2015ANNUAL REPORT

FUNDACIÓN PROYECTO TITÍ

March 2016

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We have expanded our conservation work this year by establishing a new site in the community of San Juan Nepomuceno (Bolívar). This expansion will allow us to educate more students about cotton-top tamarins, provide more economic development programs to community members, and protect and restore more tropical dry forest for cotton-top tamarins.

We achieved our dream of establishing a new reserve dedicated to cotton-top tamarins in San Juan Nepomuceno. In addition to protecting key habitat for cotton-top tamarins, we are hoping to increase the amount of forest available for cotton-top tamarins by starting a reforestation project with local communities and organizations.

When we started Proyecto Titi, we always hoped to educate the next generation of conservation leaders. This year, we have accomplished that goal by having two of our youth leaders study Natural Resource Management at a technical school in the region to gain further training to be cotton-top tamarin conservation ambassadors.

We also have started a new community plastic recycling program. Plastic, that once littered communities, is converted to fence posts called Tití Posts. The plastic fence posts reduce the need for local people to harvest wood from

As the Executive Director of Fundación Proyecto Tití, I am happy to share with you the significant accomplishments that we have made in 2015 to help conserve cotton-top tamarins.

forests and allow community members to earn a small income for removing waste from their communities. Using this integrated approach, we not only help the cotton-top tamarins but also improve the lives of local people.

Finally, the Whitley Fund for Nature granted us their prestigious award in recognition for our work conserving cotton-top tamarins in Colombia. The award has allowed us to develop new opportunities to help strengthen and expand our project.

This has been a great year! We would like to thank everyone who helped us to conserve cotton-top tamarins: our incredible and generous donors, the national and local authorities, the children, youth, and adults that are involved in making significant changes in their communities to help cotton-tops, our board of directors, and our team that worked tirelessly each and every day to inspire people in Colombia to care about cotton-top tamarins. I believe that working together we can protect the Critically Endangered cotton-top tamarin and create communities that are committed to protecting Colombia’s precious natural resources.

Sincerely,

EXPANDINGOUR IMPACT

ROSAMIRA GUILLENExecutive Director

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Our goals are to create healthy and sustainable

populations of cotton-top tamarins that live in

protected forests that continue to expand each

year, coexisting in harmony with the local human

communities, and serve as a flagship species for

the conservation of Colombia’s natural resources.

ABOUT

PROYECTOTITÍ

The cotton-top tamarin is a small primate, about the size of a squirrel, which is endemic to the tropical dry forest of northern Colombia.

The long-term survival of this unique and charismatic primate is threatened by extensive deforestation of their natural habitat and by capture for the illegal pet trade.

Proyecto Tití is a multi-disciplinary conservation program, focused on promoting the long-term conservation of cotton-top tamarins and their forest habitat.

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Our conservation efforts are focused in the Departments of Bolívar

and Atlántico in northern Colombia. We partner with environmental

authorities and other non-profit organizations to develop strategies that

extend our efforts to promote the conservation of cotton-top tamarins

and their forest habitat within their historic distribution in Colombia.

ABOUT

PROYECTO TITÍOur conservation program is comprised of:

A long-term field research program focused on studying cotton-top tamarins in the semi-dry tropical forests of Colombia and how they adapt to changes in their environment over time.

A conservation education program focused on increasing knowledge, changing attitudes, and influencing the behaviors of the next generation of Colombians, who will be responsible for the protection of Colombia’s natural resources.

A community development program focused on reducing the use and exploitation of forest resources by local communities by providing sustainable economic alternatives.

A forest protection and restoration program focused on creating protected areas and restoring forests that guarantee the long-term conservation of cotton-top tamarins in northern Colombia.

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IN

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WE DOUBLED

OUR CONSERVATION EFFORTS

As part of our strategic plan (2014-2018) and the National Conservation Plan for Cotton-top Tamarins in Colombia, we expanded our conservation activities to San Juan Nepomuceno (Bolívar).

The forests of Hacienda El Ceibal (Santa Catalina, Bolívar) and Rosales (Luruaco, Atlántico) have been the focus of our conservation work for the past 16 years and continue to provide important long-term data on cotton-top tamarins and forest ecology.

San Juan Nepomuceno (Bolívar) was selected because it contains Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary and is surrounded by many forest fragments that could be connected to this large protected area.

The green patches represent tropical dry forest fragments determined by satellite imagery in the Departments of Atlántico and Bolívar (Humboldt Institute, 2014).

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IDENTIFICATION OF CONSERVATION

PRIORITIESUsing the satellite imagery provided by the Humboldt Institute (2014), our field team visited remaining forest patches in the Departments of Bolívar and Atlántico to determine the suitability of these forests to sustain a population of cotton-tops. We determined that only a third of the forest is suitable habitat for cotton-top tamarins. Many of the forests were negatively impacted by mining activities, agriculture and ranching expansion.

We have shared our findings of the remaining forest cover with stakeholders and authorities in order to increase attention to the need to conserve habitat for wildlife in this region.

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Our field team observed

deforestation caused by

the expansion of teak,

eucalyptus, and African palm

oil plantations. They also

observed evidence of the

illegal capture of cotton-top

tamarins for the pet trade.

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Titís Biological Reserve of San Juan is owned and protected by Proyecto Tití.

Proyecto Tití protects habitat for cotton-top tamarins in order to reduce the

extensive deforestation of their forest home.

SECURING MORE FOREST FOR THE COTTON-TOPS TAMARINS

We created a 70-hectare reserve for cotton-top tamarins called Titís Biological Reserve of San Juan. The new reserve borders Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area of more than 1,000 hectares.

We established a new field station to investigate the biology of cotton-top tamarins, support our environmental education activities, and improve restoration and reforestation efforts in the area.

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Photo: Proyecto Tití

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CREATING NEW PARTNERSFOR THE RESTORATION AND CONNECTION OF FORESTS

With the help of Fundación Herencia Ambiental Caribe and local environmental authorities from Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary, we are partnering with 26 landowners to create a forest corridor between Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary and other forest patches that will provide critical habitat to cotton-top tamarin populations. We will begin restoration activities in this region next year.

Restoring habitat so that it can support populations

of cotton-top tamarins and connecting forest

patches to larger tracts of protected land are critical

for the long-term survival of this species.

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INCREASING

THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIOLOGYOF COTTON-TOP TAMARINS

We concluded a two-year study at Hacienda El Ceibal, supported by ECOPETROL. The study increased our understanding of the social dynamics of the cotton-top tamarins, feeding ecology, and how structural changes to the forest and climate change are influencing cotton-top tamarins resources and behaviors. The results of this study will be shared in scientific publications and will help to generate additional strategies aimed to assist in the long-term conservation of the cotton-top tamarin. Ph

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Proyecto Tití is the only long-term field study on the biology and ecology of

cotton-top tamarins in the wild.

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A REASONFOR HOPE!

With all the challenges facing cotton-tops, we are happy to report that they have been very successful in raising young! Cotton-top tamarins generally give birth to twins each year. However, we do observe single births and yes, this year even triplets! Our studies have found that infant survival is quite high and we have been very fortunate to watch many of these babies mature and start their own families.

We have reached a significant milestone at our field site in Hacienda El Ceibal – our 200th cotton-top tamarin infant was born! We have to acknowledge Tamara, a female that we have been studying for more than 15 years in helping us reach this milestone. This year Tamara gave birth to her 27th infant, a male named Mutis. Normally, cotton-top tamarins give birth to twins, but with Tamara’s increasing age (she is the oldest cotton-top tamarin on record in the wild) she and her family are caring for a single infant this year. Thanks to Tamara and all of the infants we have studied, we now have the information needed that will allow us to predict population growth in the future.

Proyecto Tití’s 25 years of field experience was

instrumental in designing a national conservation

plan to protect cotton-top tamarins in Colombia. Pho

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Proyecto Tití’s programs increase students’ knowledge

about cotton-top tamarins, the threats to their survival, and

conservation actions the students can do to help protect

cotton-tops for the future. Our programs change lives and

save tamarins! Students become actively engaged and

lead activities to recruit family and community members

to help save tamarins.

EXPANDING OUR CONSERVATION E D U C A T I O N

PROGRAMS

With the expansion of our successful conservation education program in San Juan Nepomuceno, we educated more than 1,500 students that live in communities surrounding cotton-top tamarins’ habitat.

Children who participate in our programs significantly increase their knowledge of cotton-top tamarins and dedication to conservation.

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To date, we have educated more than

3,250 students about cotton-top

tamarins and their habitat.

1,100 children in 10 schools participated in the CARTITÍLLA

program in the towns of Luruaco, Santa Catalina, and San

Juan Nepomuceno.

400 students from 5 schools participated in our TITIKIDS

program in the towns of Luruaco, Santa Catalina, and San

Juan Nepomuceno.

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The students of TITICLUB look for ways to reduce their impact on

the forest and promote cotton-top tamarin conservation efforts.

Silvia made an organic garden at her house, using compost

instead of fertilizers that can contaminant soils. Kaleth’s favorite

animal is the cotton-top tamarin; he made this beautiful clay

cotton-top tamarin to remind his friends that cotton-tops belong

in the forest and should not be kept as pets. Luis Miguel and his

uncle made a binde, a small stove that burns fuel more efficiently,

which reduces the amount of firewood harvested from the forest.

CONSERVATION

LEADERS We continue to encourage and support youth that are interested and motivated to conserve nature. We selected 80 teenagers to participate in TITICLUB, a program that continues to build support for conservation actions and encourages environmentally friendly activities in their homes that lessen human impacts on the forests that the tamarins need to survive

We select our most promising students to participate in our TITILEADER program that teaches students how to be conservation leaders in their community.

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NEWCONSERVATION

LEADERSEnabling youth to become community conservation leaders is essential for the future. Through our TITILEADER and Blue Sky Scholarship program we provide opportunities for students to gain additional training to foster their interest and commitment in conserving Colombia’s natural resources. Look at what these students are doing now!

Ana Utria and Nelson Álvarez have successfully completed their first year at SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, a technical school) to obtain a degree in Natural Resource Management. We are very excited to have them join our team as interns this year, to put their new found knowledge and their passion for conservation to work!Ph

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Our programs continue to demonstrate that

investing in youth and providing opportunities

to engage with nature helps to inspire life-long

conservation values that create the conservation

leaders in local communities. We are so proud of

how these young people are leading efforts to protect

Colombia’s most precious natural resources.

Rosa Rodríguez has graduated and is now working for Proyecto Tití as an Education Assistant. She uses her knowledge, experience, and passion for conservation obtained through our programs to teach and inspire students.

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NEW CONSERVATION

LEADERS

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creating habitat for wildlife and is motivating his community to protect a new local park. This park was recently built and Alejandro was a strong advocate for planting trees that will encourage wildlife, as well as people, in his community to enjoy the park.Ph

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C H O O S EYOUR PETSW I S E L Y !

Everyone wants a pet monkey … wrong! We’ve created AmiGUAU, a program to teach kids how to care and train their dog! It’s much more fun for kids to see how quickly their dog learns a new behavior than it is to see a monkey in a cage! By helping kids create a bond with their dog, we decrease their desire to have wild animals as pets.

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INCOME GENERATING PROGRAMSFOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

More than 20 families have joined in our efforts to recycle plastic that otherwise would be littering the waterways and the forest. More than 4.5 tons of plastic was recycled and each family was compensated for their efforts.

Photo: Proyecto Tití

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This plastic is used to create Tití Posts, plastic posts that are used to construct fences around protected forested areas for the cotton-top tamarins. Tití Posts have been featured in our online crowd funding campaign and we are excited about the potential to Save a Tree, Save a Tamarin!

INCOME GENERATING PROGRAMS

FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

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NEW PRODUCTSDESIGNED BY COMMUNITY ARTISANS Our community artisans continue

to develop new products that will surprise and delight everyone with their creativity and craftsmanship.

Look for new products like our titi key chains, eco-mochila flower key chains, and eco-mochila decorative flower pots on our website today! The purchase of these products supports more than 50 local families and contributes to the conservation of cotton-top tamarins.

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Photo: Mia Kennel

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COTTON-TOPS ARE MAKING

HEADLINES!

The cotton-top tamarin was featured as a lead character in the acclaimed documentary, “Colombia, Magia Salvaje,” which became the highest-grossing film of the year in Colombia and images of our beloved Tamara were used to promote the film. This has been a great opportunity to increase public visibility of cotton-tops tamarins and celebrate the magic of nature in Colombia.

Photo: Proyecto Tití

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CELEBRATINGBIODIVERSITY

On August 15th, we celebrated the 9th annual Day of the Cotton-top Tamarin. Community members of Los Límites celebrated their favorite species with games, music, dances, and of course, a highly-competitive game of soccer!

Photo: Proyecto Tití

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TITOMADE FRIENDSAROUND THE WORLD

THE TITÍ

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Tito the Tití, our mascot, made his grand debut at the Day of the Cotton-top Tamarin. Tito is traveling to many local and international events to inspire everyone he meets to help us conserve cotton-top tamarins.

Tito had the great pleasure of meeting with the renowned primatologist and conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall! Jane has featured cotton-tops in her book Hope for Animals and Their World.

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INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

FOR OUR EFFORTS

TO SAVECOTTON-TOPS

We are proud and honored to have received the Whitley Award, a prestigious international award recognizing our work to ensure the long-term survival of the cotton-top tamarins.

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FINANCIALREPORT

INCOME

EXPENSES

3%

14%

5%

78%

27%

17%

18%

37%

Donations Whitley Award Sales Others

Educational programs Research programsAdministrative expensesCommunity programs* Exchange Rate Used: $1 US Dollar= $3,067 Colombian Pesos

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Summary)*

INCOME Donations/Grants: $ 254,847.64

Whitley Award: $ 45,565.00Product Sales: $ 9,428.13

Other: $ 15,376.39

TOTAL INCOME: $ 325,217.16(Less Cost of sales: - $ 6,595.70)

EXPENSESEducational programs: $ 109,775.12

Community programs: $ 53,772.47Research programs: $ 80,516.96

Administrative expenses: $ 51,114.76

TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 295,179.31

SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR $ 13,371.32(After depreciation and taxes)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our sincerest thanks to our friends at Disney for their continued support, expertise, and dedication to protecting cotton-top tamarins and ensuring that kids and families in Colombia continue to have meaningful experiences with nature. We join Disney in the belief that experiences in nature will build lifelong conservation values and will help to create the next generation of conservation leaders.

We are proud to be a conservation partner of the Wildlife Conservation Network and have benefitted greatly from the skills and talents of the staff and volunteers of WCN. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Wildlife Conservation Network for their continued support of our efforts to protect the cotton-top tamarins.

Proyecto Tití is grateful for Hacienda El Ceibal for their continuous support of cotton-top tamarins’ conservation efforts.

Proyecto Tití works in collaboration and with the permission of CARDIQUE to develop effective conservation programs for cotton-top tamarins and their forest habitat. We thank CARDIQUE for their continued support of our conservation efforts.

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We sincerely appreciate the significant contributions made by the following organizations in 2015.

Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, Beavual Nature, Boras Zoo, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Drayton Manor Zoo, Ellen Trout Zoo, Furuvisparken, Heart of Illinois Chapter of AAZK, La Citadelle de Besançon, La Palmyre Zoo, Parco Natura Viva, Phoenix Zoo, South Lakes Safari Zoo, Utica Zoo, Wildlife and Dinasour Park, Zoo La Barben, Zoo Wroclaw.

We also would like to thank all the people and organizations that have helped us conserve cotton-top tamarins by their donations and purchases of products made by community members (eco-mochilas, plush toys, etc.). We appreciate all the people who have donated their time and experience to this project, especially Dr. Dave Wehdeking, who shares his veterinary expertise with our organization. We are grateful to all the people and organizations that have supported our work throughout the years (www.proyectotiti.com/en-us/About/Meet-the-Partners).

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OUR TEAM

EXECUTIVE TEAM Anne Savage, President

Gustavo Bell LemusReinaldo Niebles La Torre

Roberto Arazo Ospino, Financial Advisor

STAFF Rosamira Guillen Monroy, Executive Director

Luis Soto Rojas, Head of Research Programs Johanna Vega Abello, Head of Education Programs

Carlos Vizcaíno Tesillo, Head of Community Programs Mónica Pinillos Comas, Administrative and Accounting Coordinator

Carolina Chinchilla Simmonds, Marketing CoordinatorKatherine Torregroza Cervantes, Education Programs Coordinator

Leysthen Díaz Buelvas, Education Programs CoordinatorJohana Pasión Vallejo, Education Programs Assistant

Rosa Rodríguez, Education Programs Assistant Ana Meléndez, Education Programs Assistant Bertha Osorio, Education Programs Assistant

Alfredo Martínez Olivares, Community Programs Assistant Juan Carlos Barrios Vasquez, Field Biologist

Francy Forero Sánchez, Field Biologist Félix Medina Carrascal, Field Assistant

Germán Emeris Murillo, Field Assistant Jeisson Medina Charrasquiel, Field Assistant

Zamir Emeris Arellano, Field Assistant Pho

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Contact Information FUNDACIÓN PROYECTO TITÍ

Calle 77 # 65 – 37, Local 208, Barranquilla – COLOMBIA (South America)Phone: (57)(5) 353 1278 – www.proyectotiti.com

Email: info@proyectotiti.com

Executive Director: Rosamira GuillenEmail: rguillen@proyectotiti.com - Mobile: (57) 310 636 0639

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