Since our founding in 2009 as Primates Peru, our organization (now known as Field Project International) has trained and recruited ~100 research assistants in the Peruvian Amazon, as well as conducted an average of 3-4 field biology courses per year in Peru and India. These numbers are poised to increase as we continue to develop new programming and expand our partnerships. Approximately 40% of the fees for our activity-based courses go toward field station fees, which directly support local conservation efforts. As a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a Guidestar Exchange Gold Participant, we are committed to transparency and accountability in the management of our finances.

 

The underlying goal that drives all of our programming is the conservation of biodiversity and critical habitat. We believe the best way we can contribute to this cause is through research into the complexities of tropical ecology, as well as courses and programs that will train and inspire the next generation of biologists, conservationists, land-use planners, and policymakers around the world.

The backbone of FPI is the research that we do. We now operate the largest primate mark and recapture program in Perú, and one of the largest on the continent, which has catapulted us into areas of research such as primate communication, visual and olfactory perception, parasite ecology, dispersal behavior, territoriality, development and senescence. All projects contribute to the training courses that we offer, and serve as a platform for learning for our long-term trainees.

We maintain a 5:1 student-teacher ratio for our courses, which draw aspiring young scientists from around the globe to learn many facets of tropical ecology along with the research methodologies used in each. In order to assure that talented and highly motivated students are able to attend regardless of their ability to pay, we offer several scholarship programs for all our courses. Our scholarship winners have come from as far away as Iran and India to attend courses in Peru.

Lastly, we do not focus on applied conservation efforts directly at our sites, but we  partner with private organizations involved in habitat conservation outside of national park service areas. Numerous studies have confirmed that government protected forests can never hope to contain and protect all the flora and fauna present in biodiversity hotspots. A large responsibility falls on the shoulders of private citizens and organizations to create forest corridors and refuges for plants and animals that fall outside national parks (or have spatial needs that are larger than a single park).

Our field courses and research programs target these sites. We bring over 50 students to our field sites annually, which contributes heavily to making each site economically viable. We also conduct diversity studies, and these data are provided to station administrators and local authorities to help justify further conservation work.

Although women remain grossly underrepresented in senior academic positions, we’ve actually seen far more women than men in the field doing phenomenal science. FPI is committed to supporting female scientists as they pursue degrees and equitable employment, and we also actively encourage more women to follow this career path.

Tax exemption for your donation

• We are registered as a 501 c(3) non-profit organization under the name Primates Peru in the state of Missouri. Download our tax-exemption letter here.
• As soon as you donate, you will receive an email confirming your tax deduction from the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation.

 

 

Tax documents

• Download our Form 990 for 2014-2015 here.
• Download our Form 990 for 2013-2014 here.
• Use password Primates_Peru to open either document.

 

 

Annual reports

• 2013 to 2014 fiscal year report.
• 2014 to 2015 fiscal year report (coming soon!)