Support native artisans & rainforest in the Amazon

This month, we want to share with you the lessons, challenges, and achievements that emerged from two very different—but deeply complementary—workshops carried out with Amazonian artisans. One focused on strengthening technical leadership skills; the other opened new doors for an emerging artisan association just beginning to dream of reaching wider markets.

 Artisan Facilitator Workshop – Tambo Minga, Nauta (September 22–25)

This workshop brought together 33 artisans from different communities across the Ampiyacu, Marañón, Tahuayo, and Napo river basins. Many already knew each other from previous trainings, so from the very first day there was a sense of trust, familiarity, and teamwork. The goal was clear: strengthen their ability to teach, work collaboratively, analyze models from photographs, and produce high-quality crafts in a short period of time.

Over four days, participants were organized into groups, wove new bird ornaments based on photos and shared guidance, compared their first round efforts, corrected mistakes together, and encouraged one another to improve. Their own words reflect the depth of the process.

Mirian, an artisan from the Marañón basin, captured the spirit of the workshop well:

“We learned many good things… patience, coordination, confidence. We also learned to listen to each other and accept corrections to improve quality.” For Darlyng, from the Ampiyacu, collective work was essential: “In my group everything was harmonious. Everyone shared, and that’s important. Sometimes we don’t want to share our chambira fiber, but here we learned that this doesn’t help us grow.” One of the most inspiring comments came from Magnolia from the Tahuayo region: “I never imagined being part of a workshop like this. Now I know I can make any bird with the techniques I learned. I feel happy about what I achieved.”

The workshop closed with a powerful message: when artisans listen to one another, correct each other with humility, and offer support, something remarkable happens—they become a team. That spirit was reflected in the 80 birds we purchased at the end of the workshop.

Basic Bird-Weaving Workshop – Villa Monte Alegre, Marañón (October 27–31)

A month later, we traveled to Villa Monte Alegre, where the Wildlife Conservation Society asked us to organize a workshop with 20 artisans from one of their partner communities to make woven birds for the first time. We recruited two of our most experienced artisan facilitators from the Marañon region to lead the training.

The artisans began with dyeing chambira fiber into the colors they would need for the birds they would make. They then formed teams to weave birds in a coordinated way. Each participant created their own wire molds, learned to standardize measurements, observe their teammates’ work, and above all, trust the process. Progress was slow at first, but something shifted midway: the collective rhythm accelerated, and participants began to believe in their own potential. By the third day, 90% had completed their first bird.

Then came a bigger challenge: weaving a second, more complex bird model. The level of uniformity surprised even the facilitators. We then asked them if they wanted a final test to make a new third model. Their answer was immediate: “Yes, we want to try it.”Their enthusiasm paid off—six artisans completed the new model with excellent quality.

The testimonies reflect how much this workshop meant to them. Zafiro told us: “This is the first time I’ve made these little birds. At the beginning I wanted to give up, but I kept trying, and now I know I can improve my family’s income.” María shared a lesson that made a big difference for her: “I learned how to make molds and measure the legs… now my birds won’t look uneven. They look more like the real bird, with better quality. That changes everything.” Sonia highlighted the patience of the facilitators: “I made my birds with better shape and details. I just need to keep practicing.”

We experienced a special sense of joy in these four days seeing a new group learn that with guidance, discipline, and practice, they could become ready to supply a real market. We gave their association a purchase order for 50 birds as a concrete sign of our confidence in them embarking on this journey.

Amazon Ecology will keep walking with artisans in our current and new communities by offering them trainings, tools, and realistic hope they can achieve things they once thought were beyond their reach.

Thank you for supporting this journey with us.  We will particularly appreciate as generous a gift as you can manage on Dec. 2 - Giving Tuesday when your gift will be amplified by matching funds from other donors.

Links:

• Amazon Ecology website & online store
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Today we’d like to share the outcomes of two recent training workshops that strengthened the artistry, creativity, and confidence of our artisan partners in two different areas of the Peruvian Amazon: the Marañón and the Ampiyacu river basins. While our Basic level workshops can help artisans learn to make a woven bird for the first time, these Advanced level workshops are held for experienced artisans ready to make these crafts with high export quality.

In mid-June, 27 artisans gathered in the community of San Francisco on the Marañón River for four days to make the popular blue jay pileated woodpecker. Their sessions were marked by focused work, patient practice, and the joy of sharing knowledge. One of the most memorable moments came from Lety, who said with emotion: “This workshop has been an incredible opportunity to learn and grow. I feel like I’m still improving, but I’m motivated to keep innovating and working on my crafts because they help us a lot financially. I also want to encourage other artisans to keep learning and refining their skills. That’s why I love coming to these kinds of workshops.”

Loydi, another participant, shared a similar thought: “These workshops are important because they help us learn new crafts—like these little birds—or improve if we’ve already joined one before. I think I’ve improved quite a bit. My bird isn’t perfect, but it looks nicer than the last one I made. I liked how the facilitators taught us and spending time with my fellow artisans making crafts.”

 We packed our things at the end of the workshop with the promise to return and keep growing together.

 We next headed to the village of Brillo Nuevo for a training with 26 artisans from our host Bora native community and participants from four other villages in the Ampiyacu River basin. They also focused on making two woven birds in their session: the barn owl and marvelous spatuletail hummingbird which was recently featured in the episode about the Amazon in the nature documentary series The Americas.

 The workshop ran smoothly and was filled with curiosity and enthusiasm. One of the most touching comments came from Darlyng from Puca Urquillo Bora: “I’m happy to finish this workshop with two little birds completed. At first, I had doubts, but I gave it my all and I think I did well. The facilitators congratulated me. I know the birds aren’t perfect, and I still have to improve, but just finishing them feels like an achievement.”

 Libonia from Nuevo Perú shared a reflection about the essence of these gatherings: “This workshop was an amazing chance to improve. I know I’m still learning, but I’m motivated to keep creating and work with this art because it really helps us economically. I hope more and more people in my community get inspired to weave these kinds of birds. That’s why I like coming to workshops like this—not just to learn for myself, but to teach others too.”

 Goodbyes are never easy, but there’s comfort in knowing we’ll see each other again. We returned home with the certainty that our artisan partners are continuing to refine their skills—and that we are part of that process. Because every stitch, every finished bird, is a seed for the future.

Thank you for continuing to walk with us. Your support through GlobalGiving makes it possible for this knowledge to grow and bloom in every community we reach. We will keep bringing workshops like these to more people. It’s our mission—it’s what we do—and we’re truly grateful for every donation that helps us continue.

Links:

• Amazon Ecology website and online store
• Amazon Ecology on Facebook
• Amazon Ecology on YouTube