Charles A. Munn III

Charles A Munn III (born in Baltimore, Maryland on 3 December 1954) is a prominent American conservation biologist, ecotourism entrepreneur, and author of the 1994 National Geographic cover story about macaws. Munn is the founder and owner of SouthWild, a conservation-based ecotourism company that offers high-end photo safaris throughout South America. In 2013, Condé Nast Traveller chose him as one of worlds's three leading experts on wildlife tourism, and the only one for South America. From 1984-2000 he was a conservation field biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society. He also founded Peru Verde Conservation Group, the BioBrasil Foundation, and Tropical Nature Conservation Group.^[1] Munn is an American citizen but spends most of his time in Brazil and Chile. In 2005, Munn issued the world's first and only jaguar guarantee (in north Pantanal, Brazil), and in 2011 he did the same for pumas (in Torres del Paine, Chile). No one else has ever issued such a guarantee, and these guarantees still stand. He is based in the Mato Grosso state where he can easily oversee business operations, but regularly returns to his home in Maryland, US, to spend time with his aging mother.

Family

His paternal grandfather, Charles A. Munn, made a name for himself as an owner of the American Totalizator Company, while his paternal grandmother was Mary Astor Paul, one of many heirs to the Drexel banking fortune of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. Munn's father, Charles A. Munn, Jr., died in 1957 of ALS at the age of 42, while his only sister was killed in an accident in 1952, before he was born. Munn's 1982 marriage to Martha Brecht ended in separation in 1990 and divorce in 1992. Munn's is currently separated from his second wife, conservation biologist Mariana Valqui.

According to the New York Social Diary which was discussing Munn's different nature compared to the rest of his family, he stated "this same divergence may be what separates society's leaders from the crowd. The leaders inherit a legacy, and then, make a name for themselves".^[2]

Academics

After graduating summa cum laude in 1977 from Princeton with a bachelor’s in biology, Munn went on to earn a master's degree in zoology at Oxford in 1979 and then a PhD in evolutionary biology back at Princeton in 1984. Munn has authored a number of renowned publications on his work in the Amazon.^[3]

Selected publications

• Munn, C.A, and Terborgh, J. (1979) Multi-species territoriality in neo-tropical foraging flocks, Condor, 81, 338-347.
• Munn, C.A, (1985) Permanent canopy and understory flocks in Amazonia: species composition and population density, in P.A., Buckley, E.S. Morton, R.S. Ridgely and F.G. Buckely (eds.) Neotropical Ornithology, AOU Ornithological Monographs, 36, pp. 683–712.
• Munn, C.A, (1986) Birds that cry ‘wolf’, Nature, 319, pp. 143–145.
• Munn, C.A, J.B Thomsen, and C. Yamashita. (1987) Population survey and status of the hyacinth macaw (Andorynchus hyacinthinus) in Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Report to the secretariat of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Terborgh J, Robinson S.K, Parker T.A, Munn C.A, (1990) Structure and organization of an Amazonia forest bird community, Ecological Monographs, 60:2, pp. 213–238.
• Munn, C.A, (1990) Tropical canopy netting and shooting lines over tall trees, Journal of Field Ornithology, 62:4, pp. 454–463.
• Oneil, J.P, Munn C.A, J. Franke, Irma, (1991) Nannopsittaca dachilleae, a new species of parrotlet from eastern Peru, The Auk, Vol. 81:2, pp. 225–229.
• Gilardi J.D., Duffy S.S., Munn C.A., Tell L.A. (1999) Biochemical functions of geophagy in parrots: detoxification of dietary toxins and cytoprotective effects. J Chem Ecol, 25, pp. 897–922.

Media

Munn's work has been featured in international TV documentaries such as Black Market Birds (1996), The Real Macaw (2001), and the Emmy-winning Spirits of the Rainforest (1993),^[4] two cover stories in National Geographic Magazine,^[5] New York Times, and several other magazines. In 1994, TIME chose Munn as one of the 100 young leaders of the planet for the New Millennium, one of three environmentalists on the list.^[6]

• 1986 – Birds That Cry ‘Wolf!’, Charles A. Munn, Nature 319, 143 - 145 (9 January 1986). A letter to the international science journal about flycatching birds in Amazonia that use predator alarm calls deceptively to distract other birds, thereby increasing their own chances of capturing insects.^[7]
• 1996- Black Market Birds: With Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger^[8]
• 2000 – Madidi, Bolivia’s Amazing New National Park, Charles A. Munn, National Geographic, March 2000, cover story.^[9]

Affiliations

Wildlife Conservation Society– A notable organization that operates worldwide, according to their mission statement, “WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature”.^[10] A division of the NY Zoological society, they operate in over 30 countries. During his time with the WCS, Munn spent over 20 years working and conducting research within the Manu National Park in Peru. The bulk of his research involved the study of macaws, the world’s largest parrots, which was supported by the Disney Institute, the Liz Claiborne Foundation, and the Art Ortenberg Foundation. The Manu reserve is extremely important ecologically, housing an enormous number of species, including many endemic ones. Munn was based in Lima but spent a huge amount of his time in the field forwarding important conservation efforts. During this time, he was also the chief scientific advisor to the PBS documentary, The Living Edens: Manu.^[11]

World Parrot Trust- A leading organization in parrot conservation and welfare, the WPT partners with enthusiasts, researchers, local communities and government leaders to encourage effective solutions that protect parrots. This is done through field research, increasing awareness, and attempts to work with governments to eliminate wildlife trafficking.^[12] The organization has achieved such notable success as the wild bird trade ban by the European Union in 2007. Munn is a member of the scientific committee for the WPT, due to his immense background in macaw research in both Peru and Brazil. In 1990, Munn and the WPT’s director, James Gilardi, catalogued 30 major clay licks in the Peruvian Amazon that were previously unknown to science (See notable publications). The major results of the research were that parrots consume clay in order to detoxify the foods they consume, allowing them to eat a wider variety of foods.^[13] The WPT also helped fund Munn’s work with hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and the even more threatened Lear’s macaw (Anodorhynchus leari)^[14]

BioBrasil Foundation- A nonprofit organization based in Bahia, NE Brazil. Their work has been consistently funded by the WPT (parrots.org). They own and maintain a private nature reserve there which operates for the purposes of environmental education, scientific research, and low-impact ecotourism. Charles Munn worked with the foundation in protecting some prime nesting sites for hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) as well as stopping the illegal pet trade.^[15]

Peru Verde- A nonprofit organization working in habitat conservation, wildlife monitoring, and sustainable development. Peru Verde owns and protects 4,500 hectares of Manu cloud forest, and 54 hectares of specialist tapir habitat. They are currently renting and attempting to purchase 1800 hectares of Abra Malaga Forest. The organization also owns and operates a variety of lodges accessible from Cusco which are meant to connect fragments of protected lands and promotes sustained ecotourism.^[16] Charles Munn is the former president of Peru Verde.

Tropical Nature- Founded by Charles Munn around 2000, Tropical Nature was a US 501(c)3 non-profit organization meant to forward conservation efforts of tropical rainforest through model ecotourism. The non-profit was active in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Gabon, and The Dominican Republic.^[17] The organization provided support for Peru Verde, Ecoecuador, and Biobrasil. It was the beginning to a conservation system meant to revolutionize ecotourism throughout South America.

The Jaguar Research Center- The JRC was the former venture of Charles Munn and Mariana Valqui. The two had a huge amount of combined field experience in South America and decided that the JRC would be the perfect ecotourism opportunity for the pantanal, a UK-sized region of Brazil with a huge amount of jaguars. The spot operated as the only one in the pantanal in which jaguar sightings were guaranteed. The JRC was regularly used by such notable companies as the BBC, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel to capture wildlife footage.^[18] It was temporarily shut down by Brazilian park officials in 2009 due to the fact that Munn was operating inside a national park for tourism purposes without a permit.

InkaNatura Travel – A lead tour operator in Peru which is 100% owned by the non-profit Peru Verde. The ecotourism service offers trips for those interested in culture, archaeology and wildlife. The company uses profits to contribute directly to the maintenance of national parks, reserves, and archaeological sites (https://www.ecotourism.org/inkanatura-travel). It is the only tour operator in Peru which is run by a non-profit, Peru Verde. All profits from Peru Verde directly fund conservation work. The company is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, and the Sandoval Lake Lodge received a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor in 2013 and 2015. Mariana Valqui, Munn's wife from who he is currently separated, worked as Sales Director for InkaNatura as well as president of the Sandoval Lake Lodge^[19]

Conservation

Although Munn began his career as a scientist, the main goal of his more recent work is to advance conservation through ecotourism. Munn found that although scientific research can be extremely beneficial to conservation, it simply isn't enough to persuade governments to make changes when other interests, like logging, poaching, drilling, and mining are so financially gratifying. Furthermore, he found that much of the current nature tourism in South America suffers due to the fact that people often come hoping to see animals but leave without seeing the charismatic jaguars, macaws, and monkeys that they had hoped for. Munn proposed that ecotourism in South America could achieve the success that Africa has with its wildlife tourism. The animals are there and just as captivating, you just have to know how to find them.

Thus, Munn hopes to achieve this goal through the establishment of protected areas that encompass the maximum amount of pristine nature and wildlife. By building strategically placed ecolodges in these areas, tourists can easily access them, which brings job creation to locals and in turn mitigates poverty. This system protects the area further by providing a continuing reason to preserve the area and its wildlife. After the area has been protected for a sufficient amount of time, the wildlife becomes habituated to human encounters, thus allowing reliable sightings and increasing the draw for tourism.^[20] This model was tested and successfully implemented in both the Tambopata National Reserve and Manu National Park, "giving birth" to Peru's nature tourism.^[21]

Munn's most recent venture, SouthWild, operates throughout Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Argentina for this purpose. High quality wildlife experiences are offered, in which tourists can witness rare and difficult to see species such as maned wolves, pumas, and jaguars up close in their natural habitat. SouthWild's flagship operation, known as the "Jaguar Flotel" in the Brazilian Pantanal, even boasts a 100% guaranteed jaguar sighting.^[22] SouthWild is also currently strengthening similar operations in Patagonian Chile, where tourists can see elusive pumas as well as Andean condors.

The profits from these excursions fund research, conservation, infrastructure, and economic growth in protected areas. SouthWild partners with non-profit organizations such as BioBrasil Foundation and Corbidi, funding research, internships, and conservation work.^[23]

Hyacinth macaws

From 1984 until 2000, Munn was employed as a field scientist for the New York Zoological Society, researching wildlife in the Amazon of Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.^[24] In 1987, Munn was made the director of the Brazilian government’s field survey of the hyacinth macaw, an endangered parrot species vulnerable to poaching from the exotic pet trade. The survey was also supported by Wildlife Conservation International, New York Zoological Society, and World Wildlife Fund.^[25]

In the field survey, Munn and his team were charged with exploring the Mato Grosso state of Brazil where hyacinth macaws were most heavily poached to speak to local families, business owners, and conservation officials about the future of the species. They found that the vast majority of locals were unhappy with the rapid decline of the species as a result of poaching, and that many had already resolved to not allow bird catchers on their land any longer. Perhaps surprisingly, Brazil's largest mining company, Companiha Vale de Rio Doce, was also very helpful in arranging the protection of the macaws. They found that although the locals were extremely receptive to environmental awareness and conservation, hundreds of birds were still being trapped and traded every year. Munn’s report made the recommendation for the Brazilian government to completely ban trade of the hyacinth macaw, warning that the species was likely to become extinct if action was not taken.^[26] Furthermore, Munn and his colleagues published a letter for the Secretariat of the Convention International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of wild fauna and flora (See notable publications) in 1987, which led directly to the global trade ban of hyacinth macaws.^[27] Munn continues to remain invested in the future of hyacinth macaws. He even operates a lodge which protects a nesting population of hyacinths in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Indigenous communities

Munn and his organization recognize the extreme difficulty that poverty presents as a road block to conservation. By instituting ecotourism networks which directly benefit ecotourism communities, it is possible to create a more sustainable economy for disenfranchised communities. Munn has worked to benefit these indigenous communities both his past and current ventures.

For example, while researching the biology of the scarlet macaw in the eastern amazon, he was made aware of the constant onslaught that the species was subjected to as a result of the illegal pet trade. It became clear that there was a large chance that their wilderness home would be quickly over-poached and the species would suffer. Munn helped locals set up tours of clay licks near Peru's Manu National Park, where scarlet macaws gather by the hundreds to eat clay in order to detoxify the palm nuts they feed on.

Not coincidentally, Munn spent much of his career studying macaw clay licks, the locations of which were unknown to science before his interactions with locals. Macaws gather in the hundreds at these locations. Knowing this Munn was able to set up tours operated by the indigenous communities that led tourists to see these spectacular birds. Munn knew from experience that most tourists go to the jungle expecting to see vibrant and charismatic animals like the macaw easily, but more often than not they leave disappointed. Munn acts as a champion of South American wildlife tourism, insisting that it can be just as successful as the African ecotourism network. The animals are just as charismatic, you just have to know where to look.

The communities in Manu continue to benefit from a sustainable and expanding ecotourism network. Better still, the thriving tourism provides a continuous reason to protect Manu and the macaws that make their home there.^[28]

Land protected

Between 1980 and 2000, Munn was essential in the creation and increased protection of millions of acres of reserves and national parks in the Peruvian, Bolivian, and Ecuadorian Amazon^[29]

• Tambopata National Reserve, Peru - The Tambopata Reserve encompasses a vast area in southeastern Peru including the Candamo River Watershed. Munn spearheaded a group of biologists and naturalists in the 1980s (working with Selva Sur and the Wildlife Conservation Society) that explored the Peruvian Amazon and cataloged its immense biodiversity and pristine, uninhabited rainforest. They drafted several arguments that urged the government to protect the extremely ecologically valuable area, showing that the area held an unprecedented amount of forest unspoiled by hunting and logging. Munn worked tirelessly for years against the extraction interests, urging the government to protect the park. He made many enemies as a result, including a corrupt forest minister, and even had to flee Peru at one point as a result of death threats. Finally, Tambopata National Reserve (Reserva Nacional Tambopata) was officially declared a park by supreme law in 1990, constituting over 275,000 hectares of protected forest. However, Exxon Mobile attempted to push into Tambopata at one point, and the president at the time, Alberto Fujimori cut the size of the protected area in half as a result. However, Munn and his litany of conservationists, including Argentinian filmmaker Daniel Winitzky were not going to back down. Winitzky created the documentary The Last Forest Without Man, which created a storm of public outrage against the proposed oil drilling. President Fujimori responded to public pressure in 2000 and doubled the size of the park to over 1 million hectares. Ecotourism now flourishes and continues to protect Tambopata thanks to Munn and his colleagues.^[30]
• Madidi National Park, Bolivia- Munn was also an integral part in the designation of the important Madidi reserve in Bolivia, a park that houses glaciers, pampas, the Andes, cloud forest, and over 1,000 species of birds.^[31] While working for the Wildlife Conservation Society in 1992 in Lima, Peru, Munn was hired by the Bolivian government as an international expert on protected areas to oversee the World-Bank financed restructuring of the Bolivian National Parks system. He was also asked by the government to recommend experts that could aid in the parks creation. After a long search, he discovered Rosa Maria Ruiz, a Bolivian activist of the non-profit EcoBolivia, that would aid him in scouring the region and interacting with the locals. The team worked for years to catalog the park's historical, cultural, and ecological value. Multiple organizations and non-profits also had a hand in its creation, including Conservation International. Madidi was established a national park in 1995 by President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, thanks to their efforts and encompasses over 1,800,000 hectares. The park had originally been proposed to protect a mere 50,000 hectares.^[32] Later, they were featured in a National Geographic cover story, "Madidi", by Steve Kemper in which Kemper, Munn, and Rosa Maria Ruiz explored the park to assess possible ecotourism spots and interact with the indigenous Quechua-speaking people. Being one of the poorest countries in South America, the park held an enormous amount of potential in terms of and bringing jobs and infrastructure to locals.

References