About
The Amazon Rainforest Conservancy (ARC) is a registered Canadian charity. We protect threatened tropical rainforest habitats in the Peruvian Amazon to conserve and restore the biodiversity of species and ecosystems for the benefit of future generations.
Our management teams in Canada and Peru include conservation experts, business professionals and researchers. Our Canadian team consists entirely of volunteers, which means all donations are directed to our conservation projects. Our work depends entirely on gifts from supporters who share our passion for the natural world.
WHAT WE DO:
Conservation: We currently help protect 146,000 hectares (360,000 acres) of pristine old-growth rainforest in the lowlands of the Amazon basin. This land is home to an abundance of wildlife, including at least 12 globally threatened species, including giant otters, harpy eagles, spider monkeys and jaguars, with over 550 birds on the bird list. The land parcel is also adjacent to the Reserve for Indigenous People in Voluntary Isolation. So, it acts as a very important buffer zone to ensure their freedom and right to live their traditional lives.
For 2022, we are adding projects in the cloud forest and the headwaters regions of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. These projects will focus on creating conservation corridors in the buffer zones between protected areas to ensure connectivity, as many wildlife species rely on such areas to survive. We will empower and support the local communities living in these buffer zones by finding opportunities for them to act as guardians of the forest and to generate income sustainably.
Education: ARC’s EARTH initiative (which stands for Environment Activities & Rainforest Teaching Hub) is an online resource of engaging videos and corresponding fun activities for different age groups. We hope to inspire a greater appreciation of our environment and encourage the passion needed to save it!
Our Impact
PROTECTING THE RAINFOREST
ARC currently helps protect 146,000 hectares (360,000 acres) of pristine old-growth rainforest in the lower Amazon basin. We are currently investigating projects in the cloud forest and headwaters regions allowing us to protect a wider biodiversity of plants and animals, and especially endangered species and the wildernesses they call home. We are passionate about preserving and conserving the Peruvian Amazon to protect the biodiversity and enhance the survival of wildlife, species and ecosystems there.
MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE
Scientists have determined the Amazon rainforest plays a key role in the basic functioning of the planet. Preventing the deforestation of the Amazon helps mitigate climate change, which ultimately affects the health and well-being of families and economies throughout the world.
ADDRESSING DEFORESTATION
ARC hires members of the local rainforest communities to work as forest rangers as an alternative livelihood to illegal gold mining, poaching and timber extraction.
CREATING CHANGE
ARC is educating, raising awareness, inspiring change and leading the way with effective solutions on making the planet’s future a priority.
Read our 2020 impact report here
How your gift will be used
With your legacy gift, you will be making one of the most meaningful investments you can make for future generations. You can choose from the following programs for where would like your gift to go toward:
Land acquisition — Your impact here will allow ARC to increase the land in our care and create a large safe-haven for some of the Amazon’s most vulnerable wildlife.
Wild Protectors Forest Ranger Program — Your impact in this area will allow us to hire forest rangers from the local community to patrol and protect the wildlife and tree species living on ARC lands.
General Fund — This fund helps us with our operating costs in Peru. Remember we are all volunteers in Canada, but in Peru, we do have expenses such as accounting and legal fees, staff salaries, transportation costs, maintenance of boats, etc.