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1. 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! ©World Land Trust 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.

2. Help create wildlife corridors with the Durrell WIldlife Conservation Trust's Atlantic Rainforest Appeal

   Posted on 9:00pm Tuesday 28th Jan 2020

   The lush rainforest runs along the Atlantic coast and inland in southern Brazil.  It is home to many species and plants which are not found anywhere else on earth.  The problem for wildlife is.... Sadly, a mere 12% of this huge landscape now persists in very fragmented pockets.  Towns, pastures and intensive farming have replaced the rainforest.   Many species living there are threatened with extinction as they are living in small fragmented areas and so are becoming increasingly isolated.  These include the black lion tamarin, the jaguar, ocelot and puma. One way to solve this problem... The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has an Atlantic Rainforest appeal which is aiming to create wildlife corridors and so joining fragmented areas of rainforest up. From small things do great things grow.... ©Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell wants to protect this ecosystem by creating wildlife corridors to join up the fragmented bits. They will do this by planting trees to connect the Morro do Diabo State Park to isolated forest fragments to the north, thus reconnecting wildlife. In doing this project, Durrell is working with their partners at the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPE). You can help restore this rainforest by planning 17,000 trees and in creating sustainable livelihoods for local people and neutralize about 2,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The trees will be planted in community nurseries, planted by local people – so giving them sustainable livelihoods.  People and wildlife will win through this project. Help wildlife such as the black lion tamarin, the jaguar, the puma, and ocelot ©Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Durrell say that: £25 will help the local community plant five trees and nurture them for 5 years £500 will run a community nursery for a week £15,000 will pay for a forest and community officer to oversee the pojrect for a year £85,000 will rebuild 1,000 metres of wildlife corridor connection forest fragments. Every £ counts!   Join in the appeal to create wildlife corridors to help wildlife thrive ©Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Donate here

    

3. Sustainable chocolate and helping gorillas

   Posted on 6:00pm Monday 26th Aug 2019

   What links gorillas and chocolate? If you ever needed a reason to stop yourself before you buy chocolate, here’s one.  In Nigeria, 96 percent of the country's forests are gone.  In the south east, the forests in Cross River State are still home to gorillas. In 2017, over 16,000 hectares of rivers in the Cross River State were destroyed.  How? Deforestation Illegal logging Palm oil plantations The production of charcoal Cocoa plantations are encroaching on protected forests.  Our demand for chocolate is driving the devastation of chocolates. The Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are the world leaders in cocoa production. Nearly all of Côte d’Ivoire’s protected areas have been plundered.  Ghana holds the world record for its rate of deforestation in 2018. What will happen in Nigeria?  Nigeria is the third largest cocoa exporter in the world. Gorilla habitat is shrinking day by day.  The gorillas have less and less habitat to call home as their forests are destroyed by humans. Most chocolate makers, say Rainforest Rescue, buy all the cocoa they can get without asking any questions.  It is very difficult for consumers to find out if chocolate they buy was produced in a sustainable way. Environmentalists are working to get the EU to regulate the market – but gorillas need help NOW. HELP GORILLAS NOW! The Governor of Cross River State could do the most to help these beautiful animals.  He’s Ben Ayade and Rainforest Rescue have a petition asking him to strengthen the protection of his state’s forests.  Please sign this petition here.

    

4. More forest land bought up for safe keeping with the Cumberland Forest Project

   Posted on 9:00pm Tuesday 16th Jul 2019

   The non-profit organisation the Nature Conservancy announced on Monday that  it has partnered up with private investors to acquire 101,000 hectares of forest land.  This forest land lies in the coalfields of Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. The Cumberland Forest Project will do several things: Protect the land Make money through sustainable forestry, recreational leases and the eventual sale of the properties. Help offset carbon Benefit wildlife Help water quality The forest lands cover 100,000 acres in Kentucky & Tennessee.   Some 153,000 acres are in south-west Virginia.  As such, this project’s land is one of the largest conservation efforts the group has taken up in the east of the US. Theland was bought from timber investment management companies for $130,000. The Cumberland Forest Project won’t own the mineral rights of the land.  This means mining could still take place – but the Nature Conservancy says just a small percentage of the land would be subject to mining and the group would have  a say in the process. The area includes the central Appalachians which are especially important to preserve biodiversity and help wildlife adapt to climate change.  The Nature Conservancy hopes that this model can be done in other areas, so that long term, a super highway of protected land could be created along the mountain range.  It means conservation can happen on a scale which can’t be achieved through philanthropy on its own. Conservation needs all the help it can get and it also needs new ways of working so it will be interesting to what this model can achieve.  Visit the Nature Conservancy here to see how you can help

    

5. Land donated - Presidential Estates in Eastern USA

   Posted on 8:00pm Tuesday 16th Jul 2019

   The West Virginia Governor, Jim Justice, and his family have made a donation to the future of Virginia. They have donated 4,500 acres in Virginia and in doing so have forfeited hundreds of development rights.   That’s about 7 square miles. The area will remain as timberland and for agriculture – but at least it won’t be full of sprawling housing developments and shopping malls.   Known as Presidential Estates, 2,657 acres of the property are ranked as having “High” or “Very High” forest conservation value, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry.   The property also has over 18 miles of watercourses.  These contribute to the aquatic habitat and public drinking water supplies of communities downstream. There are plenty of opportunities for us all to make land donations and every single square foot we can donate help.   Pledge a patch for wildlife - you don't need thousands of acres to make a difference.    Every square foot helps.   Your patch can be as big as this pot with wildlife friendly flowers in it! pic copyright to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Worcestershire Wildlife Trust are asking people in the area to Pledge a Patch – which means dedicating an area to wildlife.   This patch could be in your garden, school, community or work place.  It could be a window box, woodland, a bed full of wild-flowers, a tiny pond – anything that makes a difference to wildlife. The more of us who can do this, the better.  We have turned our garden over to wildlife and consider it theirs, as much as ours. Meantime, donations such as Governor Justice and his family make also help considerably, of course, so if you have a patch of land…. please consider leaving it to a local conservation charity or work out ways to make the most of for wildlife.   Keep it safe from human development.