Since 2017, we've collaborated on various initiatives and achieved vital conservation successes.

Gardeners of the Forest: Protecting Baird's Tapirs with BTSA

For millions of years, Baird’s tapirs have roamed Mesoamerica, playing an important role in the health of forest ecosystems. As herbivores with a large and diverse appetite, they strongly influence their home territories to the point of being considered ecosystem architects, and they act as key seed dispersers for various tree species. This service greatly impacts forest regeneration and has earned them the fond name Gardeners of the Forest. Despite being the largest neotropical mammal and shaping forest ecosystems, Baird’s tapirs are comparatively little known by the public. Sadly, threats to the species have been mounting, such as deforestation, hunting, vehicle collisions, and monocultures, all contributing to its status as endangered. The Baird’s Tapir Survival Alliance (BTSA) is fostering collaboration between conservationists throughout Mesoamerica to protect this important and iconic species.

What is Baird’s Tapir Survival Alliance (BTSA)?

The BTSA is a regional team of conservationists promoting the survival of the Baird’s tapir through capacity building, research, education, and habitat protection. The team collaborates in these areas to take conservation action with continuity and consideration for the species throughout its distribution. The BTSA is comprised of members from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. This regional collaboration is confronting the obstacles to sustainable conservation of the Baird’s tapir. Local conservation initiatives face various challenges, including lack of funding, unsupportive political environments, and isolated areas of progress. The BTSA promotes regional progress and big-picture insights by combining the localized expertise of all its members. This approach provides collaborative planning and a network of support for local initiatives, allowing for consistent conservation progress across the species distribution.

The BTSA’s impact strategy includes using a collectively developed Theory of Change to determine conservation needs and impactful collaboration areas.

The team’s vision is stable and healthy Baird’s tapir populations coexisting with humans throughout the species distribution range

  • Connected and preserved Baird's tapir habitat

  • Human-tapir coexistence

  • Widespread awareness of Baird's tapirs and their importance

  • Strong scientific understanding of Baird's tapirs

The Theory of Change breaks these outcomes down into secondary outcomes, activities, and inputs. Progress is achieved through continuous collaborative action spanning the areas of land preservation, community-led conservation, education, and scientific research.