Finding Species - giving a face to biodiversity

Finding Species Home

Our mission is to conserve the earth's biodiversity by creating photographic resources and technology tools for scientists, advocates and policy makers.

Associates

Patricio Asimbaya, Veronica Quitiguina and Leonel Velasquez -- photography and botany professionals -- work in Ecuador's capital city, Quito and in Ecuador's Yasun� National Park, to produce and organize tropical species photographs for FS. Yonathan Haregot and Arturo Restrepo -- technology and research professionals -- work on bioinformatics issues for FS.

Background

Scientists have identified 1.4 million species on earth and estimate that many millions more exist. Sadly, species are currently undergoing a catastrophic, human-induced mass extinction. Thousands are disappearing each year, before we even have the opportunity to see them, let alone identify them and know them well. With the disappearance of each species, the planet's biological web suffers.

The survival of the remaining species depends upon our knowledge of and commitment to global biological diversity. At our current pace, however, it will take scientists nearly 600 years to document all of the earth's species. And, due to a number of factors, such as limited access and overly technical presentation of information, it will take far longer for this information to reach the public.

A need exists for an organization that integrates science, photography and design to create standardized methods of photo-documenting plants and animals. A need also exists for an organization that can consistently create these photographs and apply them to user-friendly and audience-specific biodiversity tools, such as websites, field guides, conservation materials and more. Finding Species fills this niche. Rather than relying on scientists to become photography experts, Finding Species draws on the expertise of our highly qualified staff and associates to produce not only accurate, but also visually compelling images and related materials.

Finding Species' success relies too upon its close collaborative partnerships with museums, universities, and conservation groups. While we focus on our core mission, we rely upon our partners to provide updated taxonomic and conservation information for our photographs, to provide appropriate venues for exhibiting our images, and to direct conservation campaigns using our images in outreach materials.

While our overarching goal is to stem the extinction tide, our specific goals are to use photography and associated technology to:

Speed scientific research with faster, more reliable species identification;

Increase the public's knowledge about local and global biodiversity;

Foster stronger conservation policies.

Please refer to our Photo section to view a sample of our photographs.

Edward J. Daly, III

Ned has been leading environmental campaigns on forest certification, forest conservation, and government purchasing practices for 12 years. He is currently directing forest certification policy and standards issues at the Forest Stewardship Council.

Elizabeth Losos

Liz oversees an international network of large-scale tropical tree research plots accompanied by the most comprehensive database of tropical tree demography, with 3 million individual trees and 6,000 species. Liz also serves on the board of the Amazon Conservation Association. Liz earned her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Master's in Public Policy at Princeton University.

George Loening

George is the founder and president of Select Equity Group, Inc., a New York asset management firm. He is a trustee of Second Stage Theatre and serves on the US Advisory Board of International Crisis Group.

Hugo Navarrete

Hugo is director of the largest plant museum in Ecuador, and is one of the country's foremost fern specialists. He earned his PhD in Biological Sciences at Aarhus University in Denmark.

John Richard

John Richard has directed various civic, consumer and environmental nonprofit organizations for more than 25 years.

Nathalie Eddy

Nathalie's current and prior projects have focused on increasing public participation in environmental decision-making both nationally and in the international negotiations on climate change. She has a French law degree and expects to complete a J.D. at the George Washington Law School in May 2004.

Robert Hammond

Robert is co-founder and executive director of Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit dedicated to protecting and transforming an elevated rail line in Manhattan into a city park. Robert is also an experienced consultant to small businesses and non-profits, and serves on the board of both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Body Health Resources Corporation.

Robin B. Foster

A leading researcher of South American floristics, ecology, and conservation, Robin is a member of tropical Rapid Biological Inventory teams, a senior scientist on the Smithsonian 50 hectare plot tropical trees studies, and a developer of rapid photography field guides. Robin earned his PhD in Botany/Plant Ecology from Duke University.

Board of Directors

Our diverse Board has long-term expertise in a range of areas, from tropical field research, to systematics, to NGO-advising, to legal work, to financial prowess.

Margot S. Bass, Executive Director, Finding Species

Edward J. Daly, III, Vice President of Operations, Forest Stewardship Council

Nathalie Eddy, Associate, The Access Initiative, World Resources Institute

Robert Hammond, Co-Founder, Friends of the Highline

Leda Huta, Managing Director, Finding Species

George Loening, President, Select Equity Group, Inc.

Elizabeth Losos, PhD, Director, Center for Tropical Forest Science, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Hugo Navarrete, PhD, Director, Herbarium of the Catholic University of Ecuador

John Richard, JD, Executive Director, Essential Information

Robin B. Foster, PhD, Conservation Ecologist, Environmental Conservation Programs, The Field Museum of Natural History (Honorary Board Member)

Staff

Finding Species brings together staff and associates who have the in-depth expertise necessary to undertake our ambitious projects. Together we have long-term experience in photography, nonprofits, the Ecuadorian Amazon and science-related education and work. For more information on our staff, please click on their names to the left.

Leda

Leda Huta, our Managing Director, has ten years of NGO experience and has been leading and fundraising for non-profit projects for eight years. Working for Ralph Nader-affiliated organizations, she focused on national and neighborhood projects addressing environmental and consumer issues. Leda has edited publications and authored articles on environmental and consumer topics. She received a B.Sc. degree in Environmental Science and Environment & Resource Management, with a minor in Zoology, from the University of Toronto. In her off hours, Leda plays with her dog and works on becoming a connoisseur of Ecuadorian chocolate.

Margot

Margot S. Bass, Executive Director, has identified 20,000 trees in an Ecuadorian megadiversity forest for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and helped inventory a threatened coastal forest for Ecuador's National Herbarium. At the Center for International Environmental Law, she addressed tropical forest conservation under international agreements. With only one class and one paper left to complete, Margot is obtaining her Masters in Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a B.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. When not in the office or the forest, Margot enjoys yoga, running, and Ecuadorian volleyball.

Yuri

Yuri Huta, Director of Photography, has done technical photographic work for 20 years, spanning nature to corporate product photography, and including clients, such as L.L. Bean, Isomet Corporation and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Yuri has also worked on and managed environmental and volunteer campaigns at non-profits for eight years, and has served as an assistant system administrator. Yuri has developed considerable knowledge about the identification and care of tropical amphibians and reptiles, including a stint as a National Zoo volunteer. Yuri holds a B.Sc. degree in Environmental Science and Physical Anthropology from University of Toronto. When not working, Yuri can be found trekking through forests looking for frogs and salamanders.

Chandramohan

Chandramohan Saddi, is our Director of Technology. Formerly with Project Vote Smart, a non-profit organization that uses the web to disseminate the voting records of thousands of national and local candidates and elected officials nationwide, Chandramohan is accustomed to organizing large volumes of data. He has extensive experience with multiple UNIX-based and Windows operating systems, as well as with network security, firewalls, DNS, LAN, network design, database design, web technologies, and troubleshooting network, server and desktop problems. Chandramohan has a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Osmania University in India and a Masters in Computer Science from Western Kentucky University.

Mission

Finding Species pioneers new ways to communicate about biodiversity, bridging the gap between scientists, conservationists, and the public. Finding Species does scientifically accurate and beautiful photo-documentation of species for print and web field guides, educational exhibits, and conservation campaigns. Ultimately, we seek to stem the tide of species extinctions.

Ecuador BioWeb

Dissected by the equator on the Western coast of South America, Ecuador is one of the 17 megadiverse countries of the world. From the lush tropical Amazon forest to the Andean peaks to the unique coastal and island environments, Ecuador's varied ecosystems contain some of the highest numbers of species on the globe.

Although Ecuador's varied landscapes comprise only 0.2 percent of the planet's landmass, it contains 10 percent of the world's plants and 18 percent of the world's birds. Ecuador contains the highest number of amphibians in the world. And, approximately 10 percent of the country's mammals and 23 percent of the country's fish are endemic-found only in Ecuador.

The Ecuador BioWeb will provide global access to species information, aiding Ecuadorian, American and European scientists who study Ecuador's flora and fauna. The website will also educate decision makers-both local and those living thousands of miles away-whose purchasing decisions and policy debates impact Ecuador's biodiversity. Displaying species information in a visually compelling way, the website will encourage individuals worldwide to develop an intimate connection to Ecuador's wildlife and a strong desire to protect it.

Model Field Guide to the Amazon Home to harpy eagles, jaguars, giant armadillos, mahogany trees and the Huaorani-an indigenous group largely isolated from outsiders until the 1970s-the forests of Ecuador's Yasun� National Park are a global treasure. Located in the Western Amazon, the region is a worldwide epicenter of biodiversity.

Although it is the most diverse area on earth for trees, Yasun� remains little known outside of Ecuador, increasing its vulnerability to significant oil development and colonization pressures. These industrial developments have also had serious negative impacts on the health and way of life of the indigenous population.
The model field guide to the most common trees of Yasun� is a partnership project with the Natural History Museum of London and the Catholic University of Ecuador. The profiles will include a description of the species, numerous photographs and a Huaorani myth about each tree. Printed in English, Spanish and Huao, it will serve to empower scientists working in the Ecuadorian Amazon, to preserve a part of the cultural legacy of the Huaorani and to educate ecotourists to the Amazon.

Biodiversity Projects SurveySocieties have gathered vast amounts of information about the planet's biological resources for decades. These resources are varied and wide-ranging-from the biological specimens collected by the early explorers, to journal articles stored in faraway libraries, to satellite images generated by government agencies, to traditional knowledge held by indigenous communities.

Access to these vast resources is crucial in aiding scientific research and enlightening decision-making processes. Until recently, key stakeholders have had only fragmentary knowledge of these resources. Now, however, institutions are advocating for the creation of a "biodiversity commons" on the Internet where visitors can view "free, useful, credible information, and where they can make their own data and expertise available." Government agencies, conservation organizations, universities and others are answering the call to coherently organize biodiversity information.

Finding Species is conducting a survey of the world's best biodiversity websites and databases. The survey will provide a comprehensive look at top biodiversity websites-their objectives, current status, future plans, etc. It will help the biodiversity information community gauge how far it has come, highlight its successes, identify areas for improvement and further refine future strategies.

News

Yasun� Signature Species

Finding Species (FS) is "giving a face" to some of the most charismatic species that live in Yasun� National Park, Ecuador-a highly biodiverse, but gravely threatened park. New highways, oil development, agricultural expansion, wildlife hunting and illegal logging are all dissecting the park and harming its species. International companies are carrying out much of the industrial development to provide goods primarily for the United States and other non-Ecuadorian markets. The most pressing threat is the recent approval of a new road to be built through large tracts of undisturbed rainforest in the park.

Finding Species has been photographing Yasun�'s diverse wildlife-ocelots, black caiman, red howler monkeys and other species-as part of a broader effort to stop the road and other development threats. We've partnered with two organizations-Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Ecuador and the Catholic University of Ecuador-to raise public awareness about Yasun�'s "Signature Species" by exhibiting these photographs in Ecuador.

While privileged individuals from around the world come to see and study Yasun� species, most of the Ecuadorian public has had limited ability to visit the Amazon or witness the ongoing threats that it faces. The exhibit will help to bring Ecuador's treasure to the public's attention. Begun with a display in Quito's modern new airport in October 2004, the images are traveling to different locations in and around Quito throughout the fall of 2004.

The photographs were taken at Yasun� National Park and at AmaZOOnico, Centro Fatima, Ecozoologico San Martin, Mariposario, Monkey Jungle and the Smithsonian National Zoo.

In addition to the exhibit, Finding Species was instrumental in helping to organize Yasun� Day during the 2nd Annual Ecuador Tropical Forest Research and Education Conference in October 2004. Due to the forest's exceptional species diversity-hosting approximately 2,500 trees and shrubs, 560 birds, 380 fish, 170 mammals, and 90 frogs and toads-scientists from Ecuador, other South American countries, the United States and Europe come to study its species. Yasun� Day provided an opportunity for scientists from around the world to meet, to share information about their research in the park and to consider the park's conservation threats.

Take Action:
Forests.org Action Alert

Learn More About Yasun� and the Ecuadorian Amazon:
Wildlife Conservation Society Living Landscapes
Catholic University of Ecuador Scientific Research Station in Yasun�
United Nations Man and the Biosphere Reserve
Amazon Watch

Photos

Though greatly underutilized, photography can play a large role in science and conservation. Following in the footsteps of Felice Frankel, Ansel Adams, Susan Middleton, David Liittschwager and other science- and conservation-oriented photographers, Finding Species has made photographs the foundation of our work. Using our detailed photo-based tools, researchers can more quickly identify species--science's fundamental first step. The public can connect to a species they will likely never see in person. And, conservationists can capture the value of living creatures that no words can describe.

The ability of a photograph to advance biodiversity science and conservation is articulated well in the book Witness. As E.O. Wilson states, "The creature can no longer be called a weed, a flower, or a bug. It has a name, a million-year history, and a place in the world. It is now unmistakable and unavoidable."

Finding Species distinguishes its photography using a unique scientific and artistic approach consisting of:

taking the highest quality photographs using affordable equipment,

taking a comprehensive, innovative series of images of each species,

creating standardized methods that are peer reviewed and can be replicated by others,

vouchering the specimens shown in its photographs,

developing rulers, color scales and other tools which give significant added value to its images,

releasing its methods for free after testing them on model guides,

seeking to inspire and be scientifically accurate in all its images and tools,

reaching multiple audiences with the same images.

Bringing the Amazon Home

Tucked away in an American suburb, U.S. citizens may never give a moment's thought to the Amazon rainforest, let alone to realize our role in its long-term conservation or destruction. Living on another continent, we may not realize that the oil we buy at a gas station or the wood we buy at a hardware store originally came from the Amazon. Not having directly experienced this rainforest, we can't comprehend how its spectacular biodiversity is being degraded by the removal of wood, oil and other resources. Partnering with U.S.-based institutions, Finding Species works to educate Americans, who may never have the chance to visit the rainforest, about the diversity and value of the Amazon.

Finding Species' Bringing Home the Amazon campaign works to aid educational institutions in the United States to develop and update their tools, such as visitor guides, volunteer-training manuals, and educational exhibits. Zoos are particularly well positioned to educate the general public, because more people visit zoos annually than attend professional football, hockey, basketball and baseball games combined. Visitors, volunteers and students who interact with the various tools become budding amateur naturalists -- understanding this special ecosystem in a more detailed way. Greater knowledge of its biological treasures leads these amateur naturalists to develop a more intimate connection to it and a greater stake in its protection.

Model Field Guide: Common Western Amazon Trees

Home to harpy eagles, jaguars, giant armadillos, giant Ceiba trees, and the Huaorani-an indigenous group--largely isolated from outsiders until the 1970s--the forests of Ecuador's Yasun� National Park are a global treasure. Located in the Western Amazon, the region is a world epicenter of biodiversity.

Although it is one of the most diverse areas on earth for plants and animals, Yasun� remains little known outside of Ecuador, increasing its vulnerability to significant oil development and colonization pressures. These industrial developments have had major impacts on the region's flora and fauna through deforestation, illegal logging, and hunting. They have also had serious negative impacts on the way of life of the indigenous population.

New research by tropical ecologist Dr. Nigel Pitman indicates Yasun� lies within the western limits of a large forest ecosystem -- called the "Napo Piedmont" -- spanning parts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. At least along its western boundary, many tree species common in the Ecuadorian portion are also common in the Peruvian portion. Despite the scientific and conservation interest of the Napo Piedmont, research in the region has been slow to proceed, in part due to lack of scientific resources.

Finding Species has teamed up with a partnership between the Natural History Museum of London, the Catholic University of Ecuador, and the Huaorani to create an unprecedented field guide to the common trees of Yasun�, with wide applications over the Napo Piedmont. Each tree species profile will include a
non-technical description of the species, numerous photographs of its field characters, and a Huaorani cultural myth about the tree. Printed in English, Spanish and Huao, it will serve to empower scientists working in the Ecuadorian Amazon, to preserve a part of the cultural legacy of the Huaorani and to educate ecotourists travelling in the Amazon.

This guide will also serve as an important test-case model for Finding Species as it prepares to pursue further field guides in the region.

Ecuador Amazon BioWeb

Lying at the base of the eastern Andes and the western edge of one of the largest intact forests in the world, the Ecuadorian Amazon is a world epicenter of diversity. Smithsonian research indicates it has amongst the highest tree and shrub local diversity on the planet, with 50 hectares containing approximately 1,150 species. It also has very high diversity of amphibians, freshwater fish, birds and insects. The region is a key wilderness area, with intact populations of many important plants, such as Cedrelinga, a beautiful canopy tree, heavily logged for canoes. Its animal species, include tapirs, peccaries, bush dogs, and at least eleven species of primates. Its waterways support black caiman, giant river otters, dolphins and paiche -- the world's largest freshwater fish.

The Ecuadorian Amazon region and its largest park, Yasun� National Park, have been recognized as global conservation priorities by a number of institutions. For instance, the Wildlife Conservation Society has chosen Yasun� for its Living Landscape program because of its potential to maintain large-mammal populations. Yet, its forests are under attack. With South America's highest deforestation rate, Ecuador loses 1.2%, on average, of forest cover each year. Aggressive oil, mineral, and wood extraction are increasing colonization and deforestation. Illegal and legal hunting are diminishing the region's wildlife -- nearly 40 percent of mainland Ecuador's vulnerable, threatened, or endangered species reside in the Amazon.

Despite its tremendous diversity and threatened status, the region's biology is poorly understood and its scientific information is difficult to access. Few field guides exist for the region. Ecuadorian scientists and students cannot afford the U.S. and European journals or the textbooks that publish most of the biological information about the region. Scientists residing outside of Ecuador, meanwhile, must usually make in-person visits to see the information in Ecuadorian museums. And, species photographs are held in off-line collections. Scientists worldwide are all slowed in describing and understanding the region's species.

The Ecuador Amazon BioWeb -- a collaboration between Finding Species and the Catholic University of Ecuador herbarium -- seeks to address these challenges. Beginning with a core set of common Ecuadorian Amazon trees, the website will provide free global access to museum specimen information, field photographs, and interactive keys. The information will speed national and international research on Ecuador's flora and fauna. Displaying species information in a visually compelling way, the website will also encourage citizens worldwide to develop an intimate connection to Ecuador's Amazonian species and a strong desire to protect them.

Biodiversity Projects Survey

Societies have gathered vast amounts of information about the planet's biological resources for decades. These resources are varied and wide-ranging--from the biological specimens collected by the early explorers, to journal articles stored in faraway libraries, to satellite images generated by government agencies, to traditional knowledge held by indigenous communities.

Access to these vast resources is crucial in aiding scientific research and enlightening decision-making processes. Until recently, key stakeholders have had only fragmentary access to and knowledge of these resources. Now, however, institutions are advocating for the creation of a "biodiversity commons" on the Internet where visitors can view "free, useful, credible information, and where they can make their own data and expertise available." Government agencies, conservation organizations, universities and others are answering the call to coherently organize biodiversity information.

Finding Species has conducted a survey of the world's best biodiversity websites and databases. Our analysis will provide a comprehensive look at top biodiversity websites--their objectives, current status, future plans, etc. It will help the biodiversity information community gauge how far it has come, highlight its successes, identify areas for improvement and further refine future strategies.

Geckos of the United States

Geckos are amongst the most charismatic of reptiles. These adaptable little creatures have colonized most corners of the world, living on nearly every continent. As a group, they provide an interesting opportunity for students and the public to learn about the fundamentals of diversity and ecology. They demonstrate unusual nocturnal and diurnal behaviors, are impacted by a number of environmental factors, include rare and common species, and occupy a lot of different habitats.

Geckos are unique lizards, because they vocalize -- to attract mates and defend their territory--and many can scale vertical surfaces--tree trunks, rocky cliffs, walls and even ceilings--using their specially adapted toes. Lacking the fuzzy appeal of a panda bear or the majesty of a bald eagle, reptiles have been neglected in scientific study--only one fifth have been surveyed. Even within reptile research, there is a hierarchy: most focuses on turtles and crocodiles. Although they are under-studied, reptiles face numerous threats: habitat destruction, invasive species, hunting and capturing by humans. Worldwide, twenty percent of reptiles are endangered or vulnerable, and the United States, with one of the world's most powerful species protection laws -- the Endangered Species Act (ESA) --, is still the second leading country in number of threatened reptile species.

Though they are susceptible to human pressures, some U.S. geckos are nearly invisible to human eyes -- many native geckos are nocturnal or difficult to find. Finding Species will produce a web and print guide to U.S. geckos that will bring to light each species' unique characteristics. Putting a face to creatures that live in our backyards, yet remain unseen to us, will make these species "known" and will give individuals a reason to protect the habitats of these little lizards.

Programs

Finding Species currently works with key partners in the United States and Ecuador to create valuable biodiversity tools that can serve as models for other institutions. Combining our partners' expertise with our own and our impeccable photographs, we develop materials with scientific, educational and/or conservation value for the widest audience possible. Our belief is that as critical stakeholders become better educated about the earth's wondrous diversity, they will have a much greater commitment to its conservation.

Our program areas, therefore, draw on the talents of our staff, associates and partners to provide tools for these essential stakeholders. We produce identification guides, such as printed field guides and interactive websites for regions of high biodiversity and/or high endemism, so scientists can easily identify species and speed their research. We contribute to exhibit materials for zoos and museums, so that the public can learn about biodiversity through our compelling images. And, we supply high-quality photographs of species that are threatened to conservation groups, so that their campaigns are more effective in advancing necessary policy changes.

To work where we are most needed, we assess the following four criteria in selecting our projects. The organisms we photograph must:

1. Reside in areas of high biodiversity and/or high endemism.
2. Belong to a group of species or exist in a habitat that is threatened.
3. Present a need for greater scientific, education, or conservation tools.
4. Are in museum collections or are in the process of being collected by scientists.

For more information about our latest work, please select a program area on the left.

Quotes

Each species, to put the matter succinctly, is a masterpiece�a creation assembled with extreme care by genius. E.O. Wilson

We are recording and analyzing Earth's diversity at a pace so leisurely that it will take nearly 600 years. Smithsonian Zoogoer

We are likely never to have seen or to be aware of the existence of most of the species we are driving to extinction. Dr. Peter Raven

Biological diversity is complex beyond our understanding, and valuable beyond our ability to measure. John C. Ryan

The world is on the breaking crest of the sixth great wave of extinction. Professor Georgina Mace

The diversity of life forms, so numerous that we have yet to identify most of them, is the greatest wonder of this planet. E.O. Wilson

I'm convinced that science has to be the cornerstone of efforts on conservation. Dr. Cristi�n Samper

Only with species-by-species information will conservationists prevent large-scale plant extinctions. Nigel Pitman

Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small - we haven't time - and to see takes time. Georgia O'Keefe

The first step to wisdom is getting things by their right names. Chinese proverb

Biological diversity must be treated more seriously as a global resource, to be indexed, used, and above all, preserved. E.O. Wilson

We probably know more about the surface of the moon than we know about the Amazon rain forest. Dr. Cristi�n Samper

A greening of the human mind must precede the greening of our Earth. M.S. Swaminathan

Scientists

Scientists Concerned for Yasun� Leading international rainforest scientists have announced their opposition to a new oil road planned in Yasun� National Park. The park is the largest in Ecuador, protecting one of the Earth's most megadiverse regions.

More than 25 scientists gathered at Yasun� Day during the 2nd Annual Ecuador Tropical Forest Research and Education Conference in October 2004 in Mindo, Ecuador to present their findings about the biodiversity, ecology, and human impacts on the park.

This international group addressed controversial plans by the Brazilian state oil company Petrobras to build a new road, two drilling platforms and a major processing facility within a remote region of the park. The 54-kilometer road, of which 28 kilometers would be a new artery into the park, would clear large tracts of undisturbed rainforest.

The scientists at the meeting unanimously agreed to oppose the road and to form the group Scientists Concerned for Yasun�. They drafted an open letter and technical report (see PDFs below) to the Presidents of Ecuador and Brazil and to the President of Petrobras detailing their opposition. With expertise in Amazonian primates, mammals, birds, plants, frogs, satellite remote sensing, anthropology, economics, and other fields, a total of 59 scientists have signed on to the letter. Coming from Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Scotland, Spain and the United States, the scientists have recommended that Ecuador enact a law prohibiting road building to extract oil in its national parks and called on the implementation of a roadless "offshore" drilling model in Yasun� for all oil extraction.

Data shows that Yasun� is among the most diverse and important tropical forests in the world and that despite well-intentioned efforts to minimize damages, roads dramatically increase human access and negative environmental impacts to the park.

Letter from Scientists Concerned for Yasun� (in Spanish):
Letter and report from Scientists Concerned for Yasun� (in Spanish):

OTHER LETTERS TO ECUADOR ABOUT YASUNI
Letter from Ecuadorean NGOs to the President of Ecuador, Nov 2004
Letter from Maria De Angelo of Yale to the President of Ecuador, May 2003
Letter from Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to the President of Ecuador, Sept 2004

The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC):
ATBC Yasuni Resolution
ATBC Yasuni Resolution Supporting Letter
ATBC Yasuni Resolution Press Release (Spanish)

For more information about these photographs of Yasuni species, see the Signature Species section of our website.

ARTICLES

Multinational Monitor Article:
Yasun Blues: The IMF, Ecuador and Coerced Oil Exploration

Environmental News Service Articles about Yasuni:
Ecuador Stops Petrobras' Oil Road Into Biodiversity Treasure, 09/08/2005
Rainforest Scientists Oppose New Oil Road in Ecuadorian Amazon, 12/1/2004
Ecuador<80><99>s Largest National Park Opened for Oil Development, 9/23/2004

La Hora Articles:
El Parque Yasun Herido de Muerte
Presentan Fotografis del Yasun

El Comercio Articles:
Alertan Que Actividad Petrolera Amenaza Reserva Ecologica
Ambientalistas Defienden la Reserva del Yasun (Re: ATBC Resolution)

Folha de Sao Paulo:
Manifesto pede suspensco de construgco de estrada em parque nacional do pams

LINKS Take Action:
Forests.org Action Alert

View the License Granted to Petrobras:
Ministry of the Environment License to Develop Block 31 in Yasun National Park