THE MBARACAYU
FOREST RESERVE
And The Story of Its Success

Introduction
The Fundacion's Story
Of Bats and Ectoparasites
Learning to Preserve
Graphics Version

INTRODUCTION

Mbaracayu, an Atlantic inland forest which once was connected to the Amazon, is home to various threatened species, including jaguars, tapirs, white winged night jars, bush dogs, giant armadillos, Hyacinth Macaws, caiman, and Paraguay's national bird - the bare throated bellbird. An island in a sea of deforastation affecting the South American forests, this land had become the property of the International Finance Coorporation (IFC), as a result of the bankrupcy of a plywood mill operator who had used the forest as collateral.

In 1988, Fundacion Moises Bertoni (FMB), a private non-profit foundation established to raise the funds and awareness needed to acquire the property, was finally able to purchase the 58,000 hectare area which they renamed the Mbaracayu Forest Reserve.

In a society which lacked a philanthropic tradition and interest in the environment,in a country governed by one of the longest-lasting and most corrupt military dictatorships in world history where environmental issues were consistently being ignored, FMB's executive director, Raul Gauto, and his allies had the conviction to fight the uphill battle to save this land and succeed.

Gauto himself won The Nature Conservancy's prestigious John Dunning prize for his work in protecting Mbaracayu. Five years later, FMB won the equally impressive Clifford Messinger award for its work in promoting the conservation of biodiversity in Paraguay. Against all odds, the Fundacion Bertoni feels assured that "they have helped to create something that will last forever."

* The Fundacion's Story

Against All Odds
* Of Bats and Ectoparasites
A Research Paradise
* Learning to Preserve
Sustainable Communities

All Paintings are © COPYRIGHT PROTECTED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW and were provided by The Electric Art Gallery - All Rights Reserved. - Text © Juanita Thigpen, Fundacion Moises Bertoni - OneWorld Magazine is Hosted By The EnviroLink Network - Produced by webStories,Inc. - Copyright © 1996, webStories, Inc. All Rights Reserved.