Posts Categorized: Field Updates

February 2016 Field Report – Preserving Matsés agricultural heritage

adult siante tapun plant amazon

Preserving Matsés Agricultural Heritage The Matsés people of the Amazon are master farmers. Worldwide, inestimable indigenous agricultural knowledge has been lost in the process of acculturation. Forgotten often before it is realized what has been lost, the insidious erosion of traditional farming is a well paved path leading to weakened resiliency, increased dependence on outside […] Continue reading »

November 2015 Field Report – From sterility to abundance through revitalizing eroded land

Matsés swidden with plantains, manioc, and papayas, drawn by Matses artist Guillermo Nëcca Pëmen Mënquë

Small scale agriculture is one of the most important, yet least addressed, drivers of deforestation in the tropics today. In our Sustainable Agriculture Program, Acaté partners with expert Matsés farmers to develop innovative approaches to restore devitalized and eroded lands to abundance. Slash and burn agriculture, once superbly fitted in skilled hands to semi-nomadic existence, […] Continue reading »

June 2015 Field Update – Completion of first traditional medicine encyclopedia written by indigenous healers

matse shaman administering medicine during ceremony

Historic Meeting of the Remaining Matsés Elder Shamans Concludes with Completion of First Indigenous Medicine Encyclopedia Deep in the farthest reaches of the Amazon rainforest, the last remaining elder shamans of the Matsés tribe came together from distant villages in a quest to save their ancestral knowledge from the edge of extinction. This meeting concluded […] Continue reading »

October 2014 Field Update – Major strides in our conservation projects

sustainable copaiba harvest amazon rainforest

Major strides in our Amazon conservation projects; Acaté receives 501(c)(3), first foundational grants, and more! Dear friends and supporters, Greetings! Over the summer, the Acaté Amazon Conservation team made significant strides on all fronts of our on-the-ground conservation initiatives in partnership with the Matsés indigenous people. We are excited to update you on the interval […] Continue reading »