Welcome to the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) Conservation Birding Lodges

Since 1999, the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) and our Peruvian sister organization, Conservación Amazónica–ACCA, have kept our boots dirty in the field to preserve the vibrant biodiversity of the southwestern Amazon–a region that contains between 10-15% of all the known bird and butterfly species on the planet! We are tirelessly committed to our mission: to protect the world’s most diverse landscapes, train the next generation of Amazonian conservationists, and partner with communities to support livelihoods that sustain biodiversity. Our efforts have protected over 2.2 million acres of land in the Andes-Amazon region.

Scientific research guides our approach, and is rooted in our biological stations and field programs in the Andes-Amazon. We created conservation birding lodges within our biological stations to provide an opportunity for conservation supporters to see the forests and wildlife we strive to protect, and witness our conservation efforts in action. The lodges also provide career opportunities in ecotourism for local communities.

Learn more about our research, conservation, and education activities at our main home page: Amazon Conservation Association.  You can also sign up for our newsletter, follow us on facebook or twitter, view us on YouTube, or donate.  ACA has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, and Gold Certification from GuideStar.

Our Conservation Work in the Amazon

Our Mission

The Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) partners with Peruvian and Bolivian organizations to protect the world’s most diverse landscapes, train the next generation of Amazonian conservationists, and partner with communities to support livelihoods that sustain biodiversity. In Peru, our work is carried out in collaboration with Conservación Amazónica-ACCA, and in Bolivia with the Asociación para la Conservación e Investigación de Ecosistemas Andino Amazónicos (ACEAA). Together, we conserve the Amazon by protecting state, community, and private lands, by working with governments, by supporting local people to improve their management of natural resources, and by developing conservation solutions. Scientific research guides our approach, and is rooted in our biological stations and field programs in the Andes-Amazon.

Our Research

Researchers, students, volunteers, and travelers from around the world journey to our three Peruvian biological stations to witness their rich wildlife and see conservation in action. Our Science and Education program aims to train the next generation of conservationists, promote research and analysis on threats to biodiversity, test solutions to complex conservation issues, and generate data to inform conservation strategies and public policy.

The program is rooted in our three biological stations, which provide an on-the-ground presence where we conduct our conservation work. We are a leading institution in research on forest ecosystems and wildlife, and promote high-quality research by providing premier facilities and logistical and technical support at our stations, awarding scholarships for field projects on priority conservation issues, and facilitating communication and collaboration among researchers, communities, decision-makers and other actors. Research generated at our stations is shared with area communities to strengthen technical capacity for conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, strengthen the regional capacity for environmental governance, and promote rational scientific discourse as a basis for decision-making. Our biological stations typically host 25 research projects and 15 field courses each year, attracting researchers who have cataloged over 6,900 species and published more than 260 scientific papers to date.

Our Accomplishments

Founded in 1999, ACA has become a leader in conserving Amazonian forests, protecting over 2.2 million acres of land and wildlife the Andes-Amazon region of Peru and Bolivia. Its founding program provided support for Brazil nut harvesters in Peru, as an incentive for protecting the forest. ACA also established Peru’s first conservation concession, the Los Amigos Conservation Concession, which comprises 360,000 acres of the lower Los Amigos watershed, as a buffer for world-famous Manu National Park. ACA supported the establishment of the Haramba Queros Wachiperi Ecological Reserve, the world’s first conservation concession managed by an indigenous group, which protects 17,238 acres of highly diverse montane rainforest on the eastern slopes of Peru’s southern Andes. In 2014 alone, we planted 30,500 native trees with communities in protected area buffer zone, helped over 240 Peruvian farmers implement sustainable agricultural models, and welcomed 962 students, researchers, and professors to our biological research stations. Our three biological stations have grown to host over 25 projects and 15 field courses annually, and attract researchers who have catalogued over 6,900 species and published over 260 scientific papers.

Our Biological Stations & Lodges

Meet Our Staff and Guides

Renzo Piana, PhD
Renzo Piana, PhDDirector of Science and Research
Renzo has a passion for raptors. He studied several species within Peru for both his Master’s and PhD, and has years of experience working on landscape conservation in Peru, most recently as the National Coordinator of project Ecosystem Based Adaptation for the United Nations Development Program.
Robinson Palomino
Robinson PalominoAdministrator, Wayqecha
Robinson has over 20 years of experience in tourism and administration, working both in Manu and Machu Picchu. For 10 of those years, he worked as a guide and manager, and is a master of hospitality. He is a strong promoter of science as a vehicle for conservation solutions.
David Guevara
David GuevaraAdministrator, Villa Carmen
David brings an extensive background in ecotourism, management, and hospitality to his role as Villa Carmen’s administrator, including previous experience at a leading birding lodge and private conservation area in northern Peru.
Jorge Valdez
Jorge ValdezAdministrator, Los Amigos
Jorge Valdez has over ten years of experience working on conservation, natural resource management, and alternative rural development projects in Peru. With a Master’s in Ecotourism, Jorge brings a wealth of knowledge to his role as the Los Amigos administrator.
Percy Avendano
Percy AvendanoBirding Guide, Assistant Administrator, Villa Carmen
A native to Cusco with a degree in tourism, Percy began working for a rainforest ecotourism lodge in Tambopata in 1999. Since then, he’s worked as a Resident Naturalist Guide for the Tambopata National Reserve and the Bahuaja Sonene National park in Madre de Dios. In addition to being a skilled birding guide, Percy leads trips in the natural history, archaeology, culture and folklore of Peru.
Ramiro Yabar
Ramiro YabarAffiliated Birding Guide
Ramiro has been guiding tours in English, Spanish, and Quechua in the Manu Biosphere Reserve since 1988 and was awarded the Best Naturalist Guide in Manu in 1998 and 2000. As a birding guide, he has led tours throughout Peru, including Manu Biosphere Reserve, Cusco, Arequipa, Puno, the Apurimac Valley, Ampay, Paracas, the Satipo Road, the Maranon Valley, and Iquitos, including the White Sand Forest and the Tumbes area. His Peruvian bird list is over 1,420 species.