Spectacled Bear Conservation

October 10, 2020

11:45 am PDT

October 17, 2020

11 am PDT

Spectacled bears are the only bear species found in South America, and their scarcity makes protecting them challenging at times. Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC) works closely with communities in Peru’s alpine and lowland forests to preserve bear habitat and food supply. Habitat fragmentation is an ongoing threat, so one of SBC’s primary goals is purchasing land to connect isolated bear populations. SBC studies the biology and distribution of these bears to formulate the effective conservation strategies. They also provide conservation education and an alternative livelihood program to indigenous Peruvian communities to involve them in the conservation of this rare bear species.

SPEAKERS

Robyn Appleton

President

Robyn has more than 20 years of experience studying bears and other wild animals in the field. She grew up on Canada’s west coast, spending summers in the alpine with her parents in search of bears. She has always been interested in bears, hoping to improve conservation practices for them, and earned a master’s degree from Simon Fraser University focused on bear research. After learning about the little-known spectacled bears in Peru’s endangered dry forest, Robyn decided to dedicate her efforts toward protecting them. She is using the data gathered by Spectacled Bear Conservation to complete a doctoral thesis in Applied Conservation Biology at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Renzo Piana

Executive Director

Renzo has always been interested in wildlife conservation. His passion for wildlife started at a very young age after watching migratory peregrine falcons arriving near his house in Lima. Renzo is now Spectacled Bear Conservation's (SBC) Executive Director and leads their activities in Peru. He designs future programs and plays a key role in SBC's strategic planning. Renzo has a Ph.D. in Applied Ecology and years of experience in research and conservation efforts throughout Peru.

Alex More

Director of Conservation

Alex joined Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC) in February 2020. He leads the design and implementation of SBC’s landscape conservation and management work to protect spectacled bear habitat in the dry forest. He has a long-term commitment to protecting threatened ecosystems in northern Peru, where he has led research and conservation programs since 2002. He collaborates with communities and authorities, creating and managing community reserves and protected areas in large portions of Peru. Alex was born in southern Peru, studied Biology at Universidad Nacional de Piura, and is completing a master’s at Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina.

Photography credit: Spectacled Bear Conservation