Dr. Charles Munn dedicates more than 45 years to conservation projects to help save the Amazon

CHICAGO, UNITED STATES , May 12, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Over the last five decades, the Amazon rainforest lost almost a fifth of its forest cover, putting the biome on the edge of a dangerous cliff. Deforestation combined with escalating climate change is likely to cause the Amazon ecosystem to collapse.

With a vast academic background from prestigious universities such as Princeton and Oxford, Dr. Munn set foot in the magnificent Amazon Rainforest in 1976 and worked for 16 years as a field researcher in the Amazon and Pantanal for the renowned New York Zoological Society (WCS), creating an environmental conservation mechanism with three pillars: research, the creation of protected areas, and sustainable economic activity, namely ecotourism. This mechanism was considered by experts as the best example of applied conservation biology.

Concerned about the situation of indigenous peoples, Dr. Munn worked on raising financial resources that led to the creation of a mosaic of 2.5 million acres of protected areas that were titled for indigenous peoples and turned into new conservation units, such as the Manu National Park. In total, the teams formed and led by Dr. Munn created 15 million acres of protected areas, which is equivalent to 15% of California.

“Ecotourism was the economic tool that made the wheel turn, both to ensure a certain dignity for the local indigenous populations who began to have a sustainable source of income and also for nature, which began to self-protect with non-consumptive appreciation of nature,” said Dr. Munn.

Dr. Munn fiercely worked towards the conservation of Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in cooperation with IBDF/World Wildlife Fund (WWF)/CITES, as well as assisting the U.S. Department of Justice to imprison Tony Silva in 1993, who was considered at the time one of the biggest black-market bird dealers in the Americas, cruelly and illegally smuggling hundreds of Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) from the Brazilian Pantanal to the United States.

In the field of species discoveries, Dr. Munn contributed to science by presenting the "Amazonian Parrot" (Nannopsittaca dachilleae) to the world, and in 1992, he solved a 100-year-old ornithological mystery when he was the first scientist in history to discover the wild location of the extremely rare Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis), which is represented by only 100 birds in the jungles of northern Bolivia and is one of the world's most endangered birds.

Dr. Munn's work has been widely presented in Emmy-winning TV documentaries, two cover stories in National Geographic Magazine, Nature, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, Financial Times, TIME, NEWSWEEK, New York Times, Bloomberg Pursuits, and dozens of other magazines. Condé Nast Traveler chose one of Munn's lodges as the top wildlife destination in the entire Amazon.

In 1994, TIME magazine selected Dr. Munn as one of the 100 young leaders of the planet, one of only three environmentalists. The list included Bill Gates and Condoleezza Rice, among others. Currently, his work is focused on creating and operating the best wildlife tourism in the Americas through his company, SouthWild.

About SouthWild

Utilizing the power of wild and visible animals, SouthWild has protected millions of acres of habitat across South America through the creation of national parks, private reserves, and responsible wildlife tourism industries.

From intrepid expeditions for documentary crews to ultra-lux adventures for high-end travelers and families seeking the best places to visit South America, SouthWild is the only company in the world that guarantees private high-quality viewing in completely wild nature of any of the following charismatic animals:

• Jaguars (Panthera onca) in the Brazilian Pantanal and Cougars (Felis concolor) in Chilean Patagonia
• Ocelots (Felis pardalis) in the Brazilian Pantanal
• Lynxes (Lynx rufus) in a private location just two hours from New York City
• American Black Bears (Ursus americanus) in private locations 2 hours from NYC and 90 minutes from the Outer Banks of North Carolina
• Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) in eight different locations in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil
• Maned Wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Northeastern Brazil
• Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus), which use tools in northeastern Brazil (discovered by Dr. Munn in 2002)
• Harpy eagles (Harpia harpyja) in the Brazilian Amazon
• Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) in Alaska

SouthWild’s comfortable lodges and camps are scientifically-selected to offer the finest wildlife experience in the Americas. SouthWild scientists spent decades exploring the wildest corners of South America, following thousands of leads from every imaginable source, including fellow scientists, hunters, ex-trappers, homesteaders, and indigenous people. Each of their five lodges presents a unique solution for traveling in comfort to enjoy these charismatic species as well as a host of other wildlife. Their lodges display the finest wildlife in the three main tropical ecosystems of South America: the Pantanal wetlands, the “Cerrado” Savannas, and the Amazon rainforest.

Come explore the greatest wildlife destinations with us!

+1 443-660-6303
info@southwild.com
Layra Martins
SouthWild
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