South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS)

While SRCS has aimed to promote conservation practices in the Rupununi in general, much of their work has focused on research and environmental education on the Red Siskin. Other activities have included ranger training, turtle conservation and scoping future work to promote Smithsonian Bird Friendly Coffee and other shade crop farms. Recently, SRCS has collaborated on the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Project, which aims to understand wildlife conservation concerns within the context of food security in a set of key socio-ecosystems. To do this, the project will promote the sustainable and legal use of stable wildlife populations by rural peoples and undertake alternative livelihood projects to provide other sources of protein for both rural and urban areas. In Guyana, SWM is implemented by the Guyana Wildlife Management and Conservation Commission in coordination with the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). As part of its objectives, SWM also provides support to local organizations involved in wildlife management and conservation in the Rupununi. In this context, SWM had engaged the SRCS to create an environmental education program, which combines scientific and traditional knowledge. The aim of this program is to be practical and engaging, targeting behaviour change, supporting education systems and creating an avenue for local knowledge to be valued within the educational context. Additionally, the SRCS is developing new plans to study movement and estimate population size for Red Siskin and Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), which may be declining.

SRCS also recently completed their #sgp #undp #gef and #clp supported project for continued conservation of the Red Siskin in South Rupununi. Our President Leroy Ignacio and treasurer Erin Earl distributed the ‘top 100 birds of south rupununi’ books and 6 posters portraying why the Rupununi region is so important for bird conservation and tourism. SRCS thanks our funders for their vital support in seeing our efforts through.

To contact the SRCS, please send messages to srcs.rupununi@gmail.com