A new Seacology project will help protect the largest mangrove forest in Peru, on the far northern coast near the border with Ecuador. The Tumbes River Delta is home to hundreds of species of birds, fish, and mammals—not to mention crocodiles..

Just off the coastal town of Puerto Pizarro lie Isla Hueso de Ballena (Whalebone Island) and Isla de el Amor (Love Island), two increasingly popular destinations for birdwatchers, kayakers, and other ecotourists. Local leaders are making a concerted effort to preserve the value inherent in the area’s ecological health. A Seacology grant will fund improvements to a visitor center and an interpretive trail on Love Island. It will also establish a collection system (funded by entrance fees) to remove the garbage left by more than 100,000 tourists each year.

Community leaders have agreed to protect 1,235 acres of mangroves on both islands for 15 years. Guided by two experts in mangrove restoration, they will replant an additional five acres.

We’re launching this project just as we wrap up our first-ever project in Peru. Over the summer, a delegation of Seacology staff and board members and their guests visited the community of La Islilla, where we funded a new ecotourism center in exchange for the protection of more than 24,000 marine acres around spectacular Foca Island. Seacology supporter Corena Hammer, who was on the trip, put together this great video, explaining how that project came together and documenting the opening ceremony.