The Amazon Natural and Cultural Heritage Pilot Project began in June this year. The pilot project works in a small community called Monte Carmelo, located in the basin of the Urubamba River in the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon. A Rocha Peru partners with the Comunidad Nativa Machiguenga Monte Carmelo (Monte Carmelo Machiguenga Indigenous Community) to help conserve and restore ecosystems and endangered species and preserve the cultural traditions and ancestral knowledge in native communities. The project is currently researching birds and medicinal plant species in this area.
To preserve traditions, workshops and talks will be conducted by elders to spread knowledge to the younger generation on the uses of traditional medicinal plants, the Machiguenga language, and other ancestral customs like hunting with bow and arrow.
For the local school, the project is establishing a recreational forest park to create an opportunity to teach children and others about the environment and the importance of preserving natural ecosystems. Stay tuned for more developments in the coming months!