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power of rainforests
for people, and planet

our mission

Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) mission is to promote conservation and the sustainable and equitable use of tropical rainforests in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general by undertaking research, training and the development and dissemination of technologies.

Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development

Established in 1996 through a partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) manages 371,000 hectares of tropical rainforest dedicated to pioneering the future of sustainability.

Under the patronage of His Majesty King Charles III, Iwokrama is governed by an International Board of Trustees and operated by a dedicated team across Georgetown and the River Lodge at Kurupukari. As a premier living laboratory, the Centre demonstrates how conservation and economic development can thrive together, utilizing innovative “ecosystem services” to provide a global blueprint for biodiversity and sustainable development.

 International Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is currently being constituted

Mr. Fareed Amin​

Iwokrama Chairman

Dr. Arjoon Suddhoo

Deputy Chairman,
Deputy Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat

Mr. Dane Gobin

Iwokrama CEO & Secretary to the Board

 

Iwokrama Through the Years

1989 - 1999

1989

  • Guyana offered nearly one million acres (371,681 hectares) of intact rain forest to the international community through the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Malaysia.

1993

  • US$3M secured from Global Environment Facility for legal establishment, demarcation and research and institutional development

1994

  • First Field Station built, led by Macushi leader, Robert Frederick Allicock who became Iwokrama’s first Field Station Manager

1995

  • Iwokrama Agreement signed by President of Guyana H.E. Dr Cheddi Jagan MP and the Commonwealth Secretary General H.E. Chief Emeka Anyaoku

1996/7

  • Iwokrama Act passed unanimously by the Parliament of Guyana Iwokrama supported the development of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB)
  • First Tourists visited the Iwokrama Field Station

1998

  • US$10M secured from ITTO, DFID, CIDA, and the European Commission to support the Centre’s initiatives.
  • In response to community-led efforts to build capacity in natural resource management, 11 wildlife clubs were established in Apoteri, Fair View, Annai Central, Rewa, Yakarinta, Massara, Toka, Surama, Wowetta, Kwatamang, and Aranaputa.

2000/1

  • HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales became Patron of Iwokrama
  • Forest zoned into Sustainable Utilization Area and Wilderness Preserve following consultations with Indigenous communities.
    International Wildlife Workshop held to share lessons and challenges from local to global contexts.
  • First Wildlife Conservation Festival hosted in Annai, engaging 245 children nationwide in celebrating Guyana’s wildlife.
  • Citizen Science monitoring launched with 14 North Rupununi communities.

2002

  • An Amerindian representative of the local North Rupununi communities appointed for the first time to Iwokrama’s International Board of Trustees.

  • State of the art Canopy Walkway installed in the Iwokrama Forest

  • Supported development and programming of Radio Paiwomak: 97.1 FM, the first community radio station in Guyana.

2003

  • Programme restructured to meet shortfall in global realignment in donor support focus, leading to 40% reduction in operational costs.

  • Iwokrama develops first draft manual on Intellectual Property Rights

  • Iwokrama completes first management level inventory of the Sustainable Use Area

2004

  • Turtle Mountain Satellite Camp opened

  • A new entomopathogenic species discovered Stilbella iwokramensis (Ascomycotina, Hypocreales) ‐ a new beetle pathogen species distinguished from other fungi of the genus Stilbella.

2005

  • Collaborative Management Agreement signed with Local Communities for management of the Iwokrama Forest.

  • HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales renews patronage of Iwokrama International Centre

2006

  • Fair View Village received land title to 21, 950 hectares of the Iwokrama Forest; chose to remain within the boundaries of the Forest. Special collaborative management and benefit-sharing agreements signed.

  • 111 persons from across Guyana trained as rangers, tour guides, protected area management and collaborative management.

  • Airstrip built in Fair View Village within the Iwokrama Forest

2007/8

  • First phase of model low-impact sustainable timber harvesting operation started in the Iwokrama Forest

  • Iwokrama Forest received FSC™ Certification for Forest Management.

  • Signed Guyana’s first Ecosystem Service Agreement with a UK private company.

  • Developed and officially adopted the Arapaima Management Plan, Guyana’s first inland fisheries system, with North Rupununi communities.

  • Launched an inclusive governance model for the Canopy Walkway with local and international partners.

  • Named Regional Focal Point for an EU forestry research network across 12 ACP countries.

  • Secured funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support national efforts on climate change, REDD+, and resource management.

  • Established a network of Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs).

2009

  • Iwokrama formed its Science Committee and appointed an International Resident Scientist.

  • Installed advanced climate and hydrology monitoring equipment in and around the Forest.

  • Produced the only known Volume and Decay study on tropical forests.

  • Co-developed a community climate change manual with input from NGOs and government, available online in six languages.

  • Hosted the signing of a landmark climate and forest partnership between Guyana and Norway.

  • Organized Guyana’s only non-governmental public forum on the Low Carbon Development Strategy.

  • Trained over 400 people across sectors on climate change and forest roles.

  • Wildlife Festival, initiated by Iwokrama, added to Guyana’s national tourism calendar.

  • Contracted by CIFOR to assess forest law, governance, and illegal logging in Guyana.

  • Visitor numbers exceeded 1,000 for the first time.

  • Presented its Sustainable Forest Management programme at the World Forestry Congress in Argentina.

  • Discovered two new species: Carapa akuri, endemic to Central Guyana, and Microcaecilia iwokramae, a new lungless caecilian.

2010

  • HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales renewed his patronage of the Centre for an additional five years.

  • First results of the Iwokrama climate monitoring programme presented at the Commonwealth Forestry Congress in Scotland

2011

  • Iwokrama in partnership with the Global Canopy Programme and the NRDDB launched innovative community Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system – the first in Guyana.

  • 10th Wildlife Festival held- growth in conservation leadership seen as a measure of success and commitment

2012

  • Iwokrama won the Community Benefit Award from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation/TravelMole Sustainable Tourism Awards

  • A new species of lizard was discovered – Gonatodes timidus

  • Comprehensive management level inventory completed in Wilderness Preserve.

2013

  • Agreement signed with a development Bank to support the second phase of its low impact model timber operation in the Iwokrama Forest.

  • New species of poison dart frog discovered in the Iwokrama Forest:  Allobates amissibilis (Latin for “that may be lost”).

  • Government of Guyana injected US$900,000 over the period July 2012 – July 2013.

  • Three indigenous persons complete Master Degrees in heritage education at Newcastle University supported under the “Encompass” heritage preservation project.

2014

  • Agreement signed with private company for sawmilling in the Iwokrama Forest.

  • Hosted Biodiversity Corridors Workshop with UNDP, WWF, and CBD at the River Lodge.

  • Government of Guyana contributed an additional US$600,000 to support core activities.

  • Launched new tourism website: www.iwokramariverlodge.com

  • Held Guyana’s first Indigenous Film Festival in Georgetown through the COBRA Project with NRDDB and Royal Holloway University.

  • Partnered with NRDDB and Newcastle University for a Travelling Exhibition with the Ministry of Culture.

2015

  • Iwokrama River Lodge awarded the TripAdvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence.

  • Commenced second Phase of its sustainable timber harvesting and sawmilling operations in partnership with Farfan and Mendes Ltd.

  • Iwokrama and Rupununi Communities rescued and relocated twenty-seven (27) Arapaima (Arapaima gigas).

2016

  • Iwokrama celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Iwokrama Act.

  • The MoU and Collaborative Management Agreement with the North Rupununi District Development Board were reviewed and renewed.

  • Model forestry operations showcased at the Commonwealth Secretariat, UK.

  • President David Granger launched National Tree Day at Iwokrama River Lodge on October 1st.

  • Iwokrama Forest received FSC™ Certification for Forest Management on October 14th, supported by GIZ’s Caribbean Aqua-Terrestrial Solutions Programme.

  • FSC™ Certified Greenheart timber from Iwokrama accepted in the UK under Environment Agency guidelines.

  • Iwokrama featured among nine regional case studies on good governance in the Amazon in a report presented at COP 13 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cancun.

The IV International Congress on Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield took place in Georgetown, August 8–12, supported by UNDP, WWF, CI-Guyana, UG, and others, including a special session marking Iwokrama’s 20th Anniversary.

Notable visitors included:

  • President David Granger (June)
  • Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (July)
  • Baroness Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General (July)
  • HRH Prince Harry (December)

Iwokrama received:

  • EPA’s Green Award for Environmental Leadership (June).
  • Guyana Tourism Authority’s Award People’s Choice for Responsible Tourism (September).
  • Airstrip in the Iwokrama Forest extended to 4,200 feet and completely resurfaced.

Memorandum of Understanding forged with the Tropical managed Forests Observatory (TmFO), (an international network of institutions interested in assessing the consequences of logging and human impacts on the ecosystem services furnished by tropical forests).

2017

  • Signed a 5-year agreement with Farfan and Mendes Limited for sustainable timber production (2019–2023).

  • Received funding from ExxonMobil to update the Science and Research Programme.

  • ACP Secretary General Dr. Patrick I. Gomes visited and met with staff.

  • Led an Earth Day “March for Science” promoting environmental and global literacy.

  • Celebrated World Science Day with a public lecture by Andrew Mitchell, Founder of the Global Canopy Programme.

  • Updated and reprinted the Guide to the Mammals of the Iwokrama Forest.

  • Discovered a new beetle species: Lycomorphon iwokrama, the first of its genus recorded in Guyana.

2018

  • New Science Committee held its inaugural meeting in February.

  • Received funding from the Embassy of Japan (Trinidad) to build a Medical Centre.

  • Updated and reprinted the Cats of Iwokrama poster with NRDDB.
    Published Guide to the Birds of Iwokrama, second in the series.

  • Created Guyana’s first 3D community map with Fair View village, featured in a national video.

  • Launched the first STEM robotics programme in the North Rupununi with First Lady Sandra Granger and ExxonMobil.

2020

  • Signed agreement with a new private sector company for sawmilling in the Iwokrama Forest.

  • Three staff earned MSc degrees through the ECCAM project, in partnership with FNU, UG, UWI, and funded by the European Commission.

  • Partnered with CIFOR to publish The Context of REDD+ in Guyana: Drivers, Agents and Institutions.

  • Began population assessments of key Amazonian species—yellow-footed tortoise, three caiman species, and the lowland tapir—to guide sustainable management plans.

  • Signed MoUs with Environmental Management Consultants and the Hydrometeorological Service.

  • Launched the Iwokrama Webinar Science Series with the University of Guyana and NCN.

  • Completed a new Medical Centre with support from the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad.

2019

  • Celebrated 30 years since President Hugh Desmond Hoyte’s historic rainforest conservation offer.

  • Published Guide to the Plants of Iwokrama, third in the series.

  • Released A Makushi Song Book in honour of the UN Year of Indigenous Languages.

  • Completed Guyana’s first Legal Field Guide for Natural Resource Practitioners.

  • Signed MoU with the Guyana Tourism Authority.

  • Launched new hydrology and biodiversity research under the Science Programme.

  • Signed and renewed monitoring agreements with Apoteri, Rewa, and Surama.

  • First Lady launched a Robotics Training Programme with Kurupukari Primary School, in partnership with Iwokrama, STEM Guyana, and ExxonMobil.

2021

  • Iwokrama celebrated 25 years since the passage of the Iwokrama Act of 1996 assented by President HE Dr Cheddie Jagan

  • Memorandum of Understanding and the Collaborative Management Agreement with the North Rupununi District Development Board renewed

  • Memorandum of Understanding signed with Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission

  • Partnered with the Lyell Centre and Heriot-Watt University in the UK to develop an immersive Virtual Reality experience.

Key Visits:

  • Dr. Gillian Smith, FAO Representative in Guyana
  • UN Resident Coordinator, Yesim Orac.

2022

  • Iwokrama awarded “Best in Sustainable Tourism” by the Guyana Tourism Authority

  • Iwokrama River Lodge selected one of the Top 100 Green Destination Stories with the story “Protection of the Natural and Scenic Views of the Iwokrama Forest

  • Iwokrama Forest retained FSC™ Certification for Forest Management after 5-year re-assessment audit.

  • Iwokrama welcomed the Queen’s Baton for the Commonwealth Games, carried by representatives from various organizations and communities, including UNICEF, the British High Commission, athletes, schoolchildren, and indigenous persons.

Long Service Awards presented to:

  • Colin Jarvis for 25 years of Service
  • Tomica Bess for 20 years of Service

2023

  • MoU and Collaborative Management Agreement with Fair View Village renewed.

  • MoU signed with the Protected Areas Commission.

  • Iwokrama received the Good Travel Seal Certification for tourism operations.

  • Co-hosted Wildlife Club Festival with NRDDB.

  • Named Best Lodge and Best Cook 2023 by Visit Rupununi.

  • Three new tours launched: Essequibo Rapids Cat Run-Fishing, Turtle Mountain & Turu Falls Hike, and Yogic Meditation.

  • Hosted tourism course with the Guyana Tourism Authority and EMC Inc.

  • Provided media training to 7 individuals, including Radio Paiwomak and NRDDB members.

  • Partnered with the Guyana Forestry Commission to host a Gender and Forest workshop.

 

Key visitors included:

  • Letitia Wright and C.C. Pounder, Guyanese-born international actresses
  • Hon. Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources
  • HE Frans Timmermans, VP of the European Commission
  • Myram Ferran, EC Deputy Director General
  • Dr. Gonzalo Biribet, Director, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology

 

2024

  • Iwokrama Forest has retained its Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) Certification for Forest Management

  • HRH King Charles, re-engaged the Centre to continue as Patron.

 

Key visits to the Iwokrama Forest

  • Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Hon. Dr. Keith Rowley
  • Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Vickram Bharrat,
  • Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Hon. Oneidge Walrond
  • Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Hon. Pauline Sukhai
  • Minister of Labour, Hon Joe Hamilton
  • Former President of Colombia, Ivan Duque Marquez (with Concordia group)

2025

  • MoU Signed with BritCham (British Chamber of Commerce)- January 

  • First in Guyana – FSC certification for Ecosystem Services- Recreation and Biodiversity Conservation- February

  • Wildlife Wonders Game and Wildlilfe Club Banner Book launch -February

  • Wildlife Club Festival held in Rupertee Village, North Rupununi  (Iwokrama/NRDDB) – April 14-15

Our Partners

Iwokrama collaborates with local, regional, and international partners to support conservation, research, and community development initiatives.

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