2 min read
When smoke begins to rise in Osherato, Peru, it is often Romer Quentimari Garcia who is observing. He’s part of the Indigenous Asháninka community that is based there, near where the rivers Ene and Tambo meet. But he’s not just watching as a community leader. As a certified brigadista, he’s armed with real-time satellite imagery, drones and radio systems to help find and extinguish fires before they take hold.
“Over these past few years, we’ve been keeping a close watch,” he says. “We’re observing the changes across all the communities and whenever we see smoke appearing, we go out to check whether it’s a wildfire or a controlled burn. We support to put the fire out faster, because in each community, we are all brothers. We are the ones who take care of the forest.”
Quentimari Garcia is one of hundreds of community members trained through the Paamari programme. Taking its name from the Asháninka word for fire, it’s a unique collaboration between the Central Asháninka of the Ene River (CARE) and Cool Earth, a charity that supports Indigenous communities tackling the climate crisis.
