Legacy Education Programs

Education has always been a cornerstone of Proyecto Tití’s conservation strategy. From the very beginning, we recognized that protecting cotton-top tamarins requires more than scientific knowledge—it requires informed, inspired communities that understand the importance of conservation and are empowered to take action. Over the years, our education programs have played a vital role in raising awareness, changing behaviors, and building a culture of pride and protection around this critically endangered species.

As the needs of cotton-top tamarins and the communities that share their habitat have evolved, so too have our educational approaches. We continuously assess each program’s impact, resource requirements, return on investment, and alignment with current community and education needs. Based on this ongoing evaluation, some of our earlier initiatives—though highly successful in their time—have now been retired to make room for new strategies that address today’s most pressing conservation challenges.

Still, we remain committed to honoring and sharing the value of these legacy education initiatives. By documenting and showcasing these programs, we hope others may learn from, adapt, or build upon them in efforts to protect cotton-top tamarins or other threatened primates around the world. These past programs continue to inspire conservation action—and serve as a foundation for the work we do today.

TITÍ KIDS: Shaping Young Minds for Cotton-top Tamarin Conservation

TITÍ KIDS is a four-week, classroom-based education program created by Proyecto Tití to help children in rural Colombia understand the importance of keeping native wildlife—especially cotton-top tamarins —in the wild. Taught to over 3,900 third to fifth-grade students (ages 8–12) between 2014 and 2019, the program was delivered in schools in the departments of Atlántico and Bolívar, with close collaboration between Proyecto Tití educators and classroom teachers.

The goal of TITÍ KIDS is to reduce the desire to keep wild animals as pets by teaching students the difference between domestic animals, which rely on humans for survival, and wild animals, which are best left in their natural habitats. Through interactive games, puppet shows, and activities from the custom-designed PasaTITIempos activity book, students explore important themes like freedom, home, family, and survival. The program includes a story about a young girl who learns why cotton-top tamarins do not make good pets, helping children build empathy and a deeper understanding of the species’ needs.

Evaluations conducted with over 1,800 participating students revealed significant learning gains. Children were more likely to correctly identify and classify animals as domestic or native wildlife, and demonstrated increased understanding through thoughtful responses to open-ended questions. Their answers—evaluated for accuracy and complexity—showed greater awareness of the harm caused by keeping wild animals as pets, and reflected the core messages of the program.

By engaging young minds through culturally relevant content and creative learning strategies, TITÍ KIDS has helped foster a new generation of conservation-minded students who are inspired to protect cotton-top tamarins and the forests they call home.

Download PasaTITIempos in English

Download PasaTITIempos in Spanish

AMIGUAU: Inspiring Compassion Through Canine Companionship

AMIGUAU was one of Proyecto Tití’s early and impactful education programs designed to reduce the desire to keep cotton-top tamarins as pets by shifting children’s interest toward domestic animals—specifically, dogs. Implemented in rural communities near cotton-top tamarin habitat, AMIGUAU taught children how to train, care for, and bond with their dogs, helping them understand the responsibilities and joys of having a domestic pet.

Through fun and hands-on training sessions, children learned basic obedience commands, humane treatment practices, and how to build trust with their dogs. As children developed pride in their pets and saw their dogs as loyal companions, their interest in keeping wild animals as pets—especially cotton-top tamarins—decreased. The program not only promoted animal welfare but also strengthened the connection between community values and wildlife conservation.

While AMIGUAU is no longer an active program, it played a key role in shaping conservation attitudes in the early stages of our education work. By celebrating the bond between people and domestic animals, AMIGUAU helped lay the foundation for a broader cultural shift toward keeping wild animals wild and embracing the important role that domestic pets play in our lives.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE – DOWNLOAD OUR AMIGUAU Dog Training Books with simple instructions in Spanish for how to train your dog and the story of Lina and Flaca, designed to inspire children to want to care for and train the dog rather than have a cotton-top tamarin as a pet.

AMIGUAU Training Book 1

AMIGUAU Training Book 2

The Story of Lina and Flaca: A Lesson in Love, Loss, and Learning

Lina and Flaca is a heartfelt story used in Proyecto Tití’s education programs to help children understand the emotional and physical harm that occurs when wild animals, like cotton-top tamarins, are taken from their natural habitat.

The story follows two young animals—Lina, a cotton-top tamarin living happily in the forest with her family, and Flaca, a stray dog searching for her mother. Lina ventures too far from home and is captured by a man who takes her away from the forest. Though she is brought to a home and given food and shelter, she becomes sick, weak, and deeply lonely—missing her natural diet, the freedom of the forest, and her family’s love. In the end, Lina dies in captivity, leaving behind a powerful lesson about the importance of keeping wild animals wild.

Flaca, meanwhile, endures her own hardships on the streets, facing hunger, fear, and danger. Eventually, she is rescued and adopted by a kind family who gives her the love, care, and attention that a domestic animal needs. Her new home not only gives her a second chance, but also helps a grieving child learn the difference between caring for a pet and trying to make a wild animal one.

This story beautifully reinforces Proyecto Tití’s message: wild animals belong in the wild, while domestic animals make great companions when cared for responsibly. It highlights the emotional toll captivity takes on wildlife and inspires empathy, understanding, and action to protect cotton-top tamarins in their natural forest homes.

DOWNLOAD The Story of Lina and Flaca in SPANISH

Bindes: A Legacy of Innovation and Conservation

In many traditional Colombian communities, meals have long been prepared over open fires—an age-old practice that, while culturally rooted, requires large quantities of firewood and exposes families to harmful smoke. For generations, campesinos used three stones to balance cooking pots over open flames, a method that contributed to deforestation and had negative effects on household health.

Seeking a more sustainable alternative, Proyecto Tití explored local traditions and rediscovered the “binde,” a small, fuel-efficient cookstove originally made from termite mounds. Community members who used bindes noted that they required less firewood and produced less smoke, making them both environmentally and socially beneficial. However, traditional bindes had a major limitation—they were fragile and often cracked or disintegrated after repeated use.

Determined to improve this design, Proyecto Tití developed a new method for constructing durable, efficient bindes using locally available materials. Field studies demonstrated remarkable results: families of five who typically used about 15 logs a day for cooking over an open fire reduced their consumption to just 5 logs when using a binde—a 66% reduction in firewood use. Even better, the bindes could burn a variety of materials such as corn husks and yucca tassels, further reducing dependence on wood.

Over time, the Bindes program became one of Proyecto Tití’s most successful community-based conservation initiatives. It not only helped reduce deforestation but also improved air quality and health for countless families. As rural communities gained access to electricity and modern cooking alternatives, the program was retired. However, in remote farming areas where open-fire cooking remains common, Proyecto Tití continues to promote the use of bindes as a simple, sustainable solution that supports both people and forests.