Support Indigenous Conservation

Indigenous peoples worldwide have proven to be the best caretakers of vital ecosystems and biodiversity. In the Majé Mountains of Panama, three Wounaan communities are fighting to protect their tropical forest territories from destruction. Globally important biodiversity is at risk of disappearing forever.

You can take action today to support Indigenous conservation and help Wounaan communities protect the ecosystems they call home. We have been challenged by two generous donors to match their contributions and raise a total of $18,000 by the end of the year. Let's meet the challenge together!

The Majé Mountain Range is approximately 60 km (37 miles) long with over 215,000 hectares (530,000 acres) of critically threatened and important ecosystems, tropical and mangrove forests, wildlife habitats, and watersheds. A 2013 Birdlife International assessment identified the Majé Mountain Range as a highly threatened Important Bird Area (IBA). Since 2000, the mountain range has lost 20% of its forest cover.  

For generations, the Wounaan Indigenous people of eastern Panama have been stewards of these lands. Three communities–Rio Hondo, Platanares, and Maje–encompass much of the remaining intact forest on the Pacific slope of the mountain range. 

However, cattle ranchers and illegal loggers are invading, stealing their land and cutting it down.  Since 2019, Wounaan forest monitors have documented 125 hectares (275 acres) of unauthorized deforestation in their territories.

How can you help? Give generously to Native Future today and your donation will support Wounaan communities to:

Protect their tropical forests. Wounaan territorial monitors employ digital and on-the-ground techniques to track and report illegal logging of Wounaan territories and lodge criminal complaints against those who engage in it. 

Restore their biodiversity. Since 2018, Wounaan communities have been planting thousands of trees to restore their degraded forests with native species that are important to their culture, livelihoods and the ecology of their forests. They want to expand this program to more Wounaan communities.

Revitalize their culture.  In partnership with Ecological Anthropologist, Dr. Julie Velásquez Runk and the Wounaan Cultural Team, we are supporting Wounaan to document their traditions and connections to biodiversity and create educational materials in their native language, as well as Spanish and English.

Recover their livelihoods. The communities of Rio Hondo and Platanares are preparing to launch an ecotourism and birdwatching initiative. Native Future's Wounaan Bird Count program is training Wounaan tourism operators to implement COVID-19 biosecurity protocols and safely welcome ecotourists to their communities. We also continue to support community-based ecotourism by purchasing critical equipment–such as binoculars–and by training Wounaan guides to identify birds and learn English. Income from nature guiding helps Wounaan maintain their communities and show visitors the conservation they have practiced for generations.  

Donate generously today so that one of the world’s most critical natural and cultural environments can be conserved for future generations. 

Thank you for your support.

Prefer to donate by mail? Send a check to: Native Future, 34 Taylor Street, Portland  ME 04102