The Purus Project was our pilot project. It was initiated back in 2008 and it was classified as payment for ecosystem services forest conservation project, otherwise known as a Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) project, with emphasis on social development. The Purus project is nowadays protecting approximately 86,000 acres / 34,800 hectares of pristine tropical rainforest.

The Purus Project shall mitigate the release of nearly 900,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, while also preserving the habitat for an extraordinary amount of biodiversity and directly benefitting local communities. The project is located in the basin of the Purus River, where many animals and communities divide the land for their survival.

The ultimate project activities are to undertake a forest carbon inventory, model regional deforestation and land-use patterns, and mitigate deforestation pressures by utilizing payments for the Project’s ecosystem services, along with ongoing monitoring of the climate, community and biodiversity impacts of the Project. Social projects and activities to mitigate deforestation pressures range from offering agricultural extension training courses to local communities and patrolling potential deforestation sites, to eventually building an onsite health clinic and granting official land tenure to the local communities.

The Purus Project achieved Gold Level Distinction to the CCBS due to the Project’s exceptional biodiversity benefits. A rapid assessment of the Project’s biodiversity discovered two endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List at the Purus Project. These endangered flora species are Car-cara (scientific name is Aniba rosaeodora) and Baboonwood (scientific name is Virola surinamensis).

In addition to these Car-cara and Baboonwood endangered species, motion-sensitive cameras installed at the Project site to monitor biodiversity have photographed a short-eared dog (considered near threatened by the IUCN Red List), a jaguar (considered near threatened by the IUCN List), a giant anteater (considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List), and a lowland tapir (considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List). Furthermore, the photograph of the short-eared dog is only the second photograph ever taken of a short-eared dog in the State of Acre!

The Purus Project is being financed, designed and implemented by Carbonfund.org’s wholly-owned subsidiary CarbonCo and shall result in net positive climate, community and biodiversity benefits.