New Reserve Safeguards Vital Landscape in Bolivia

Madison Lemelin reports for Rainforest Trust: This week, Rainforest Trust and partner Wildlife Conservation Society-Bolivia (WCS-Bolivia) established the Rhukanrhuka Municipal Reserve. The 2,123,749-acre reserve in the Beni region protects grasslands found in the transition area between the Sub-Andean and Llanos de Mojos Ecosystems. The Beni grasslands, an area twice the size of Portugal, is South…

Harsh, gruelling, awesome

Otago Daily Times report: Laguna Colorada, created in 1973 mainly to protect flamingo and vicuna, covers around 7.5 hectares. PHOTOS: ELEANOR HUGHES Eleanor Hughes has an unforgettable experience travelling across the Bolivian Altiplano. Google Maps has directed us overland from Colombia to Uyuni, Bolivia, with no problem. When it’s announced that Pietro, a local guide,…

New protected area in Amazon announced

Bruno Vander Velde reports for Human Nature, a Conservation International blog; A sprawling corner of the Amazon basin has been designated a protected area. Last week, the Bolivian municipality of Ixiamas issued a law establishing the Bajo Madidi Municipal Conservation and Management Area in the country’s northwestern region, near the Peruvian border. At 15,300 square…

Bolivia: Down the Rio Yacuma

From The National Geographic: The caiman sized me up, all venomous reproach and pointy teeth. It sliced through the water until it was in snapping distance of our little boat. “Do they ever attack people?” I asked. “Oh yes,” said Sam, my local guide, who I liked but didn’t entirely trust. Friday, 31 May Bolivia…

Bolivia must practice what it preaches

Shannon Biggs and Nick Buxton report for The Ecologist: Bolivia’s first indigenous president set out a bold and inspiring vision to save the planet from climate and environmental breakdown just over ten years ago. In an open letter, Evo Morales said “Mother Earth is ill.” He urged the industrialised countries to drastically reduce emissions, increase technology…

Bolivia achieves fifth place in bird watching

Catherine Camacho reports for La Prensa: Bolivia entered the top five in the world ranking of the countries with the highest bird sightings during the Global Big Day (GBD) that took place last Saturday, in which 171 nations participated. “Bolivia ranked fifth in this event, which is an important achievement. More than 890 species of…