Guiana Shield
Advancing Guyana’s conservation vision
Since 1999, our rapid inventories in South America have helped establish new protected areas spanning more than 29.2 million acres. In November 2024, we conducted a rapid inventory in the Acarai-Corentyne Corridor, a 1.5 million-hectare wilderness region in southern Guyana.
Tiny, megadiverse Guyana poses one of the most pressing conservation challenges on Earth. While >80% of its territory is covered in forests, tepuis, and savannas historically safeguarded by Indigenous peoples, that biocultural wealth is on a collision course with a whirlwind of infrastructure projects spurred by the world’s fastest-growing economy. To preserve the country’s unique natural heritage, the Guyanese government has committed to tripling its conservation lands coverage by 2030. The result is a high-stakes opportunity to get it right: to design quick, equitable, and long-lasting conservation solutions that honor Guyana’s environment and people.
The Keller Science Action Center provides technical support for Guyana’s ambitious conservation plans via rapid biological and social inventories that integrate scientific, local, and Indigenous insights. Our team increases Guyana’s capacity for effective conservation through training opportunities and exchanges between Field Museum and Guyanese experts. We support Guyanese organizations in the creation, sharing, and application of new research methods, tools, and information on Guyana’s biodiversity.
Rapid Inventory 32 Report
Step into the Acarai-Corentyne Corridor, a 1.5 million-hectare wilderness stretching 275 km in the south of Guyana. This vast, unbroken expanse of rainforest holds a spectacular diversity of plants and animals, as well as a deep well of local knowledge that persists in the Waiwai, Wapishana, Trio, and Macushi peoples.
Preserving the Migration of Giants
Discover watersheds that support animals like the arapaima, one of the world's largest freshwater fish.
