regional Protected Area, categorized as a Distrito Regional de Manejo Integrado, in Spanish, is situated at the convergence of the Chinchiná and Tapias basins that drain into the Cauca and Guarinó Rivers—two of Colombia's major river basins that join to form the Magdalena River—and helps to conserve water resources that benefit nearly 250,000 people downstream.💧

Estrella Hídrica de Caldas is located within Colombia's coffee cultural landscape recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area’s establishment helps protect the region’s natural and cultural heritage.

➡️ Read more through our blog here: https://www.andesamazonfund.org/news-blog/new-estrella-hidrica-de-caldas-regional-protected-area-safeguards-dozens-of-endangered-species-in-colombia/

🌳 The establishment of the Estrella Hídrica de Caldas Regional Protected Area was made possible by the Departmental Government of Caldas and Corpocaldas with technical support from IInstituto Humboldt MMás Biomas and NNature and Culture International. Financial support was provided by Andes Amazon Fund and RRe:wild Andes Amazon Fund's financial support for this project was generously provided by the Wyss Foundation.