Education Peru Project #43836

The Amazon Burning - Kids and Bugs to the Rescue!

by Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon Inc.

Project Report | Jun 25, 2021
Update fro the Amazon

By Geoff Gallice | President

Dear supporters of ASA,

Although the pandemic still drags on, and the return to normalcy is going more slowly than we’d like, we have had a great year so far in the Peruvian Amazon. Most of our staff members are now vaccinated against Covid-19 and, although we still have measures in place to keep everyone healthy, our productivity is as high as ever. We are just about back to fighting for the Amazon at full steam ahead!

Our Lepidoptera research has been a particular bright spot. So far this year we have hosted two short-term Peruvian undergraduate students, one of whom will return to Finca Las Piedras later this year to conduct her thesis work on butterfly biology. The rest of our Lepidoptera research assistants are busy working on several publications to share our discoveries with the world—we are describing, for the first time ever, the larval biology and host plants of several butterfly species found at Finca Las Piedras, and we have other projects exploring different topics as well. These include how butterflies cope with seasonal change, as well as the potential impacts on butterfly populations due to climate change, and a new project to determine the diversity of tiger moths at our site. Stay tuned for updates on these exciting discoveries as they become available!

Just like most other places in the world, Covid-19 has really disrupted the Peruvian education system. Sadly, kids in Monterrey, the community closest to Finca Las Piedras, are still not able to return to in-person classes. That’s why we’re working harder than ever to deliver quality environmental education to them in the most creative ways possible. We are preparing materials and educational programming so that, later in the year when we’re able to work with our kids again, we can continue to provide them the tools they need to become the next generation of rainforest stewards. We believe that investing in our children is the best way to secure the future of the Amazon, so we’re continuing to work hard in this area despite major challenges.

We have made great progress this year, despite the difficulties the global pandemic continues to throw at us. Everything that we’re doing is thanks to you, our amazing rainforest champions. Thank you for your ongoing support, it is empowering us to make a real difference in the Amazon.

With gratitude,
Geoff, Johana, and the ASA team

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Feb 24, 2021
News from the Peruvian Amazon

By Geoffrey Gallice | Project leader

Dear ASA supporters,

A new year is here, and we enter it with fresh energy and a sense of hope and anticipation! Here in Peru things are looking more promising in regards to Covid-19 with vaccinations already happening, and at Finca Las Piedras life is slowly returning to some level of normal.

As you know from our previous report, we finished 2020 with two great accomplishments in our environmental education projects. Through the online program “A Minute with insects” we continued educating local kids about insect biology until November, the end of the school year here. Our book “Milli’s Misadventures” (Spanish version) is also officially out, and you can find the online version and the audio book here. Up to date, more than 800 copies have been distributed and other hundreds of online copies have been downloaded by kids in Peru and the rest of the world through our alliance with the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research (ACEER). Of particular note were more than 200 copies delivered to indigenous children living in the buffer zone of Manu National Park, one of the most remote and biodiverse places on Earth. We have plans for this book to reach even a greater audience, so stayed tuned!

Since we are back to having our regular team, we have resumed almost all of our research activities at the station. We have even been able to resume our resident program for undergraduate Peruvian students to learn about research on butterflies and moths. We have selected to highly motivated young women to join us for this program for 2021. They come from two different regions of the country and will stay with us for 10 weeks. This resident program is one of the very few opportunities undergraduate students in Peru have for career development in field research with insects with expenses fully covered. Each of last year´s residents, for instance, will be lead authors on three peer reviewed publications. They are putting the finishing touches on their publications now and a few will present their work at upcoming research symposiums. We are proud of their hard work and look forward to continuing to support Peru´s next generation of biologists.

We couldn´t be happier for the way this new year has started, but we know that while the economy is still not fully recovered, there will be challenges ahead for us and our work in Peru. We thank you for being there for us always and for your continuous support to protect the Amazon rainforest!

With immense gratitude,

Geoff, Johana, & the entire ASA team

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Oct 27, 2020
News from the Peruvian Amazon

By Johana Reyes | Project leader

Dear supporters of ASA

It is hard to believe it has been a few months since our last report! Here at Finca Las Piedras we have been working hard to reach a new sense of normalcy. Although challenges remain and many former plans were changed, we have accomplished things we did not think were possible just a couple of months ago. This would not have been possible without your unwavering support, so thank you!

Last time, we shared with you our struggles about the course of action to take with our environmental education project for the year. In August we started “A Minute with insects”, an online program for kids ages 6-9 based on a series of short videos, where they learn about insect biology. This program is shared through different social media platforms to elementary school teachers, other educators, and the general public. As of today, we have developed 12 videos that reached over 3,000 people, including more than 30 local teachers. We will be continuing this project by releasing weekly videos until the end of November, the end of the school year here in Peru.

In addition to the “A Minute with Insects” program, we have also worked on the co-production of “Milli’s Misadventures” (Spanish version), a vividly illustrated children’s book about a royal flycatcher who is learning how to catch butterflies in the Peruvian Amazon. The author and illustrator, Allison Stoiser, is part of the ASA community. This book is a collaborative effort with the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research (ACEER), a local NGO we have been partnering with for several years now. We are extremely excited to get this book into the hands of thousands of children in Peru and around the world. “Milli’s Misadventures” (Spanish version) will be free to download, there is also an audio book for you to follow along. We are officially presenting the book this Friday October 30^th, so keep an eye on our social media platforms for more!

This year has been difficult for all of us, but we have never lost hope because we have your amazing support.

With immense gratitude,

Geoff, Johana, & the entire ASA team

Links:

https://www.sustainableamazon.org/

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