Save a Tree, Save a Tamarin

Save a Tree,
Save a Tamarin

In addition to studying cotton-top tamarins (an endangered species of primate found in the tropical forests of Colombia), Proyecto Tití educates local communities about the need to protect the biodiversity of their region.  To make conservation economically feasible for these individuals, the program has developed innovative strategies to empower locals to get involved and benefit from conservation activities.

One such effort involves the use of binde pots (or portable ovens).  As daily tasks such as cooking require an ongoing supply of firewood, deforestation has significantly impacted the cotton-top tamarin's habitat and threatened its survival.  Bindes, however, drastically reduce the amount of firewood needed - lessening the workload for local populations and helping to preserve Colombia's biodiversity at the same time.

The DCF approached Imagineering to create activity boards that would visually illustrate the positive impact binde pot usage has on ecosystems.  Entitled "Save a Tree, Save a Tamarin", each game-set consisted of two boards - one denoting the number of trees required for cooking with bindes, the other board denoting the number of trees required without.  Removing play-pieces from the boards revealed stumps where the trees once stood, with a number of those marked by icons symbolizing trees that had previously been home to cotton-top tamarins.  

In all, I designed and fabricated two sets of activity boards for Proyecto Tití - one in English for use at Disney's Animal Kingdom and one in Spanish for use in Colombia as an ongoing educational tool for local communities.