Rufous Potoo © Marcel Holyoak

Sierra del Divisor, Peru © Diego Perez

In December of 2013, the Partnership for International Birding (PIB), a leader in the birding tour industry, joined Rainforest Trust’s efforts to protect Peru’s threatened Sierra del Divisor region. In a gesture of support, the company, which specializes in green and sustainable travel, began offering its clients a $100 tour discount for each $100 donated to Rainforest Trust’s Sierra del Divisor project.

“As birders, we’re indebted to forward-thinking governments and conservation organizations that establish reserves for birds to live and thrive in. Our partnership with Rainforest Trust offers clients an opportunity to get out and go birdwatching, while giving back at the same time,” said Charles Thornton-Kolbe, Executive Partner of PIB.

Thanks to a matching gift offer, each $100 donation from PIB clients protects 800 acres of rainforest. PIB and its clients have helped save nearly 50,000 acres during the last three months through the organization’s “Save an Acre” program.

“This project simply knocks the socks off our customers. It’s hard to believe that we can protect this much land for so many birds,” Thornton-Kolbe said. “Our goal at the Partnership for International Birding is to help protect at least 100,000 acres by the end of the year.”

Thornton-Kolbe’s enthusiasm for the Sierra del Divisor project is due, in part, to the results of a 2005 field study conducted by the Chicago Field Museum. Field Museum scientists identified 365 birds in the Sierra del Divisor, although they estimate the actual number may be closer to 570. Among notable birds found in the area are the Fiery Topaz, a brilliantly colored hummingbird, and the Acre Antshrike, a species previously known to inhabit a single ridge in Brazil.

“Protecting the Sierra del Divisor is a huge, multi-year effort, so receiving support from organizations that share our goals, like the Partnership for International Birding, is an important step towards permanently protecting this fantastically rich and biodiverse area,” said Malissa Cadwallader, Development Director at Rainforest Trust.

About the Partnership for International Birding
The Partnership for International Birding (PIB), with offices in the U.S. and U.K., has been offering birding tours for over a decade.  The organization, which offers over 150 birding trips each year on six continents, works with premier local bird-watching guides to offer sustainable birding travel. PIB typically leads small birding groups (usually 6 to 8 participants) on four to 12-day tours. To learn about upcoming PIB expeditions, click here.