Tarapoto: More than 180 citizens of Tarapoto participated in cultural events to promote river conservation

Posted on 14 June 2023

Between April and June 2023, from Amo El Río, more than 180 citizens of Tarapoto joined the cultural movement "Habita el Río" in person and more than 317 thousand people in the San Martín region connected virtually.
26 young Tarapoto artists led the initiative, connecting and creating around river conservation.

Since 2020, "Amo El Río", WWF Peru's initiative, seeks to strengthen the emotional connection of Amazonian youth with their rivers. To boost the cultural movement, in recent years the cities of Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Tarapoto have been witnessing artistic interventions, both face-to-face and digital, aimed at transmitting the Amazon identity and bringing the river closer to everyday life. All this is under the premise that it reflects the collective interest of young people: only defend what you love.

This 2023, the Provincial Municipality of San Martin, the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of San Martin (DDC San Martin), and WWF Peru joined forces to develop "Habita el Río", the third edition of the "I Love the River" cultural movement.

The river is the habitat and the starting point for the construction of the identity of the Amazonian youth and their ancestors. It is the place where they can recover their knowledge and connect with the water and the land that surrounds them, besides being a space that hosts economic activities such as fishing, recreational activities such as tourism, and social dynamics.

In this opportunity, through 27 artistic manifestations that made up the exhibition, including paintings, drawings, photographs, poetry, collages, videos, and songs, 26 local artists were able to make visible the challenges of nature conservation, the importance of rivers as a source of life and the call to action both individually and collectively for their protection.

"The cultural movement has been an invitation to dialogue and collective action for the Amazon. Day by day we see our rivers being polluted and degraded. It is time to act, and young people are essential to generate change," said Luis Alberto Vasquez, director of the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of San Martin (DDC San Martin).

Parallel to the exhibition and in response to the great interest of the citizens of Tarapoto, complementary activities were organized to strengthen their connection with the rivers, including discussions, technical and practical workshops, guided tours for citizens, and with local schools, among other actions.

In view of the public's reception and with the objective that the cultural movement and the love for the rivers continue to expand throughout the San Martin region, the art exhibition will migrate to other cities such as Moyobamba, Chazuta, San Roque, among others, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, through the DDC San Martin. Likewise, "I Love the River" will start in the coming months the call for artists in Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios. For more information, please follow our social networks (Facebook e Instagram)

"Habita el Río" brought together diverse cultural expressions and presented them to more than 180 citizens of all ages in person and to more than 317 thousand people virtually. This initiative reached the public thanks to the support of entities such as the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of San Martin (DDC San Martin) and the Provincial Municipality of San Martín.

Contact us for more information:

Marcia Cruz
Associate Communications and Marketing Officer - WWF Peru
marcia.cruz@wwfperu.org