SES Explorer Series: Looking for the Lost Monkey of the Clouds

Gerson Ferrer is a Peruvian communicator, photographer, and conservation practitioner whose work bridges storytelling, science, and community action. As Communications Director at Yunkawasi, he leads initiatives that empower local and Indigenous communities to protect endangered species and forests across the Tropical Andes of Peru. Through communication and conservation education, Gerson helps make information more accessible and gives voice to people and landscapes often overlooked – using powerful tools such as film and photography to inspire lasting conservation impact.

At Yunkawasi, he led the campaign "Stand Up for the Yellow-Tailed Woolly Monkey", which mobilised dozens of organisations and thousands of people toward concrete conservation actions for this critically endangered primate. This nationwide movement culminated in the historic approval of Peru's first national law specifically designed to prevent the extinction of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, an endemic and highly threatened species of the Andean and Amazonian forests.

In this talk, Gerson will share the story behind "Looking for the Lost Monkey of the Clouds," an expedition to Peru's Central Andes (funded by the SES 2024 Neville Shulman Explorer Award for Expedition Filmmaking) where he worked with Quechua Indigenous communities to identify new populations of the endemic and critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda). Blending scientific exploration, community participation, and documentary filmmaking, the project demonstrates how collaboration and storytelling can protect one of the world's rarest primates and the mountain forests it depends on. Through local voices and experiences, Gerson will explore how participatory expeditions help communities rediscover and celebrate the natural heritage they've safeguarded for generations.

The talk will also reveal how this expedition and film form part of a broader national strategy to establish the yellow-tailed woolly monkey as an emblem of Peruvian biodiversity – an integrated effort combining public policy advocacy, education, community conservation, and media outreach.

Connect with Gerson: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

ONLINE EVENT DETAILS

Time and Date: 7pm (GMT) on Tuesday 24 November 2026

This talk will be delivered as a WEBINAR via ZOOM.

Get your ticket to join this talk and the access link will be emailed to you nearer the time.

WATCH THE RECORDING

If you are unable to join this online event live, you can watch the recording. All you need to do is select the WATCH THE RECORDING ticket option and a link will be sent to you as soon as the recording is available.

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