Mission
ARA Bolivia seeks to support and empower river defenders of the Beni River Basin in the Bolivian Amazon. ARA Bolivia is partnered with the local grassroots organization, the Commonwealth of the Beni River Basin Communities (the Manco), and strives to support their important work by any means available. So far this has included providing a digital platform for news articles, blogs, academic and grey literature, webinars, films, fundraisers, and more in order to act as a conduit for raising awareness on a global level. We also actively participate in on-the-ground projects in collaboration with the Manco, with the goal of finding safe and meaningful ways to support their ongoing conservation efforts. We believe that protecting the Bolivian Amazon and its rivers is valuable not only for Bolivia and its peoples but for climate regulation and conservation efforts around the world.
About us
The content on this website is brought to you by a group of concerned individuals who wish to make the information and news that pertain to the conservation of and threats to the Beni River Basin accessible by all. We have lived in Bolivia, grown to love Madidi National Park and Pilon Lajas, and want to help bring community voices about the impact of the planned mega-dams to a wider audience.
Hayley Stuart, MSc – is a whitewater kayaker, filmmaker, and environmentalist. Her documentary Still River, Silent Jungle showcases the local passion to protect the most bio-diverse national park in the world, Madidi National Park, located in the Bolivian Amazon, was released in early 2021 about the local struggle against the Chepete-Bala dam proposals in the Bolivian Amazon.
Anne Toomey, PhD - is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist, and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Science at Pace University who is interested in how people connect to their natural environment and the role of science in supporting that connection. She completed her doctoral dissertation examining research conducted in Madidi national park: https://www.pace.edu/profile/anne-toomey?dyson
Daniel Robison, PhD – is a Professor and Director of Practice at Future Generations University, who lives and farms in Rurrenbaque, the gateway to Madidi National Park and Pilon Lajas. Born and raised in Bolivia, he is an expert in protected areas management and agroecology: https://www.future.edu/2018/07/dan-robison/
Olivia Carter-Pokras, PhD – is a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland School of Public Health who leads a study abroad program to Madidi National Park. A Bolivian-American, her research has focused on the translation of epidemiologic research into policy and practice to improve Latino population health: https://sph.umd.edu/people/olivia-carter-pokras
Melissa Garcia, MPH – is a public health analyst who is interested in the intersection of environmental health, animal health, and global public health. As a Nicaraguan-American, she is passionate about reducing disparities within the Latinx community both in the US and abroad.
Our research assistants:
Arushi Moudgil and Aliza Kotz - undergraduate students at the University of Maryland School of Public Health
Racine Robinson - undergraduate student at Pace University