Our blog & news: Get involved to help wildlife

 
 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." 
Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
 


Search Take Action for Wildlife Conservation
 


 RSS Feed

Category:

  1. Canadian wildlife benefit from 2018 Budget

    Posted on

    Canadian wildlife would surely be leaping for joy (if they can leap) at the news that the Budget 2018 will earmark significant funds to protect Canada’s nature, parks and wild spaces.

    $1.3 billion will be invested over 5 years.  Preserving the country’s natural areas ensure that Canada will remain a place where people want to live, work, invest – and visit.  So protecting the environment and helping the economy can marry well.

    Finance Minister Bill Morneau said in his budget speech to the House of Commons, “Canada is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.   It is up to us all to help keep it that way.”

    Canada has pledged to protect 17% of her land and inland waters, and 10% of her coastal and marine areas by the end of the decade.   Countries are working to reach these global targets by 2020 around the world.                                                                  

    The budget recognises the importance of private land conservation and $500 million from the government towards the $1 billion nature fund will encourage collaboration as provinces, territories, corporate and charitable organisations work together to conserve land and protect species at risk.

    There is commitment to increase the federal capacity to protect species at risk, and there are new recovery strategies: expanding national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries, and establish a new network of conservation areas, working with provincial, territorial and – crucially – indigenous partners.

    There are expanded measures to include Indigenous Peoples in creating and managing protective areas.  Indigenous governments have played roles already in creating protected areas across the country, from Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve of British Columbia’s northern coast to the Torngat Mountains National Park in Labrador.

    This budget is being described as a game-changer for nature conservation in Canada.  It should support vital work to protect the habitats, animals and plants at greatest risk.   Canada has significant intact natural areas, and land trusts are specially placed to leverage the government’s investment to help slow or reverse species decline and mitigate the effects of climate change.

    This move was welcomed by organisations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

     

     

  2. 664,484 acres protected in Bolivia

    Posted on

    There's good news from Bolivia.

    The World Land Trust and Nature and Culture International have jointly funded the creation of Heroes del Chaco Historical and Wildlife Municipal Reserve.

    This is protection a whopping 664,484 acres of Dry Chaco forest in Bolivia!

    The project was given community support, and on the ground, it's Natura Bolivia who run it.   

    World Land Trust says the plains of Gran Chaco extend from the base of hte Andes across Northern Argentina, western Paraguay and south east Bolivia.

    It is ihome to the largest Dry Forest in South America, and has swamps, savannahs, marshes, salt flats and scrubelands.

    It supports about 500 species of birds, 150 species of mammals, 120 species of reptiles and 100 species of amphibians, so it's a very important area for wildlife.  Threats to the area are deforestation, hunting and unsustainable cattle farming.  

    Natura is working with locals in the area to develop a conservation model which works for both wildlife and people in the area.   For instance, the govenrment has given support for conservation incentives.   

    This is very exciting, especially the work to develop conservation models which work for people and wildlife and it will be interesting to see how the project develops.  

    Meantime, it's great to think that over 664,000 acres are being protected. 

     

  3. Seychelles protects an area as large as Britain

    Posted on

    There's great news from the Seychelles - they are to protect an area as large as Britain in the Indian Ocean.

    The island has agreed to protect 81,000 square miles of ocean in exchange for getting some of its national debt paid off.   The swap was agreed with the Nature Conservancy, a US charity, and several investors back in 2016.   Future national debt payments will be directed into the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, which will offer lower interest rates on debt repayments.  Any savings will go to fund new projects to protect marine life and handle climate change effects.

    The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is just one of the investors which had worked on the deal.   The actor said the effort will serve as a model for future marine conservaiton projects world wide.   

    An important part of the agreement is that the Seychelles is raising the amount of its protected waters by 2020 to 30% (from 0.04%) so that's a huge increase. 

    The plan falls into two parts

    1. To create new marine parks covering the Aldabra islands - they are home to hundreds of thousand tortoises, nesting bird colonies, and the endangered dugong.   Only research and regulated tourism will be allowed.
    2. To limit fishing and tourism activities around the Seychelles main islands. 

    The hope is to introduce similar actions in the Caribbean and other ocean regions facing threats from climate change. 

     

  4. Celebrating World Wetland Day in Canada....

    Posted on

    The 2 February is World Wetlands Day. It's held on the same day every year.

    And to honour the day, the Nature Conservancy of Canada announced that a 593 hectare parcel of land had been donated for use as a conservation area.

    Situated on the north west shore of Gough Lake and known as the Ferrier property, the area is essential for deer, small mammals, grassland birds, shorebirds and waterfowl that live and migrate through the region.

    And a number of species that are considered to be at risk have been discovered in the area, such as the Baird's sparrow and Sprague's pipit.

    The wetlands are valuable as shorebird nesting and staging habitat for waterfowl.  Unfortunately research suggests that 64% of slough and marsh wetlands have disappeared in settled areas of the province. 

    The Ferrier family owned the land since 1904.   Agnes Isabelle Ferrier left the site to the Nature Conservancy of Canada in her will. 

    This property is one of 4 new wetland conservation rojects that were announced on Friday, so this has got to be good news for wildlife needing wetlands.  Find out more about it here.

    In addition to the above news, the Nature Conservancy of Canada bought 160 acres, which had ecologically significent wetland habitat north of Good Spirit Provincial Park, Saskatchewan.  It has a number of species of waterfowl during breeding and migration, and a diversity of other birds and wildlife.  Moose needed the forest and shoreline for shelter and habitat.

    The Nature Conservancy of Canada also conserved a 61-acre island which has a plant rare to Canada and which is listed as threatened under the Canadian Species at Risk Act.  The location is  Lobster Bay, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.  Find out more here

    Conservation volunteers do vital work for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, as the video below shows:

     

  5. Good news from Mexico - 10,000 acres saved thanks to Buy an Acre scheme

    Posted on

    There's good news for 10,000 acres in Mexico. 

    They've been saved by supporters of the World Land Trust.

    Acre by acre, the supporters and Buy an Acre donors have saved the forest in Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.

    The World Land Trust and Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda have worked together for 10 years to protect the range of forest habitatws in Sierra Gorda.

    The area is home to 100 mammal species, including Black Bear, Jaguar, Neotropical Otter and Puma.  It's also home to 339 speices of birds such as Military Macaws and Great Curassow.

    Protecting the world's forests mean that we will have water, oxygen, climate regulation and beautiful landscapes to enjoy.  We are giving land back to the species who live there.

    "Walking through the reserves we have made is like travelling back in time, back to when Mexican forests were ruled by the jaguar and filled with species we consider rare today."

    Roberto Pedraza Rulz, GESG

    This success is increasing the amount of land within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve that is actually under private proteciton and management by conservationists.  GESG has focused their attention on the most important and threatened areas to create a network of privately protected areas in the eastern part of the reserve.

    The success is thanks to the suppoters of Buy an Acre, and grand funding and generous corporate supporters such as Puro Fairtrade Coffee.  And work continues to protect the area.   Sierra Gorda's habitats include Cloud Forests, Conifer Forests, Oak Forests, Tropical Forests and Riparian Forests. 

    Click here to visit the World Land Trust