What Is NAWAC?
NAWAC stands for the North American Wood Ape Conservancy — a research organization dedicated to the investigation and documentation of the North American Wood Ape, the term they use for the creature commonly known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch. NAWAC distinguishes itself from other Sasquatch research groups through its emphasis on long-term, sustained field research and its explicit framing of the subject as a wildlife conservation issue rather than a paranormal one.
Approach and Philosophy
NAWAC operates under the premise that the Wood Ape is an undiscovered primate species — a biological entity that can be studied and documented using established wildlife research methodologies. This approach deliberately distances the organization from the paranormal aspects sometimes associated with Bigfoot research and instead positions the work within the framework of zoology and conservation biology. The organization argues that if the species exists, it warrants protection under wildlife conservation laws, and that establishing its existence through rigorous evidence is a necessary first step toward that protection.
Field Research
NAWAC’s most significant research initiative has been its ongoing field study in a remote area of Oklahoma’s Ouachita Mountains, referred to as Area X. The study involves extended team deployments to a base camp in the study area, where researchers conduct sustained observation using trail cameras, audio recording equipment, and direct human observation over periods of days to weeks. This long-duration approach contrasts with the typical single-night or weekend investigation conducted by most Bigfoot research groups and is designed to habituate potential subjects to human presence.
Evidence and Documentation
NAWAC has documented a range of reported phenomena at its study area including anomalous vocalizations, rock-throwing incidents, wood knocks, footprint discoveries, and visual observations. The organization publishes detailed reports of its field operations and maintains a database of incidents. While none of the evidence collected to date constitutes definitive proof of the species’ existence, NAWAC argues that the consistency and volume of documented incidents at a single study site represents a compelling body of circumstantial evidence.
Related Terms
NAWAC’s work connects to the broader field of cryptozoology and Sasquatch research conducted by organizations including BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization). The PGF (Patterson-Gimlin Film) remains the most discussed piece of evidence in the field that NAWAC’s research aims to supplement with modern scientific documentation.