Location:  Puerto Nariño, Colombian Amazon

Project: Natütama Interpretation Centre

Field Season: Year round  
                    

Building local capacity for river dolphin conservation in developing countries is important for us. In order for them to survive the many threats they face, which include over fishing, habitat degradation, deforestation, pollution and deliberate hunting for fish bait, it is essential we engage with the local people. 

WDCS has funded Fundación Natütama since 2004.  The project aims to create a permanent conservation programme with full community participation in Puerto Nariño.  Natütama means ‘everything under the water’ in the local Ticuna Indian language. The Natütama team combine Amazon wildlife (river dolphins, manatees, turtles) conservation and education with locally based initiatives to involve and inspire all members of the community. The model is proving very successful and we aim to expand and duplicate it elsewhere in the Amazon to benefit endangered wildlife and local people alike.

We help to fund the Natütama Interpretation Centre, which is where local people, including school children regularly come to learn about their local marine wildlife.  Natütama also runs research and monitoring and education and outreach programmes with the involvement of the local community. There are 20 indigenous members on the team giving them and their families an alternative to a livelihood totally dependent on fishing.

Dolphin and manatee counts are conducted weekly. Turtle patrols are carried out constantly to locate and collect eggs laid in nests on beaches during the dry season. Pirarucu nest mapping and monitoring is carried out at low water.  Every month all primary schools in the Puerto Nariño region are visited by members of the education team who implement lesson plans and activities for the children.