» Listings for March 2018

1. Oh to be wealthy!

   Posted on 8:00pm Tuesday 27th Mar 2018

   It would be the dream of my life to make or win tons of money and be able to give it all to wildlife conservation and reforestation! In late March 2018, philanthropists, governments and corporate leaders from Europe, China, the US and Africa pledged over $6 million to protect wildlife habitats at the end of an important conservation summit. The Kavango-Zambezi Trans frontier Conservation Area borders Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  It’s home to over 220,000 elephants – and yet parts of this ecosystem are now under huge pressure from poachers.  Forest elephants in Central Africa also suffer from high levels of killing. Space for Giants is an international conservation organisation.  It’s just co-hosted the Giants Club Summit, with Botswana’s Tlhokomela Trust. The Giants Club has come together and galvanised new money for fast action.   So what did the Giants Club countries – Botswana, Gabon, Kenya and Uganda (plus other KAZA nations Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) – achieve? The Giants Club will work with national wildlife services and partner organisations to nominate people for the Ranger Award Programme of the Paradise Foundation.   The award raises awareness about threats to Africa’s wildlife and the essential role that rangers play on the front line in conservation.  Working together will mean more candidates will be reached. A US$2 million grant given by the EU will be implemented by Space for Giants and the Tlhokomela Trust to train and mentor wildlife rangers sharing operational intelligence and resources across the border region It will boost legal deterrants against poaching by making investigations and prosecutions stronger across the five countries. The Giants Club aims to protect half of Africa’s elephants and their landscapes by 2020 by uniting political will, technical expertise and financial power to achieve its goal. Founding members are the presidents of Uganda, Gabon, Kenya and the Tlhokomela Trust.   415,000 elephants live in these areas – over half of Africa’s remaining elephants.  The Giants Club’s members include financiers, international philanthropists and key influencers such as celebrities.   Conservation scientists are the technical advisors.  The summit brings people together to hear innovative ideas on how to protect elephants and their landscapes and it then negotiates finance and secures political will to increase the reach of the ideas. Kenyan based Space for Giants works to protect Africa’s elephants from immediate threats such as poaching.  It works to secure their habitats in landscapes which are under increasing pressures.    Space for Giants aims: To develop and deliver anti-poaching intiatives to reduce the problems arising where elephants people live alongside each other, and to provide education and training.

    

2. Task force on human-wildlife conflict set up in Kenya

   Posted on 8:00pm Tuesday 27th Mar 2018

   The Kenyan government has set up a task force to look into ways to deal with human-wildlife conflict and clashes between ranchers and communities. The task force is expected to make recommendations on game farming and game ranching.  It will evaluate its contribution to Kenya’s GDP, and food security. The Kenya Wildlife Service is busy dealing with cases of poaching and wildlife trafficking, but also cases of human-wildlife conflict.  Pastoral communities have invaded private ranches as they look for pasture. So the task force is expected to come up with solutions to human-wildlife conflict which will last, and also safeguard game parks, community and private land. It is aiming to create a peaceful co-existence between communities and wildlife. Visit the Kenya Wildlife Service to find out more about their work.

    

    

3. 5,000 trees planted and doing well in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

   Posted on 8:00pm Monday 26th Mar 2018

   In Brazil, 5,000 trees have been planted the Atlantic Forest

   Trees planted in the Matumbo Gap of the Atlantic Forest in 2017 are doing well!

   5,000 trees were planted, thanks to funding from the World Land Trust’s Plant a Tree programme.  The programme plants a tree for a £5 donation.   

   The trees are all grown from seeds collected from the indigenous tree species of the neighbouring Atlantic Forest.  They are cultivated in the nursery of the Reserva Ecológica e Guapiaçu (REGUA) and then planted in the slopes of the cleared area known as the Matumbo Gap.

   The Matumbo Gap has been a priority for reforestation.   It would create a wildlife corridor between two areas of forest which are under the protection of the Reserva Ecológica e Guapiaçu.  The area is funded by the World Land Trust.

   The forest is maturing; some pioneer plant species are bearing seeds and fruit, which fees the native fauna, particularly bats and birds. 

   
   

   
   The Reserva Ecológica e Guapiaçu’s mission is to protect the remaining areas of Altantic Forest and connect fragmented habitats.   These areas have been cut off from each other because of clearance for agriculture. 

   Thriving wildlife can be seen in the state of Rio de Janeiro, thanks to successes from REGUA’s work.

   You can be a part of the World Land Trust’s work to support reforestation in Brazil, Ecuador and Kenya through their Plant a Tree Programme.  

   Native tree species are planted to restore degraded habitats for £5 each.  Donate £25 or more, and you’ll receive a donation pack detailing the impact of your support. 

   BE A PART OF THIS SUCCESS STORY - PLANT A TREE HERE FOR JUST £5

   You can also make a donation to REGUA here

    

4. El Pantonoso Reserve is 100% fully funded

   Posted on 8:00pm Friday 23rd Mar 2018

   There’s good conservation news from the World Land Trust today. They’ve announced that the El Pantanoso Reserve is now 100% fully funded, which means that 10,900 acres is permanently protected through their partner Fundación Biodiversidad Argentina.  The reserve is a wildlife corridor of Yungas Forest.  It sits between the Calilegua National Park and the Estancia Urundel, and it’s Argentina’s biggest area of Jaguar habitat. This project has also been supported by a legacy which was left by a supporter of the World Land Trust, so it just shows how legacies can make a difference to causes one cares about.   Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, also supported the project.  And it was secured by supporters of the Buy an Acre Argentina programme. At the moment, the World Land Trust’s Buy an Acre programme is focusing on Mexico at the moment, where a £100 donation can buy an acre of land.  In Ecuador, land prices are going up, and it’s not possible to buy an acre for £100, hence the focus on Mexico where the World Land Trust’s partner Grupo Ecological Sierra Gorda can save habitats about £100 an acre.

    

5. Looking for swimwear and active wear? Check out the YOOX Loves the Reef Range

   Posted on 9:00pm Monday 19th Mar 2018

   The fashion industry has joining forces with conservationists to help protect the Great Barrier Reef! The Great Barrier Reef is located off the Queensland coast in Australia and it stretches a whopping 2,300 km. It’s a very popular dive site and is also home to over 1,500 species of tropical fish and over 130 species of shark. Sadly, over 93% of the reef is now thought to be affected by coral bleaching, caused by rising sea temperatures. YOOX is a luxury online retailer.   It’s partnered with the Australian designers We Are Handsome to create a range of swimwear and active wear.   The YOOX Loves the Reef project is working to raise vital funds for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and a portion from all sales of the line will go to the charity. ©YOOX Loves the Reef The Foundation supports a variety of scientific projects and research into the fight against coral bleaching.  Some aim to monitor and protect the species living on the reef, such as the green turtle or dugong.  Others tackle the problem of reef damage through research into coral DNA whilst others develop artificial surfaces where coral can regenerate and grow.   Of course the reef brings in a lot of money to the area, too – over $6 billion a year, not to mention jobs through tourism, diving and scientific research. So everyone will benefit if the reef can be saved. It’s good to see industry and conservation working hand in hand.