This post takes us to a new continent - South America! I am excited to present Para La Tierra in Paraguay.
"Para La Tierra conserves fragile habitats in Paraguay through scientific research, community engagement, and environmental education [1]."
PLT is based in Pilar, but has various field sites that encompass wetlands in Ñeembucú, the Atlantic Forest, and surrounding marshes, waterways, and semi-arid lowlands known as the Chaco Paraguayo [2].
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| Figure 1. Landscape in the Gran Chaco, Paraguay |
I love that Para La Tierra (PLT) is a conservation organization that truly operates on a local level. Their wildlife research covers a broad spectrum, from birds and primates, to insects, primates, and reptiles and amphibians. Studying a wide variety of species and their roles in the ecosystem is also important for evaluating the health of the environment as a whole. They also recognize that to make a real and positive impact, they need to be empower and educate the people who live there. I was supposed to join PLT in July 2020 as a part of my graduate studies with Project Dragonfly, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19. As a volunteer and student all in one, I would have had the unique opportunity to not only learn, but also give back to the local community at the same time.
Project Highlight
Among PLT's most hands-on projects in the local community is hosting Eco Clubs, where kids can learn and participate in lessons about the environment, and how to be good stewards of it, too.
Figure 2. Video about Eco Clubs with Para La Tierra
New and Noteworthy News
Are you interested in learning more about primates? Para La Tierra recently announced an online course in Primatology and Conservation hosted by resident primatologist and National Geographic Explorer, Rebecca Smith. The course will consist of 4 different modules: introduction to primates, primate behavior and ethology, field research studies, and primate conservation [3].
Learn more here!
Conservation Challenge
Among the multitude of natural resources that Para La Tierra is surrounded by, the Atlantic Forest is notable as the second most diverse ecosystem on earth next to the Amazon [4]. It extends from Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, and is home to over 100 endemic species; this means that these species live nowhere else in the world [5]! Today, only 8% of the section of forest in Paraguay remains [5].
Today's conservation challenge will focus on trees and paper waste. Each year, paper from 1 billion trees is thrown away [6]. Broken down by household, 13,000 pieces of paper are thrown away annually, with most of that consisting of junk mail [6].
Figure 3: Video on How Paper is Made
50 points: watch the video
100 points: collect 10 pieces of paper from around your house to recycle and place them in your recycling bin. If you do not have a recycling pickup service, search for the nearest recycling center here.
Add up your points and make sure to visit the Conservation Challenge tab to find your rank!
[1]: Para La Tierra. (n.d.). Conservation and education in Paraguay. https://www.paralatierra.org/overview
[2]: Journey Latin America. (n.d.). Paraguay: The Chaco. https://www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk/destinations/paraguay/places-to-visit/the-chaco
[3]: Para La Tierra. (n.d.). Primatology and Conservation Online Course. https://www.paralatierra.org/primatology-online-course[4]: WWF. (2020). Atlantic Forests. https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/atlantic_forests/
[5]: Fauna Paraguay. (2006). On Location in the Paraguayan Atlantic Forest. http://www.faunaparaguay.com/atlantic_forest.html
[6]: University of Southern Indiana. (2020). Paper Recycling Facts. https://www.usi.edu/recycle/paper-recycling-facts/
Figure 1: Landscape in Gran Chaco, Paraguay. (2004). Wikipedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chaco_Boreal_Paraguay.jpg
Figure 2: Para La Tierra. (2017, August 25). Eco Club - Central IDEAL [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdcLHqeuTAk
Figure 3. Miles Rose. (2013, January 15). Educational video for kids: How Paper is Made [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IP0Ch1Va44
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