The Southern Helmeted Curassow Conservation Programme, Bolivia

The southern helmeted curassow, classified as Endangered, is endemic to Bolivia. Recently, poverty reduction has become a priority for this South American country’s government administration which has caused other issues, such as nature conservation, to become of a much lower priority. Within months, populations of curassow in Carrasco and Amboro National Parks slid from well protected to seriously threatened as people started to move into the parks to hunt and clear forest for agriculture. Unfortunately, logging brings in a source of income which is desperately needed by the community.

In response to this critical situation, the Southern Helmeted Curassow Conservation Programme was initiated by Armonia – a BirdLife partner in Bolivia.  Surveys have been conducted in the two national parks, awareness has been raised through environmental education activities in rural communities, and a preliminary Species Action Plan has been devised. The PRIDE campaign has been applied, where a charismatic species is used to generate a sense of pride and act as an ambassador for the natural resources of a protected area. This campaign has proven successful in various countries in raising environmental awareness and support for a protected area, and it is hoped that the southern helmeted curassow will do the same here.

WPA was able to provide funds and assist in implementing this Species Action Plan, as well as producing promotional materials that will be used in community education activities. Further field work, including conducting censuses, will attempt to identify key sites where future conservation actions will be focused. Conservation of the southern helmeted curassow depends on the active participation of the local communities and so emphasis will be put on environmental education activities and awareness-raising workshops. Effective monitoring programmes are also being planned. Beginning legal action to drive out the loggers is unrealistic until an alternative source of income can be generated. A possible solution would be to buy or ‘adopt’ the trees of interest to loggers, paying a fee greater than that offered by the logging company. The community would maintain ownership of the trees and would become stewards of their protection. The adoption fees would go directly to the community with the stipulation that they be invested in poverty reduction and sustainable development.