And other February 2024 updates…

Indigenous perspectives on COP28

Melena Pollard is the elected leader, or Toshao, of our neighbouring Amerindian community River’s View. She attended the international climate conference, COP28, held in Dubai in December. On her return, we sat down with her to find out what she took away from the negotiations, what climate change means for indigenous people in Guyana and beyond, and the vital role she feels education has to play in any future solutions to our climate crisis. You can read the full interview via the link below.

Progress update: Centre construction

We are delighted with the developments of our new research centre. Workers have been on site throughout the months of December and January making excellent progress. The main structure is complete, all internal walls have been set, and the roof will be finished in the coming weeks. We are particularly happy with the central column made from local greenheart wood which anchors the roof and resembles the traditional benab design found in Amerindian communities across Guyana.

After years of consultation and design work, led by Co-founder Nicola Green and Centre Director Sam Airey, it is rewarding to see design become reality. We look forward to opening the doors and welcoming students and researchers to use this space. Until then, we have lots more work to complete to add the finishing touches, so keep following our Instagram and Facebook accounts for weekly updates!

Witnessing community conservation in action

The South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) is an indigenous-led community conservation organisation that has been working in the south of Guyana’s savannahs for 20 years. When SRCS invited us to learn from some of the incredible work they are facilitating across communities in the Rupununi, and to witness their end of term exhibitions, we jumped at the opportunity. Director Sam and Education Officer Miranda visited two of the villages involved in both the environmental education program led by SRCS and traditional knowledge classes run by the Amazon Conservation Team.

We were blown away by the passion of young conservationists in Maruranau and Karaudarnau. It was wonderful to see such a vibrant community effort to spread ideas about sustainability and environmental awareness. The sessions ended with a celebration of traditional Amerindian crafts, language, and arrow making which are being passed on to the younger generations. A big thank you to the villages for hosting us and to Neal and the SRCS team for inviting us!

Trustees visit Sophia Point

In December and January, two trustees visited Sophia Point to check in on the team and to observe the progress made on site: Jon Polledri from the UK and René Edwards from Guyana.

Researchers return to Sophia Point

Boat painted by local artist

Thank you to the wonderful local artist, Rixon Williams, for the new paint job on our boat. Rixon is a popular boat painter in the Bartica area and, with little direction, was able to freehand paint our logo on the bow of the boat as well as adding our social media tags to the seats. We are very pleased with the result. You cannot miss us now when the boat is out on the Essequibo river!

Spotted at Sophia Point!

What’s better than one puma? Two pumas!

Snapped just 500m from the trail entrance, this pair of pumas, known locally as deer tiger, were seen passing through our forest. We are not sure whether this is a mating pair or mother and cub, but this is the first time we have spotted two moving together at Sophia Point.

We are thrilled that with just a few camera traps we are able to capture these amazing animals. Stay tuned as we plan to expand the camera trap program in the year ahead. If you would like to donate funds towards camera traps, you can do so via the link below. We are excited to discover and learn more about the wildlife in this incredible area!