Conservation adventure in Colombia

Visitor Experience co-ordinator Alison Mulford spent two weeks at Proyecto Titi working with biologists monitoring groups of cotton-top tamarins

A Wellington Zoo staff member has travelled to Colombia to help a local conservation group care for endangered primates.

Visitor Experience co-ordinator Alison Mulford spent two weeks at Proyecto Titi working with biologists monitoring groups of cotton-top tamarins.

The zoo works in partnership with Proyecto Titi, which advocates for the conservation of the highly endangered tamarins and their northern Colombia forest habitat.

Ms Mulford, who has previously worked in primate conservation in Guatemala, said the group's work was "near and dear to my heart".

"The future of conservation lies in programmes that are multi-faceted. Proyecto Titi helps wildlife, and they also empower local communities to protect the biodiversity of Colombia," she said.

Ms Mulford also spent time with a staff member who collects plastic from communities near the tamarin's forest habitats to be ground up and constructed into sustainable fence posts.

"Many of these communities don't have a service to get rid of their rubbish and recycling, so it's very common to drive past mounds of plastic waste on the side of the road.

"In the humidity, fence posts only last a few years before more trees need to be cut down to make new ones. The plastic 'Titi posts' last a long time, reducing dependency on wood. It's a fantastic initiative to reduce both waste and deforestation."

Ms Mulford was the first zoo staff member to visit the organisation. Her trip was supported by the Wellington Zoo Conservation Fund.

"I'm looking forward to sharing what I've learned about these critically endangered primates, and the communities that share their space, with both staff and visitors at Wellington Zoo," she said.

•Read more about her trip at wellingtonzoo.tumblr.com.