Blog 26 Feb, 2026

Green List in Peru - Twelve Years that Leave a Mark

Lessons from the land that leave a lasting impact

Zornitza Aguilar Mena, Senior Officer for Biodiversity and Protected Areas – IUCN South America and Deyvis Huaman Mendoza, Director of Territorial Management of Protected Natural Areas – SERNANP

Photo: Víctor Zea - WCS

Photo: Kevyn Arce - WCS

In Peru, the IUCN Green List has evolved into a practical school of management—a pathway that, year after year, has helped organize information, strengthen governance, refine planning, and demonstrate results across our protected natural areas.

This is why the document “Green List in Peru’s Protected Natural Areas: Lessons Learned and Recommendations from the Voices of Its Actors” highlights, with clarity and strength, 12 years of accumulated learning and translates them into useful, practical, and actionable guidance.

It does not speak from theory—it speaks from the territory, in the voices of those who sustain conservation every day.

Here, experiences are recognized, success cases are presented, challenges are named honestly, and—above all—Peru’s steady consolidation of capacities for more effective, participatory, and impactful conservation is made visible.

II. What Does This Document Offer? Four Key Contributions

Evidence-based management: actions that transform into clear information for smarter decision-making.

Strengthened governance: explicit recognition of the role of chiefs, rangers, co-managers, management committees, communities, local populations, and mentors.

Continuous improvement as a living practice: self-evaluation that organizes, prioritizes, and sustains progress.

Human-centered cross-cutting approaches: gender and interculturality as core components of management.

Taken together, the document serves as an inspiring and actionable roadmap for applicants, implementers, and already certified sites seeking to maintain the standard.

III. Three Stories Showing How Effective Management Is Built in Practice

The document explores three certified protected areas (ANP) to illustrate, in detail, how effective management takes shape in real territories:

Megantoni National Sanctuary: Leadership, Teamwork, and Partnerships That Drive Real Change
A robust management model built on clear leadership, solid internal organization, and strategic coordination. Capacities, documentation, and the participation of women in key processes were strengthened.

Matsés National Reserve: Conservation Also Means Recognizing Identity
The process helped organize key information and more strongly integrated cultural dimensions into planning and management, aligning them with the worldview of the Matsés people.

Machiguenga Communal Reserve: Co-Management as a Driver of Effectiveness
The State (Sernanp) and ECA Maeni advance toward real shared responsibility, territorial presence, and cultural bridges. Sustainable initiatives developed by and for communities are also highlighted.

IV. The Most Powerful Lessons from These 12 Years

Institutional will, strong leadership from site chiefs, and cohesive teams create real change.

Organizing information is not bureaucracy—it is management intelligence.

Effective participation from communities and management committees strengthens legitimacy.

Mentors with territorial knowledge accelerate progress and broaden perspectives.

Gender and interculturality enhance management quality when translated into concrete actions.

Continuous improvement becomes culture—and facilitates recertification and effective governance.

These lessons are not recipes—they are proven pathways.

V. An Invitation to Read This Document with a Forward-Looking Lens

Read “Green List in Peru’s Protected Natural Areas: Lessons Learned and Recommendations from the Voices of Its Actors” for what it truly is:
a map built on 12 years of experience, recognizing those who sustain conservation and offering clear guidance for continued improvement.

Because effective management cannot be decreed—it must be built. And this document shows—through local actors—how Peru continues to build it.

Link to the document: .:: SERNANP ::.

More about Green List in Peru and the region

Disclaimer
Opinions expressed in posts featured on any Crossroads or other blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IUCN or a consensus of its Member organisations.