The BTSA is an umbrella program that we launched in 2017 with conservation leaders of Central America. Conservation projects are both regional and country specific, and involve close collaboration with governments and Indigenous communities. We especially focus on raising tapir awareness through education,  addressing tapir poaching, improving co-existence between tapirs and people, and increasing our collective knowledge on tapir's ecology.

You can get a glimpse of the activities the  BTSA conducts in the movie and the story map  below.

Emberás have a deep connection to their land and are the guardians of the forest they inhabit. Their extensive knowledge on the forest and its creatures was a major contribution to the success of my PhD research. The community of Pijibasal, at the doorstep of the Darién National park, is a key partner of Tapir Panamá. Since 2019, a team patrols the park every month following the SMART protocol. The information collected helps the Ministry of Environment of Panama to target anti-poaching patrols. The patrollers also collect valuable data on species presence that complement those from our camera traps. 

The arduous work of the landcare team to restore the rainforest on the coast of New South Wales is vital to improve forest habitat for squirrel gliders. Many large hollow trees that squirrel gliders normally use for nesting, were cut off early 20th century for coal mining. Their disappearance was compensated by installing nest-boxes and by planting  food plants. The restoration site in Dudley close to Newcastle, is critical to maintain connectivity between gliders populations in the region. Teaming up with this dedicated group to enhance squirrel gliders conservation has been fantastic. 

You can learn about the inspiring work of the Fern Creek Gully Landcare in the movie below.