Green Heritage Fund Suriname: A Lifeline for Rescued Sloths and River Dolphins

Founded in 2005 by biologist Monique Pool, Green Heritage Fund Suriname runs the country's only dedicated shelter and rehabilitation program for xenarthrans, sloths, anteaters and armadillos caught in the crossfire of Paramaribo's urban expansion, having rescued and released more than 600 animals to date. Its Dolphin Program has monitored the wild Guiana dolphin population in the Suriname River estuary since 2005, building one of the region's longest-running datasets on the species. The organization pairs this rescue work with a Green Community Development Program that promotes indigenous and Afro-Surinamese ecological knowledge and trains local volunteers and school groups in conservation.