project Amazonas Logo

The Project Amazonas logo was designed in 1995 by Mr. Albert Slugocki and Dr. David Schleser, and was rendered in ink by Dr. Schleser.

The central frame of the logo pictures a typical Amazon river scene with a forested background and the corner of a typical river-dweller house on the right. In the center, a ribereño family is supported on a pair of upraised hands. The family on the hands symbolizes our objective of helping people to help themselves, helping them to obtain the necessary skills, knowledge and tools so that they can take control of their own futures, and do so in a sustainable manner. We do not want to 'hand-out' to people, but rather to up-lift and empower them.

In the upper left foreground of the central frame are a pair of macaws. These large and conspicuous birds are representative of Amazonian wildlife and the natural environment. As these birds are among the first to disappear in areas that are heavily disturbed by human activities, they represent our desire to make conservation of wildlife and natural resources a key part of our activities. The coexistence of the macaws and the people represents a healthy balance between the needs of both people and the natural environment.
To the left of the central scene is a paddle with a heart-shaped blade. This is a very typical item of everyday use in the Peruvian Amazon. The paddle represents the self sufficiency and wealth of knowledge possessed by the people of the Amazon. Paddles are hand-carved from the buttress roots of certain Amazonian trees, and are an essential tool for life in the Amazon.

The medical staff to the right of the central scene represents our commitment to bringing modern medical care and health education to the people of the region. The staff also represents the wealth of medical knowledge that is possessed by Amazonian peoples, and the medical potential of thousands of plants in the Amazon. We wish to bring the people of the Amazon the many benefits of modern medicine, while at the same time encouraging them to utilize their traditional knowledge of herbal remedies, and encourage them to be as self sufficient as possible when it comes to medical matters.

The tree frog, blue morpho butterfly, orchid and jaguar in the four corners of the logo are illustrative of the biological diversity and beauty of the Amazon. For this beauty and diversity to be preserved, we must help the people of the Amazon to conserve and sustainably use their own environment, and we must also examine our own lives to see how our lifestyles and actions affect the global environment around us . All life and habitats are interconnected, and the future of the Amazon will affect us all, and should be important to us all.