Visit the World Rainforest Day's website

The 22^nd June is World Rainforests Day.  Rainforests are vital for life to survive on Earth.

Yet every minute, 40 football fields of rainforest are lost.  This threatens our biodiversity and imperils earth’s health. 

Natural climate solutions such as protecting and restoring forests could reverse global emissions by a third, according to World Rainforest Day.

This day is held to celebrate rainforests and encourage us all to protect them.  If we can all unite and become a forest of action that rains on earth, then we can make a huge difference.

The World Rainforest Day website has these things we can all do to make a positive impact on rainforests, today and every day:

Ways to help rainforests

1. Learn about rainforests and why they matter to each of us
2. Donate to rainforest protectors
3. Eat more plants and less meat
4. Shop for rainforest friendly products
5. Travel sustainably
6. Hold leaders and corporations accountable
7. Spread the word
8. Host a safe, socially distant event

There's more information about each of these positive actions we can take here

Find out more from World Rainforest Day’s website.

#WorldRainforestDay #TakeABreath #ThankARainforest  #BecauseTheWorldCantWait #TheForgottenSolution 

This infographic and others are available to download and share 
from the World Rainforest Day's website

The Sumatran Orangutan Society have launched an appeal to help guides in Sumatra.

These guides normally take tourists through the national parks but because of COVID-19, the Indonesian government has closed the parks to tourists.  This means that the income supporting the guides’ families has vanished overnight.   Food security is tenuous. 

Visit the Sumatran Orangutan Society

These guides are normally at Bukit Lawang, Tangkahan and Ketambe – these sites are in the precious Leuser Ecosystem.  There’s no idea of when the parks will open up again.

So SOS launched an appeal to help the guides.   Thus far, over £6,000 has been raised.  All donations are going to Nature for Change and OIC and they have started to buy and distribute food supplies already.

You can donate here.

Find out more about SOS here

Rapanui have an unusual offer this weekend!

Their Buy One, Get One Tree offer has a twist – an under-the-sea twist.   They’ve teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society to help protect seagrass.

This underwater grass is crucial in the fight against climate change.

Why?  Well, seagrass absorbs 10% of the ocean’s carbon every year.

In fact, estimates are that seagrass can capture as much carbon per hectares as trees in UK woodlands.  And seagrass is vital for marine life.

Find out more about seagrass and why it matters here

Unfortunately, 35% of seagrasses worldwide have been lost or damaged over the last 40 years – so Rapanui want to help the Marine Conservation Society do something about it.

This weekend (until midnight Sunday 14 June 2020), every order on the Rapa store will help the Marine Conservation Society protect 5 square feet of this wonder-plant in the UK's seas!

Visit Rapanui here – they have a wonderful range of t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, bundles, shirts and more!

Visit the Marine Conservation Society here and donate directly to their seagrass appeal

The National Trust for Scotland cares for over 76,000 hectares of countryside, home to a vast range of wildlife and world-famous landscapes.  And, thanks tot he coronavirus, it is in trouble.  It needs some help.

There are some of Scotland's most beautiful places under the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and it works with people of all ages to help them enjoy these sights.  There's an abundance of rare and remarkable wildlife under the care of the National Trust for Scotland;  the Trust monitors them and undertakes conservation work,  helping to protect the habitats that support all kinds of animal and plant communities, from red squirrels and seabirds, to montane scrub and ancient trees.

Otters, pine martens, red squirrels and bats all live on National Trust for Scotland's landscapes.  The Trust cares for over 400 islands and islets - and many of these are home to the world's most important seabird colonies.  It looks after 8 National Nature Reserves and 27 site at Trust places are designated as special importance for nature conservation in Europe. 

You can help and support the National Trust for Scotland by making a donation today

The World Land Trust reports that wildlife were putting themselves at risk in Guatemala because they were getting close to urban areas.

So their conservation partner FUNDAECO introduced human-made watering holes and they have proved to be invaluable for wildlife – several species have been filmed using them.

This initiative came after the Caribbean was hit by longer summers and animals got closer to towns. 

It only takes the team a few days to install each watering hole.  The water holes will now be an annual part conservation.  The plan is to roll these artificial water sources out on other reserves.

This means that wildlife will have access to water throughout the summer.

The first project the World Land Trust did with FUNDAECO was the purchase of 1,500 acres of lowland and inundated tropical forest.  They created a reserve at Laguna Grande.

Today, they are still buying and protecting some of the last remaining wetlands and tropical forests in Caribbean Guatemala.  Back in 2017, they started to create a new core reserve area in the Sierra Santa Cruz.  And WLT supports FUNDAECO through its Keepers of the Wild Appeal – that funds rangers on the reserves.

Find out about the work the World Land Trust is doing in Guatemala here

Find out about FUNDAECO here