Help us keep fighting for the Amazon!

Dear Rainforest Champion,

As we enter the second half of the year, we're thrilled to share some exciting updates with you.

On the research front, our butterfly project has made significant progress, thanks to the molecular lab we established a few months ago at our field station in the heart of the Amazon. This fully operational lab has been conducting numerous DNA analyses on butterflies, helping us deepen our understanding of butterfly diversity in this unique region.

We’ve also advanced our reforestation efforts. Earlier this year, we began germinating thousands of native seedlings in our nursery. These young trees are growing strong and will soon be ready for planting once the rains return at the end of the year. This work is vital to restoring degraded forest areas and ensuring a healthier Amazon for future generations.

On the education front, this marks the third year of our partnership with the Jungle Biomechanics Lab—an initiative led by the Bhamla Lab (Georgia Tech, USA) and funded by the National Science Foundation. Through this program, undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. spend two immersive weeks in the rainforest, exploring questions related to physics, biology, robotics, and more. Local undergraduate students also joined the research, making it a truly collaborative and enriching professional development experience. 

Looking ahead, we’re especially excited to launch a new phase of our work with local schools during this second semester. These activities will give young people in Madre de Dios more opportunities to learn directly from the rainforest, helping to nurture the next generation of conservation leaders.

It’s been a wonderful few months, and we’re excited for what the rest of the year will bring. Thank you for your ongoing support—we couldn’t do any of this without you!

With gratitude,
Geoff, Johana, and the ASA Family

Dear Rainforest Champion,

As the rainy season comes to an end, we’re entering the most active time of the year for our research projects at Finca Las Piedras. A few months ago, we shared the exciting news that our brand-new molecular lab was being set up. It took a lot of work to get it ready, but we’re thrilled to announce that the first samples have been processed—and we’re making tremendous progress in our efforts to understand biodiversity among butterflies and moths.

This invaluable new resource will not only benefit us, but also the entire local academic community, opening doors for undergraduate students and researchers to gain crucial skills in molecular biology and DNA analysis. As we step into this new era, we’re ready to work even harder. We couldn’t do any of this without you, and for that, we are always grateful.

Geoff, Johana, and the rest of the ASA team.