In Madre de Dios - the biodiversity capital of Peru - the river meets with the forest, its flora and fauna to share the spotlight and generate a conversation around its problems, meeting points and its status as a cradle of hope for the Amazon. With this premise in mind, WWF Peru, through the “Amo el Río” initiative, invites audiences of all generations to learn about “Amar el Río”, the artistic exhibition that brings together science, environmental education and creativity. It’ll take place from November 4 to November 28 at the Madre de Dios Art Gallery, located in the city of Puerto Maldonado.

Under the lens of science and with the power of brushes, 19 young artists add their voices through 28 art pieces to protect nature and invite more people to be inspired to change. According to the Living Amazon Report 2022, the destiny of humanity is inseparable from that of the Amazon. According to WWF, humanity currently has the necessary means to guarantee a prosperous and healthy life for all, without destroying the natural wealth of the jungle.

“Madre de Dios and its natural wealth are in danger. To achieve sustainable development, citizens must be made aware and educated, and take action, which is why the Amo El Río initiative is fundamental, it invites us to reconsider more sustainable practices and to commit to them,” said Nelson Gutiérrez, Program Manager of Forests and Indigenous Affairs.

The region is home to 5 Protected Natural Areas, the largest area of managed forest with FSC certification in the country (+600,000 hectares), 4,000 jaguars, and 141,070 people, including 40 native communities. Unfortunately, Madre de Dios is threatened by activities such as mining, illegal logging, the expansion of agriculture, unplanned road construction, and extreme weather events. Between 2001 and 2019 alone, 231,000 hectares of forest were lost in this region.

Although the region faces great challenges that endanger the quality and availability of water, the forest and the economic activities that depend on both ecosystems, and it is not possible to completely eradicate the human-wildlife conflict due to the dynamic conditions of the ecosystems and species, effective management will minimize conflict in the long term.

From the curatorial direction of the artist and cultural manager Manuel Gonzales, the proposals reflect the coexistence between biodiversity and human beings, with a special emphasis on good practices for the sustainable use of the forest, to take individual and collective actions for its protection.

For this reason, Puerto Maldonado is the protagonist of the fourth edition of the “Amo el Río” cultural movement, with an essence that was also embraced by Iquitos, Pucallpa and Tarapoto, where more than 1,000 citizens participated, with the institutional support of the Ministry of Culture, through the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of each region. Likewise, in this new edition, we have the support of the Provincial Municipality of Tambopata, the National Amazonian University of Madre de Dios, Nature Explorers, among others.

Currently, “Amar el Río” is available at the facilities of the Madre de Dios Art Gallery (Av. Aeropuerto, Km. 6 – Puerto Maldonado).  Entry is free for the general public until November 28. The next steps are experiential and theoretical workshops with free admission.

What is Amo el Río?

Amo el Río is an initiative created to strengthen the emotional and love ties that exist between the citizens of the jungle and their Amazonian rivers. As the river is a source of water, food and essential means of transportation within the Amazon, we will seek to inspire and encourage the population to become the main guardians of their rivers.