Protection

To fulfil its mission to safeguard valuable nature, the Association RN Trésor received its regulatory authority from the former Conseil Régional of French Guiana. The Conseil Régional has granted the association an endowment enabling it to implement its conservation strategy.

The main objective is to preserve the integrity of the 2464 hectares of the reserve. In this way, it acts as a refuge area in the Kaw Mountains, since the surrounding area is under great hunting pressure. Although its size is relatively modest in relation to the large territory of some animal species (like jaguars, peccaries and harpy eagles), subtracting this site from human disturbance can be of great value to many other species (such as tapirs, monkeys, curassows). Therefore, access to the reserve is prohibited except to perform operations supported in the management plan, approved by the Reserve Management Committee, the Regional Scientific Council of Nature Protection, and endorsed by the President of the Conseil Régional of French Guiana.

To inform everyone about the rules of the Trésor reserve, several informative tools were created and several facilities are located in and around the reserve:

• Road signs at the uphill boundary of the reserve
• Signs on all the reserve’s boundaries displaying the rules
• Communication through papers, magazines and folders
• Communication through the web page and social media

Moreover, there are interventions of the reserve staff that emphasise public awareness and aim to avoid people ignoring the regulations.

Like most nature reserves, its staff must be able to stand up against offenders of the regulations. Thus, two guards are authorised by the public prosecutor to fulfil police operations in the reserve. They regularly conduct surveillance operations and look for indications of illegal penetration. Afterwards, they complete the mark-up if necessary, map the identified threats, and improve as much as possible their actions of both prevention and policing.