TWO men from Hereford flew out to Peru to raise the plight of the indigenous rainforest people battling against loggers, miners and oil prospectors.

Dan Haworth-Salter, who lectures in film and photography at Hereford College of Arts, and Dr Malcolm Bell, an experienced expedition leader and planning consultant from Cusop, Hay-on-Wye plan to film a documentary of the indigenous people called the Wampis.

One of the films is to be shown at the Hay Festival in May and another film is being made for the Wampis, so that they can use it to publicise their cause.

Mr Haworth-Salter said: "I am documentary short film maker and I run a degree course at Hereford College of Arts. We are going to be making a documentary about the negative impact of illegal logging ang and mining on the indigenous Wampis people of Peru. They are the best guardians of the rainforest."

The Wampis are being helped by the fundraising group, the Size of Herefordshire, formed last year by some county residents to try to protect an area of rainforest the size of the county.

The Wampis attracted the attention of the Size of Herefordshire because they are especially courageous and creative in defending their rainforest homeland.

Jeremy Bugler, co-ordinator of the Size of Herefordshire, said: "The Wampis are a brave forest people who prove that the best people to protect the rainforests are the people whose homes and livelihoods are there."

Mr Haworth-Salter and Dr Bell need to take long bus rides and then trek, before they will meet up with the leaders of the Wampis people. They then face long trips up rivers and over mountains.

The Wampis are trying to establish local control over their rainforest so they have set up a parliament so that the Wampis, who live in nearly 30 villages scattered over a huge area, can make collective decisions.

To help these villagers travel to the parliament, the Size of Herefordshire is trying to raise funds to buy the Wampis a boat big enough to ferry the villagers. At the moment they only have canoes.

Dr Bell will be using the knowledge he acquires to speak at public meetings organised by the Size of Herefordshire. He is staying an extra two weeks with the Wampis.

To find out more go to www.sizeofherefordshire.org