Category: Help a species

1. Health, Koalas and Forests

   Posted on 10:00pm Thursday 19th Mar 2020

   Deborah Tabart OAM is Chairman of the Australian Koala Foundation And today, she sent out the most beautiful picture of an adorable koala, thinking it’s what we need right now.  Deborah, thank you.  It certainly cheered me up.   Save the Koala - Join the Koala Army One of the things Deborah said in the email she’d sent us was that she thinks the issues we are facing – the wildfires around the world and the coronavirus – stem in part from our lack of respect for the natural world, our lack of care for animals and our need to develop at all costs. I agree.  I remember once reading a phrase, Look after the earth and she will look after you.  Well, we have not looked after the world and she is finding it increasingly difficult to look after us.  We reap what we sow.  As Deborah says, we do not respect our planet, our forests, our rivers, our oceans.  We exploit them and abuse them far too much. My hope is that this virus will give us all the chance to reflect on what really matters and that it will give the planet a chance to do some healing.  We need to look at how we are living and what we are doing, and really start thinking about what we want going forward. The 21st March is International Day of Forests.   We need to love our forests around the world and to care for them like never before.   We are dependent on them.  Without forests that are in good health, we cannot be healthy.  They are the lungs of our planet. Without oceans and rivers that are in good health, we cannot be healthy.  They are our blood supply. Without air that is clean, we cannot be healthy. Without biodiversity, the right balance of species across the planet – I include humans in that – we cannot be healthy.  Every species has its place in nature – she has planned things pretty carefully and we are destroying that balance through activities dedicated to our own ends. So back to our Koalas.   Will you help put pressure on the Australian government to nudge them in the right direction and protect the koala, with the Koala Protection Act?  Protect one species and you protect far more.  Save the Koala - find out more about the Koala Protection Act Find out more here. And keep safe

    

2. US government programmes helping to conserve endangered species under threat.

   Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 4th Mar 2020

   WCS (that’s the Wildlife Conservation Society) has emailed to warn that US government programmes helping to conserve species such as tigers, elephants, rhinos and others are under threat. WCS works to save wildlife and wild places in nearly 60 countries and across the ocean. Trump’s Administration is looking at cuts to programs that protect wildlife. WCS need as many people as possible from the US to urge their Congress members to support international programmes. These include programmes such as the USAID Biodiversity Program and the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. Key efforts at USAID and the Department of State fight international wildlife trafficking programmes.  The Global Environment Facility which plays a key role fighting the wildlife trafficking which is driving the slaughter of elephants and rhinos.  Programmes that conserve vulnerable species in the wild and protect the last wild places on earth are at risk.  If you are in the US, Please tell Congress right now: stand up for wildlife. If you are not living in the US and don’t have a Congress member, please share, share, share, the message people can sign.  Sharing is vital because it spreads the word. You could also donate here

    

3. Help orangutans with the Sumatran Orangutan Society

   Posted on 7:00pm Sunday 23rd Feb 2020

   SOS (Sumatran Orangutan Society) has a new project partner – Nature for Change (NFC). They work to save the forests of the Leuser Ecosystem by addressing the survival of people living near the ecosystem’s buffer zone. Back in 2019, they enabled farmers to plant 5,000 fruit trees.   They are growing another 5,000 in their community tree nursery – and these will be planted in 2020. The team has started to work with farmers on bee-keeping as another way to make a living.  An expert visited them in January 2020 to train the farmers who were taking part in how to set up beehive and the hives will have bees in them very soon! NFC also has implemented its border patrol team.   They have been trained by national part officers and they are working on a number of things: They maintain the trails along the national park border They fix and replace signs They record observations about wildlife tracks and signs along the border They meet with farmers to build trust and gain their understanding so that they can appreciate how the farmers feel about wildlife. The team has also installed camera traps along animal trails.  These will give them a good understanding of the kind of wildlife in the area – wild pigs, Thomas leaf monkeys and porcupines have been spotted already.  This is invaluable information because it helps the team plan their work with farmers and their crops. This is all very exciting, because locals are essential in any battle to preserve habitat for wildlife and yet give those living there an income. You can find out more and donate here.

4. Good news for forests in Belize from the World Land Trust

   Posted on 7:00pm Saturday 8th Feb 2020

   The World Land Trust has great news for forests! On 16 January 2020, the Governement of Belize signed the declaration of North-eastern Biological Corridor of Belize.  It covers an area of nearly 70,000 acres and links the northernmost nature reserve in Belize with more central natural habitats. It’s really important, because it’s the first step towards achieving a total North-South corridor crossing the whole country as the map shows! It’s a tremendous example of public-private partnership:  the government of Belize, local NGOs, private landowners and many international donors – including the World Land Trust – have been involved. UNITED FOR CONSERVATION, WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE BETTER The corridor connects a system of three protected areas in one system.  Deforestation has caused the loss of over 25,000 acres of forest in tihe last 10 years. This will now allow big animals such as jaguar and Baird’s Tapirs enough space to move freely between protected areas and so ensure their long term survival!  It will also help build climate resilience into Belize’s network of protected areas. Why was this acquisition necessary? In Belize, about 50% of the country is under natural vegetation cover.  About 35% of the country is under some form of protection.  So it is still possible to create biological corridors between protected areas. It’s vital that these acquisitions take place, and speedily, because agricultural development are increasingly encroaching on forest. How did supporters of the World Land Trust – people like you & me – help in this achievement? The World Land Trust mobilised its supporters and inspired new ones to raise funds to support this land acquisition.  It included 2018’s Big Match Fortnight Jungle for Jaguars campaign, and another Buy an Acre opportunity a few months after that.  (The Big Match Fortnight normally comes in October when donations are matched for a specific appeal – it is incredible how much and how speedily this builds up.) Donate in memory of someone special I donated to this campaign during the Big Match Fortnight (actually in memory of my wonderful Dad as his birthday is in November and I plant a tree or do a buy an acre on his birthday and at Christmas for him, as Dad loved trees).  Ask someone to donate as a gift for you I asked my husband to also donate as my early Christmas present and it was by far the best present I had.   It really meant something to me.  We had made a difference. I cannot tell you the glow and warm feeling I have in my heart when I think of my jaguar roaming the biological corridor.   I call him “my jaguar” – he obviously isn’t, and I’m never going to meet him – but it’s lovely to think that because I donated and my husband has too, we’ve helped him and lots of other animals. Please do donate to the World Land Trust if you can, and keep an eye on their website.  I often post news of their new appeals here, so you can watch this space as well.  They are a wonderful charity and it’s good to give a meaningful gift which will last, so if you’re looking for a gift for a wildlife lover, making a donation could be a great way to do something to really make a difference – a win, win, win all round! This was the You Tube Video for Jungle for Jaguars – it raised £532,000 in the Big Match Fortnight (normally early October) alone and hit the £600,000 target by Christmas, helping to save 8,154 vital acres.  A further 1,818 acres were saved a few months later.

5. Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency

   Posted on 5:00pm Monday 3rd Feb 2020

   There’s a programme on Channel 4 tonight (Monday 3 February 2020) at 8pm that I’m not sure I really want to watch, but I can’t help feeling I should.   I am watching it and there are graphic images and footage, just to warn you. Australia on Fire:  Climate Emergency is the story of the battle to save Australia form the bushfires.  It includes first-hand accounts from firefighters on the front line, and looks at the long-term impact of the fires on the animal population and ecology. Drone footage show the extent of the devastation. There’s also coverage of those who just escaped their burning properties – and we hear from those who have gone back to properties that are burnt out. Thank you to all those everywhere who fought the fires and worked so hard and continue to work hard to help the animals in Australia. The GoFundMe fundraiser for Port Macquarie Koala Hospital is still going (up to $7.7 million) and you can still donate to make a difference to Australian wildlife.