Amazon Rainforest
Big trees, even bigger threats and massive opportunities to cool Earth.
The Amazon Rainforest is the biggest in the world.
Spanning 634 million hectares and eight countries, the Amazon is an essential carbon sink that captures and stores 123 billion tonnes of Earth cooling carbon – this is why we work with people who live here.
We can’t talk about the Amazon without highlighting the incredible rivers and waterways that stretch over 6,000 km. This artery of water gives life to plants, trees, over 1,300 birds, 3,000 types of fish and 430 species of mammals. We’re talking jaguars, electric eels, capybara, and the toco toucan. There are of course insects here too in the millions, all crucial to a healthy forest.
This is half the story though. Beyond the rich biodiversity there are people, who are so often excluded from the Amazon rainforest narrative. Millions of Indigenous peoples from more than 50 ethnic groups live in the Peruvian area of the Amazon rainforest alone. People who have managed the land sustainably for thousands of years.
We are determined that they remain part of the Amazon rainforest story and that with our support, continue to steward and nurture rainforest as part of their daily lives.
The Amazon Facts
Everything is interconnected in the Amazon, from people, to wildlife to plants. People that live there need the rainforest to thrive, and in return, the rainforest relies on them. Keeping this harmony in balance in the midst of climate breakdown is why we do what we do.
40,000 plant species are found here
and it can take 10 minutes for a single drop of rain to reach the forest floor.
30% of the all species
on Earth, live here. More than half of these species live in the canopy itself.
Some areas of the Amazon…
now emit CO2. We can turn this tide. Reducing the drivers of deforestation maintain areas that do capture and store carbon efficiently.
Wildfires are increasing
Hot season gets longer and longer each year. Fewer trees mean less rain meaning drier forests.
Carbon Capture in Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest affects all life on Earth with its ability to capture carbon.
Rainforest Stories
News from the rainforest; from the canopy to the forest floor.
Flooding devastates communities
Heavy rains have triggered landslides and severe flooding across multiple regions in the Amazon rainforest.
Who protects the Amazon?
30% of the Amazon is protected by Indigenous peoples.
Fires reach our partners
Dangerous fires have spread across several Awajún and Asháninka communities we partner with in the Amazon rainforest.
Beyond the 1.5°C threshold
The future of the Amazon Rainforest. We’ve been warned for years not to hit 1.5°C but last year, we did exactly that.
Where we work in the Amazon
We work in three areas of the Peruvian Amazon.
Awajún – Peru
Believe in the Awajún to protect their home, the Amazon.
Asháninka – Peru
Believe in the Asháninka to protect the Amazon.
Colombia
The Colombian Amazon is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.