Proyecto Rio Nambi 1992: Colombia ’92, Cambridge rainforest project

Paul Salaman

As a result of findings from their 1991 project - which included the discovery of a new species of bird for science - 2,000 ha of pristine forest was purchased in the Rio Nambi watershed for the local community of Altaquer. The 1992 project directed funds from the first BP Conservation Expedition Award to develop this forest into a nature reserve owned and managed by the local community. Research done in 1992 focused on the unprotected and more fragmented montane and lowland regions. To assist future plans for conservation, and to evaluate the forests and the people's needs in the region, the first basic bird, mammal, herpetile and insect inventories, together with additional information on threatened and endemic species was compiled. The anthropologist worked closely with community leaders and local students, collecting the first data on the human demands and attitudes to their forests in and around four towns.