We have been unusually quiet over the last week. The reason is we took time out to learn more about the charity, Armonia, we are jointly running for. If a picture speaks a thousand words, please enjoy a 29,000 word essay below, click the arrow on the gallery to begin playback.
It has been an incredible few days, deep in the Beni Wetlands, a place only possible to arrive in by little plane (yes, you read correctly, ug). Alone in the area which will become the blue-throated macaw reserve, we spent hours on horseback, on foot, by boat on the extensive wetlands transfixed by extraordinary species. When it became dark we put on headlamps and kept discovering, as the golden eyes of the caiman and nightjars reflected the light. We found our parrot, in small but gregarious flocks at times, but also came face-to-face with the real problems that are threatening the reserve’s success. Around us fires burned to clear the land for cows, and greedy cattle encroached on the land, slowly destroying the remaining forest islands. Armonia have the vision, the land, the people, but just need a little cash injection to help finish the job here of fencing and firebreaks. This could become a rare good news story as a species (and all those others that depend on this rare piece of wetland savanna e.g giant anteater,jaguar etc) is saved!
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