THE COMMODITY ISSUE
for bird species with global
populations of just tens of adult
birds.
The Alagoas Foliage-gleaner
Philydor novaesi and Cryptic
Treehunter Cichlocolaptes
mazarbarnetti, both endemic
to the region, look set to be
declared extinct this year, and
their final calls still echo through
the forest. Yet despite this bleak
situation, there is still hope to
save other species in the region
on the brink of extinction.
Serra do Urubu and Murici are
two priority remnants of Atlantic
Forest found 100 km apart, with
only a few small forest patches
between them. Murici is home
to 14 threatened bird species
including Alagoas Antwren
Myrmotherula snowi, which is
Critically Endangered and has a
global population of fewer than
40 birds. This alarming situation
first drew SAVE Brasil (at the time
JUL-SEP 2019 • BIRDLIFE
the BirdLife International Brazil
Programme) to Murici in 2000
to secure protection for the
area. Working with its partners,
in 2001 SAVE Brasil helped to
establish the Murici Ecological
Station, run by the Brazilian
Environment Federal Agency.
However, even though it was
officially declared a protected
area, key parts of Murici’s
conservation plan are still not
being carried out properly, and
the forest is still vulnerable to
being degraded and razed away
at its edges.
At the other end of this priority
forest ‘corridor’, SAVE Brasil
purchased land in Serra do
Urubu in 2004 and turned it into
a private reserve, kicking off a
bold conservation project. With
a tried-and-tested combination
of community engagement,
on-site monitoring, restoration,
bird surveying and ecotourism,
the project has been successful
in keeping Serra do Urubu’s trees
standing. In addition to halting
charcoal exploitation and timber
extraction, the project restored
40 hectares of degraded forest
and is now kicking off a local
movement for forest restoration.
Recent bird monitoring has
shown that the populations of
forest birds are growing, and that
an incredible 37 species have
now returned to the restored
sites. Community outreach and
on-site monitoring have made
a significant contribution to
ceasing illegal practices. The
team reached out to more than
5,000 people, and have been
promoting ecotourism as a way
to engage the community in
forest conservation, beginning
with a clear financial benefit that
will contribute to the reserve’s
sustainability. Already, the
reserve attracted many visitors
from urban areas, as it is the only
wild nature nearby – so much
so that the state government
has included it in their official
Tourist Route, and birders come
from far and wide to see the
area’s unique endemic species.
Now the local City Hall of Lagoa
dos Gatos (the closest town
to the reserve) is an important
stakeholder in supporting the
project.
This success has redoubled
SAVE Brasil’s enthusiasm to
n to scale up their protection
and restoration work to join up
the entire forest corridor. The
Accelerator model is assisting
SAVE to fund their efforts, both
through increasing ecotourism,
and exploring the development
of an endowment fund through
which Brazilian individuals
and companies can provide
permanent support for the
reserve.
Serra do Urubu
Photo SAVE Brasil
0
F A C T
F I L E
AREA: 360 ha
private reserve
and 23,000 ha
landscape
KEY
CONSERVATION
ACTIONS:
protection,
restoration,
community
engagement
SUSTAINABILITY
STRATEGY:
visitor and tourism
initiative, Payment
for Ecosystem
Services
KEY SPECIES:
Alagoas Antwren
Myrmotherula
snowi
23