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The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Canaima National Park, Venezuela

Canaima National Park

 
 
 

Canaima National Park is a collection of sprawling rivers, jungles and Guianan savannas. Established in 1962, the park originally encompassed 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) and was later
extended to 7.4 million acres (3 million hectares).

The park’s centerpiece is Angel Falls. The highest
waterfall in the world, it is more than 18 times higher than the famed Niagara Falls. In the dry season, water spilling from Angel Falls often evaporates before completing its 14-second, 3,250-foot (986-meter) drop.

Location
Canaima is located in eastern Venezuela, south of the Orinoco River, in the northwestern section of the Guianan Shield. The Guianan Shield is part of an ancient geological formation shared with Brazil, the Guyanas and Colombia, the shield is characterized by archaic igneous and metamorphic rocks formed before Africa and America broke apart more than 3 billion years ago.

Canaima National Park/VenezuelaAnimals
The park protects significant populations of five endangered mammal species: jaguars, giant anteaters, giant river otters, ocelots and giant armadillos.

Canaima harbors nearly half of the neotropical migratory birds that winter in South America; many are of conservation priority, including the osprey, American swallow-tailed kite and broad-winged hawk. The park’s highlands provide habitat for nearly 100 bird species, including 29 species found nowhere else. Scientists are still adding to a list that includes harpy eagles, jabirus, oilbirds, at least seven species of toucans, and parrots such as the fiery-shouldered parakeet and tepui parrotlet. Hummingbirds on the list include the rufous-breasted sabrewing, peacock coquette, tepui goldenthroat and velvet-browned brilliant.

Plants
The park boasts incredible plant biodiversity and habitat types due to variations in elevation, as a result, it has a large number of endemic and rare species. Canaima possesses more than 9,000 plant species native to the Venezuelan that occur nowhere else. Vegetation varies greatly from tropical rainforest in the lowlands to shrubs and grasses on the highest peaks.
 

Why the Conservancy Works Here
Due to its ecological and cultural significance, Canaima is a priority site for conservation. Aside from its incredible geological formations and rich biodiversity, it protects almost half of the Caroní River watershed, fueling the Guri hydroelectric dam. The dam, among the world’s largest, generates power for much of Venezuela’s industry.

About 10,000 Pemón, a Carib indigenous people, have lived in Canaima for centuries. The human population has increased more than six-fold since 1937, creating pressure on park resources, particularly game species, fish and agricultural land. In recent years, increased tourism has also put pressure on ecologically-sensitive areas of the park, threatening its long-term well-being.

 

Canaima Pemón VillageWhat the Conservancy Is Doing 
Since 2004, The Nature Conservancy has been working with the Pemón on long-term biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management activities. Conservation actions are closely aligned with mitigating the environmental impacts of land-use activities like agriculture and tourism. Key Conservancy partners include the National Directorate of Indigenous Affairs, the National Parks Institute (INPARQUES), the Experimental University of Guyana (UNEG) and the Venezuelan Guyana Corporation (CVG). Conservation actions include:
 

  • Working with the Pemón to develop a natural resource management plan. This plan includes actions to mitigate impacts to natural areas that have been threatened by unsustainable tourism.
     
  • Providing support in training Pemón indigenous environmental extensionionists, known locally as parabiólogos. The parabiólogos are involved in monitoring of aquatic species, restoration of degraded areas, and fire management and prevention, as well as other activities.
     
  • Collaborating with partners to develop the first-ever comprehensive socio-economic study of the Pemón people- focusing on their cultural and natural resource base. Preliminary results of this study have been documented in three books produced in Pemón languages and Spanish.
     


    Photo credits (top-bottom): © Aurelio Ramos/TNC; © Anabela Garcia/TNC© José Medina/TNC; © Aurelio Ramos/TNC