CHAPARRI - A COMMUNITY LED CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE
The Chaparri Private Conservation Area was established by the local community of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape in 2000. The community established the reserve to protect their natural resources and to allow them to seek for sustainable alternatives to reduce poverty and improve standards of living in the area. The community embarked upon this integrated conservation development approach under their own initiative and with the support of a local conservation development organisation, Asociacion Naymlap. The creation of the reserve required a new piece of legislation to be created recognising privately owned conservation areas.

CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE OF THE RESERVE
The reserve is a key site for conservation at an international level. The reserve lies within the Tumbesian region which is famous for its many unique species and is widely recognised as one of the world’s highest conservation priorities, by groups including BirdLife International, Conservation International, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The reserve supports many species endemic to the Tumbesian region and seven that are considered globally threatened with extinction by the IUCN. These include the critically threatened White-winged Guan which now has a wild population of less than 200 individuals and the Spectacled Bear. We still know relatively little about the reserve as is indicated by the discovery of a new species of Porcupine here in 2004.

IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY
The reserve generates employment for local people, providing an alternative to subsistence and small scale agricultural production and working as itinerant labourers in the large plantations. These jobs include park guards, ecotourism guides and working with species recovery programs. There is a reserve entrance fee for each visitor which is used to fund some key activities and also to support the local schools and health posts within the community. Additionally projects to develop and implement sustainable alternatives such as organic honey production and native cotton production are being implemented. The reserve also provides opportunity for free enterprise through the selling of souvenirs and foods to visitors.

KEY INFORMATION
Reserve size: 36,412 hectares
Designation: Private Conservation Area recognised by the Peruvian Government
Ownership: owned by the Rural Community of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape.
Administration: The reserve is managed by a committee appointed by the community.
The reserve supports some 214 birds species, 21 mammals and 20 reptiles and amphibians.

The Chaparri project has received support and funding from groups including:

• American Bird Conservancy
• American Zoo and Aquarium Association
• Fundacion Backus
• Conservation International
• Neotropical Bird Club
• Stutgart Zoo
• Liseux Zoo
• UNDP
• Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.

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