ABOUT
In the 1990s, Detroit Zoo staff visited the Amazon rainforest
We surveyed small primates, reptiles and butterfly populations. This information contributed to the general knowledge of the rich rainforest ecosystem and provided staff with a deeper understanding of the animals’ natural habitats and behavior. A nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of the rainforest in the area DZS staff were working, Conservación de la Naturaleza Amazónica del Perú, A.C. (CONAPAC), was simultaneously searching for a reputable, U.S.-based organization to provide name recognition and trust, as well as the ever-important tax recognition for donations. The Zoo and CONAPAC officially partnered in 1999 and have remained steady collaborators since.
The partnership ensures families living in remote communities in the rainforest have access to the supplies their children need for a basic education, deferring the need to sell natural resources, such as trees, in order to pay for books and other supplies. These school supplies help children attend class and succeed in the classroom as they become the next generation of rainforest advocates. The partnership also provides annual teacher workshops that emphasize the importance of the rainforest ecosystem and model ways of teaching the content in engaging ways, reinforcing the importance of everyday actions that impact the region.
Support a School
You can make a difference in the lives of school children by donating a year’s worth of school supplies for $450. The government provides a school building and teacher, but supplies for the classroom and children are an impossible financial burden for most families. Your donation allows the children to achieve a basic education and helps protect the amazing natural resources of the Amazon rainforest.
CONAPAC uses the donations made to the Adopt-A-School program to purchase school supplies in Iquitos, Peru. Donations are also used to fund workshops that help teachers and community leaders promote sustainable lifestyles to protect the natural resources of the Amazon rainforest. One hundred percent of the donations the DZS receives are transferred to CONAPAC to support rainforest conservation.
Support a Student
You can support an individual child by providing him or her a year’s worth of school supplies for $55.
Clean Water Systems
In 2008, CONAPAC built its first community water tower. At that time, it was common practice to drink water directly out of rivers and streams. Since that time, concrete community water filtration towers have been built in most of our larger partner communities along the Amazon and Napo Rivers. A simple, four-stage filter system is assembled in Iquitos and transported by boat to the community for final installation by a contractor along with community members.
In conjunction with these installations, CONAPAC provides interactive water workshops that educate both adults and children about the importance of clean water, the sources of contamination, and strategies for ongoing maintenance to protect the water supply. To learn more about clean water initiatives, visit: https://www.conapac.org/clean-water.
Sustainable Development Programs
We are committed to investing and partnering in sustainable development projects to help the Peruvian Amazon. CONAPAC’s main sustainable development project is in partnership with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. To learn more about the fruit tree initiative, visit: https://www.conapac.org/sustainable-development.
Travel With Us
Join the Detroit Zoo on an upcoming volunteer adventure to Peru, where you’ll explore the Amazon, connect with like-minded people and make a difference in local communities. This is more than a trip — it’s a chance to ignite positive change while making once-in-a-lifetime memories.
