In 1991, The Nature Conservancy launched its Last Great Places initiative, a multi-national, $300 million effort to protect large-scale ecosystems. The initiative emphasized the creation of bioreserves, core reserve areas surrounded by buffer zones where human uses are encouraged.
An example of the bioreserve approach is the Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve in Paraguay, which The Nature Conservancy helped to create in 1991. Located in eastern Paraguay, the Mbaracayú is part of one of the most biologically diverse, yet threatened, ecosystems in the world. Working with a local partner organization, Fundación Moisés Bertoni (FMB), the conservancy was able to protect nearly 160,000 acres of one of the best remaining primary subtropical forests in South America, which provides habitat for more than 420 bird species and several endangered animals such as the jaguar and tapir.
The Nature Conservancy and FMB have promoted sustainable development along with environmental protection at Mbaracayú by working with nearby communities, such as the indigenous Aché tribe, which still depends on the forest for subsistence. The Aché assist in patrolling the reserve for poachers and act as guides for visitors and scientists. The Conservancy and FMB, meanwhile, are collaborating with the Aché to create sustainable small businesses that provide income to their communities, such as beekeeping and cultivation of yerba mate. These efforts—a model for reserve management, scientific research, and innovative, sustainable development—were honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 2000.
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