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An Interview with Rosamira Guillen of Fundación Proyecto Tití "Punk-rock" monkey and handbags made from recycled trash inspire conservation in Colombia Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com September 25, 2008
Rosamira Guillen, Executive Director of the Fundación Proyecto Tití, is working with local communities to protect the endangered Cotton-top tamarin and its tropical dry forest habitat in northwestern Colombia. The effort relies heavily on creating alternative livelihoods for local people who would otherwise collect the squirrel-sized primate for the pet trade or raze its habitat for agriculture. In the process, Fundación Proyecto Tití has created a thriving business that converts plastic bags — a source or mortality among cotton-top tamarins — into fashionable "eco-mochilas" that are now sent all over the world. "More than 1.5 million plastic bags have been recycled into products that have provided a stable income for communities near our field site," she told mongabay.com in a September 2008 interview with mongabay.com. "Having a stable income allows families to get involved in conservation programs that protect cotton-top tamarins."
Fundación Proyecto Tití is supported in part by the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), an innovative group that uses a venture capital model to protect some of the world's most endangered species. WCN will be hosting Guillen at its upcoming Wildlife Conservation Expo in San Francisco, California on October 4th. Expo attendees will be able to meet Guillen and learn more about Fundación Proyecto Tití firsthand. The event, which is open to the public and costs $25-50 per person, also features 16 other conservationists working to protect wildlife around the world. Mongabay: What is your background and how did you get interested in working on the Cotton-top tamarin?
I later became the director of the Zoo, and that's when I learned about Proyecto Tití, and cotton-top tamarins. I was really amazed to learn that cotton-tops were endemic from our region, and that they were so endangered. So we decided to do something about it and offer our help from the Zoo. A collaborative partnership was developed for several years and later on I decided to join Proyecto Tití full time and concentrate my efforts, experience and knowledge on the conservation on this amazing primate species. Mongabay: Why are Cotton-top tamarins endangered and what are presently the greatest threats to them? Rosamira Guillen: Our recent population census results have shown that the wild cotton-top tamarin population has been dramatically reduced to less than 6,000 animals. These arboreal monkeys are restricted to small isolated forest patches that cannot sustain a viable population for the long-term. Given the dramatic loss of more than 98% of the tropical dry forest in northern Colombia during the last 30-40 years and the small numbers of animals remaining in the wild, cotton-top tamarins are now listed as Critically Endangered.
Mongabay: Were large numbers of tamarins collected for medical experiments? Rosamira Guillen: Yes, in the late 1960s-early 1970s 20,000-30,000 cotton-top tamarins were exported to the U.S. for use in biomedical research. In 1973 cotton-top tamarins were declared endangered and the massive exportation of animals from Colombia was stopped. Mongabay: What do you see as the best way to protect Cotton-top tamarins in the wild? Rosamira Guillen: We need to protect the remaining forests for cotton-top tamarins and the amazing animals that are found in Colombia. We also need to develop reforestation programs that provide opportunities to connect these small forest fragments into larger, productive areas for wildlife.
Our eco-mochila program has turned plastic bag waste into a product that is now sold national and internationally. More than 1.5 million plastic bags have been recycled into products that have provided a stable income for communities near our field site. Having a stable income allows families to get involved in conservation programs that protect cotton-top tamarins and reduce their impact on the natural resources that we are trying to protect in Colombia. Right now, the best way to protect cotton-top tamarins is to protect the forest where live. Mongabay: Are plastic bags a source of disease transmission from humans to tamarins? Rosamira Guillen: While we do not have any direct evidence of disease transmission to the tamarins it is quite likely that these plastic bags could harm the tamarins through disease transmission (bacteria) or they might accidentally ingest a piece of the plastic. Mongabay: Are you looking for donors primarily to provide funds for acquisition of tamarin habitat? Rosamira Guillen: We have several priority areas that we need funding. Our top priority is to secure funding to purchase forests that can be established as protected reserves in Colombia. In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and local Colombian authorities we want to be part of an integrated, multi-organizational plan to protect a significant amount of forest in northern Colombia. In addition, to protecting habitat our conservation programs can only be successful in local communities become involved. We would like to expand our education programs to include more activities that not only increase knowledge about cotton-top tamarin conservation issues but actively involves the next generation of Colombians in productive activities that will make them future conservation leaders. Finally, we must continue to develop opportunities for local communities to provide employment and "green" business ventures that compliment our existing programs. While it is important to educate people and protect habitat, we need to ensure that the basic economic needs of people can be met so that they can engage in activities that benefit cotton-top tamarins and the forests we are trying to protect. Mongabay: You have developed a wonderfully successful project that generates income for communities near critical Cotton-top tamarin habitat. Can you elaborate on the project, how it helps tamarins, and what sparked the idea to create "eco-Mochilas"? Rosamira Guillen: Communities living close to the forest are very impoverished and usually depend on forest products to make a living and feed their children. So they go into the forest and cut trees to sell the wood, or capture wild animals for the illegal pet trade.
One day as we were waiting for the rain to stop so that we could go out and watch monkeys, we started looking for something to pass the time. The wife of one of our biologist was with us and she had a crochet hook but no material to crochet. So we started looking at what we had available in our office... we tried cassette tape, rope, but then we came upon a plastic bag. We tore the bag into strips and she was able to crochet with plastic! That's when the idea hit ... let's get rid of all this plastic waste and turn it into something that would help wildlife. Mongabay: When you run out of plastic bags is there another source of raw material for the mochilas? Rosamira Guillen: While it is a great thought that we may run out of plastic bags, that doesn't appear to be the case in Colombia. We have a steady supply of plastic that comes to us from both rural and urban communities. Colombia's population and consumerism continues to increase and that means more plastic making its way into the environment. Mongabay: Colombia is famous for its biodiversity. Is there potential for tourism to raise money for communities and promote the importance of Cotton-top tamarins? Rosamira Guillen: Eco tourism is definitely an option and something that we hope will create an awareness about the importance of conserving the cotton-top tamarins and the tropical forests of northern Colombia. Cotton-top tamarins are our flagship species for conservation in northern Colombia. By protecting cotton-top tamarins and their forests you are conserving Colombia's rich biodiversity as well! Mongabay: Besides buying eco-Mochilas, how else can people in places like the U.S. help Cotton-top tamarin conservation?
Mongabay: Do you have any tips for aspiring field conservationists? Rosamira Guillen: I do. Be passionate about you do. Set your goals and work hard to accomplish them. Look for someone who has a great job or is working on an interesting project – contact them, get to know what they did to get to where they are today. Be curious and interested in learning! You never know where this will lead you! Who would have ever thought that an architect would be leading one of Colombia's most important conservation programs! Related Group takes "venture capital" approach to conservation
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