Cristalino Jungle Lodge and Foundation: A private protected area contribution to conservation in Brazil

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by David Newsome, IBAMA Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources

Bird watching tour on the Rio Teles Pires

David Newsome

A private business owner interested in conservation originally developed the Floresta Amazonica Hotel. At the same time they conserved 60 ha of forest in the city of Alta Floresta. Following on from the Alta Floresta Project a second facility, designed to accommodate ecotourists, the Cristalino Jungle Lodge was built in 1992. In 1997 the lodge and partners (IBAMA and ICMBio) collaborated to raise money to purchase forest that surrounded the lodge and in doing so created the first private reserve (RPPN) in the State of Mato Grosso.

The non-governmental Cristalino Ecological Foundation partnered with Cristalino Jungle Lodge in 1999. Their combined objectives were to engage in environmental education, conservation and monitoring, research and to foster sustainable development. All of these activities have been actioned through a management plan. Research activities include fauna and flora surveys, forest ecology, climate studies, water quality assessment and jaguar conservation awareness.

Last update: 02 Oct 2020

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Context

Challenges addressed

Land and Forest degradation

Loss of Biodiversity

Ecosystem loss

Poaching

Scale of implementation

Local

Ecosystems

Tropical evergreen forest

River, stream

Theme

Habitat fragmentation and degradation

Species management

Poaching and environmental crime

Connectivity / transboundary conservation

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

Protected and conserved areas governance

Local actors

Outreach & communications

Tourism

Location

Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil

South America

Impacts

Cristalino Jungle lodge and its partners (IBAMA and ICMBio) raised funds to purchase forest and created the first private reserve (RPPN) in the State of Mato Grosso. Conservation of forest and educational activities carried out by the Cristalino Ecological Foundation is also conducted in association with the Conservation Entrepreneurs Program. The School of the Amazon has won a Whitley Award (Whitley Fund for Nature, UK) for work in advancing environmental education.

In 2000/2001 the Cristalino Ecological Foundation facilitated official recognition of the Cristalino State Park (194,800 ha) which is administered by the State Government. This action has resulted in the creation of a more extensive conservation reserve managed by the State Department of the Environment.