Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre (ARCAS)

Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre (ARCAS)

Non profit organization

ARCAS is a non-profit Guatemalan NGO formed in 1989 by a group of Guatemalan citizens who became concerned as they saw their precious natural heritage - especially their wildlife - rapidly disappearing before their eyes. It was originally created for a very specific and urgent purpose: to build a rescue center to care for and rehabilitate wild animals that were being confiscated on the black market by the Guatemalan government. Since its establishment, the ARCAS Rescue Center has grown into one of the largest and most complex rescue centers in the world, receiving between 300 and 600 animals of more than 40 species per year. Since 1989, ARCAS has expanded, and its main project sites currently are Guatemala City, Petén, and the southern pacific coast.

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Target populations:

Women

Men

Girls

Boys

Animals

Youth

Focus areas:

Education

Environment

Animal welfare

Volunteer/Sustainable travel

Key service areas:

Petén (Flores), Santa Rosa (Chiquimulilla), Sacatepéquez (San Lucas Sacatepéquez )

Organizational contacts & locations

Contacts

Colum Muccio

Development Director

(+502) 5704-2563

cmuccio@arcasguatemala.org

Miriam Monterroso

Executive Director

(+502) 5202-6467

mmonterroso@arcasguatemala.org

Luisa Ortiz

Administrative Director

(+502) 5412-9221

lortiz@arcasguatemala.org

Locations

0 Avenida "A" 0-06 zona 2

San Lucas

Sacatepéquez

03008

Mission, vision & values

Mission

To be a leading organization in the rescue, rehabilitation, release and conservation of wildlife through the implementation of innovative techniques in education, research and sustainable community development.

Vision

Products, services, and programs

Services

Our services include environmental education, training, ecotourism, employment generation, and alternative livelihoods development.

Programs

Our programs are focused on ending wildlife trafficking, supporting the creation of wildlife-based ecotourism, and the recovery of endangered species.

Organizational detail

Founded

1989

Number of employees

11-25

Funding

Private donations

Sale of products and/or services

Fundraising

Primary issue(s) / need(s) addressed

Wildlife trafficking; biodiversity conservation; development of alternative, sustainable livelihoods; creation and managment of protected areas.

Impact, adaptations & objectives

Impact to date

Wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release:

Rescue of 200 - 400 wild animals of 50+ species per year, 120 - 180 released
40,000 - 60,000 sea turtle eggs rescued
Rescue, rehabilitation, or necropsies of 15 -30 marine fauna
Captive breeding and fledging of 2 - 4 scarlet macaws, release into the MBR
Logistical, legal support, capacity-building for 10 - 16 wildlife trafficking enforcement activities

Environmental education and training:

Presentations in schools for a total participation of 3000 - 4500 students per year
Participation of 1400 students in activities such as reforestations and wildlife releases
Participation of 100 students in veterinary training courses
5,000 - 7,000 visitors per year to the Biodiversity Education Center
300 - 600 participants in the volunteer/internship program

Creation and management of protected areas for wildlife:

Administration of a 55ha protected area in Peten
Creation and administration of the Hawaii Marine Protected Area (HMPA)
Creation and development of the 25ha El Salado Reserve
Support to the management of the Cordillera Alux Reserve (5000ha)
Creation and administration of 25ha Laguna de Palos sanctuary

Advocacy on wildlife conservation and welfare:

Support to the drafting of the Animal Welfare Law. Creation of the Animal Welfare Unit.
Participation in the boards of the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) and the National Forestry Institute (INAB). Member of the Species Survival Network, Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG-IUCN) and Zoos Committed to Conservation.

Wildlife research and population monitoring:

COLORES Yellow-naped amazon project
Sea Turtle population monitoring and formulation of annual situational analysis
Support to 6--10 research projects per year.

Community development activities:

2 - 4 workshops per year on gender, ecotourism, and other sustainable development themes.
Sustainable community development projects

Impact measuring

Our principal metrics include # of animals rescued and released, # of sea turtle eggs collected and incubated, # of participants in educational and training programs, # of land reforested.

Organizational adaptations

Key offerings

Funding model

Way in which you collaborate or work with others

Organizational adaptation details

Key offerings

We have had to constantly adapt to changing donor and economic environments.

Funding model

At one point we relied heavily on incomes from volunteers and ecotourists. Then we developed a vet training program. Since Covid, we have had to switch primarily to on-line fundraising.

Way in which you collaborate or work with others

We have achieved the creation of ARCAS USA which has changed the way we engage with work with others.

Short term objectives

Growth

Maintainaing our current status.

Quality

We constantly are attempting to improve the quality of our efforts.

Impact

Depending on the availabilty of funding we would like to expand our projects, especially on the Pacific coast. We hope that ARCAS USA can help in this regard, but with the pandemic, we are concentrating on short-term survival.

Long term objectives

Growth

Establishment of permanent central office and rescue center in Cerro Alux.

Quality

Improved facilities in the central office will allow us to give better care to animals there.

Impact

Expansion of program areas.

Profile updated: 06/18/23

Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre (ARCAS)