MISSION

Amazonas Conservation Initiative (ACI) documents ecological knowledge held within Awajún communities in northern Peru. Our work focuses on preserving environmental memory about forests, rivers, and wildlife before it disappears from living experience.

Across much of the Amazon, ecological knowledge exists not in written records but in the observations and experiences of people who have lived in the forest for generations. Hunters, farmers, and elders carry detailed knowledge of animal movement, plant relationships, river patterns, and environmental change.

ACI maintains a long-term field presence in Awajún territories to carefully document this knowledge through recorded testimony, original-language documentation, and environmental observation

FIELD NOTE

In several Awajún communities, hunters have described how travel routes into the forest have gradually extended farther into upland terrain over the past decade.

Animals that were once encountered closer to river valleys are now more often found along higher ridges and interior forest corridors. The change is subtle. No single season marks the shift. It becomes visible only through years of repeated travel and observation.

These kinds of observations rarely appear in formal environmental records. Yet they represent one of the earliest ways ecological change is noticed and understood by the people who spend their lives moving through the forest.

Recording these accounts helps preserve a small portion of the environmental memory held within Awajún territory.

In Awajún territory, the earliest signs of ecological change are often noticed by people who spend their lives in the forest.

Hunters observe animals shifting to higher elevations. Communities notice rivers rising differently or altering course. Forest soundscapes change. Travel routes extend farther into upland terrain as wildlife patterns shift.

ACI documents these first-hand observations through structured field recording, audio and visual documentation, and long-term environmental testimony. These records contribute to a growing body of ecological knowledge that may later support biodiversity research, conservation planning, and interdisciplinary study.

We record:

• First-hand field accounts
• Audio and video documentation
• Oral environmental knowledge
• Observed changes in landscape and wildlife patterns
• Acoustic and visual field data

Regional Focus

Our work takes place in remote Awajún territories in northern Peru. These mountain corridors and river systems contain significant biodiversity but remain relatively under-documented scientifically.

Across these landscapes, gradual changes are unfolding. Hunting pressure shifts. Climate patterns vary. Wildlife redistributes across elevations. Younger generations move across the land differently than their grandparents did.

Documenting ecological change as it is experienced on the ground creates a record that may not otherwise exist.

In regions where long-term baseline data are limited, careful documentation today may become an important reference for future environmental understanding.

Field documentation

Field documentation forms the foundation of ACI’s long-term cultural and ecological archive.

This archive preserveS:

• Indigenous ecological knowledge
• Original-language recordings and translation
• Field documentation and contextual environmental details
• Environmental testimony linked to place and season

Over time, this documentation becomes part of a growing record of ecological experience in one of the least documented regions of the Amazon.

Institutional Structure

Amazonas Conservation Initiative operates under a formal board of directors and advisory structure as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Our 2026 to 2031 strategy prioritize sustained multi-season documentation and the continued development of long-term archival systems.

Our work is grounded in:

• Informed consent
• Respect for Indigenous governance
• Secure archival handling
• Careful geographic discretion
• Long-term field relationships

ACI collaborates with researchers and institutions interested in ethical documentation in remote rainforest systems.

Philanthropic support enables:

• Sustained field presence
• Secure archival infrastructure
• Translation and linguistic preservation
• High-quality autio and visual environmental recording
• Structured data organization and long-term preservation

Serious research and funding inquiries are welcome

Multi-year support enables steady field presence and archival continuity.

Multi-year philanthropic support enables steady field presence and long-term archival continuity.