To ensure the long-term sustainability of Guyana’s natural resources

The majority of the world’s leading tropical forest conservation academics focus their efforts on the threatened forests of Amazonia and South-east Asia. Naturally, much less focus has been placed on areas that are less imminently threatened, yet it is these areas where conservationists may be able to benefit from the lessons learned elsewhere, and effectively manage development to ensure environmental sustainability.

Guyana yields an ideal opportunity to implement measures that combine conservation and development interests to ensure culturally, socially and ecologically sustainable development.

Guyana’s vast tropical forests are a haven for biodiversity, and are home to indigenous peoples retaining their cultural identity and traditional ways of life. With current low-intensity resource extraction these forests serve as a globally important carbon store, yet as industrial resource extraction expands into the interior, good environmental stewardship is required to maintain Guyana’s ecological integrity and ensure sustainable development.

GuyCoN was founded by Dr Jake Bicknell, a Senior Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, UK. Jake is a conservation scientist with a special interest in neotropical forest conservation and development, particularly in Guyana. He has been conducting research in Guyana since 2003, working with various agencies across the country.

Over the last twenty years, many people in Guyana and internationally have contributed to the Guyana Conservation Network. Now, Guyana stands on its own as having strengthened capacity in conservation knowledge and skills, and so the network now simply serves as a website to harbour information that we hope may be of use.