Category:

1. Initiative to protect the Gola Forest in Liberia and Sierra Leone

   Posted on 10:00pm Tuesday 12th Jan 2021

   Birdlife International report that there’s a new forest conservation initiative to save one of West Africa’s few remaining tropical forests. The area covers over 350,000 hectares and it’s called the Gola Forest.   It goes across the Liberia and Sierra Leone borders, and it’s the largest remaining block of Upper Guinean Forest. The area is an important for one for biodiversity – it boasts: 49 mammal species 327 bird species 43 amphibians species over 200 species of tree over 60 species there threatened call this home including - it’s got the world’s second biggest population of Western chimpanzees. it’s an overall carbon sink and helps to reduce the impacts of climate change. But the area has suffered deforestation and degradation Logging, agriculture, mining and conflict have caused the loss of vital biodiversity.   It’s reduced the ability of the area to cope with climate change – and impacted on local people who depend on the forests for their livelihood. There’s protection now in place The governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone have signed agreements in 2011 and 2020 to manage the forest and protect the biodiversity there.  And back in August 2020, the EC funded Programme to Support the Conservation of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa was implemented to conserve the Gola Forest.  The programme has been implemented by: BirdLife Partners the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) and the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, The Gola Rainforest Conservation Limited by Guarantee Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB - BirdLife in the UK), and  BirdLife International. The impact on locals The project should help to manage conflict between communities sharing the same forest resources.  It will support the management of five protected areas.   Local people will be trained and empowered to undertake the management of the forest – the programme will be training community eco-guards so that there are joint patrols by the two countries.   A bio-monitoring programme will also be put in place. As eco-guards, local communities will be involved in protecting the forests which will in turn give them an income.  Many were hunters, miners, loggers and farmers before. Two community based ecotourism ventures will be supported by the project, and a sustainable logging model in Liberia will be piloted.  Over 50,000 people in 160 communities will benefit from the programme. Visit Birdlife International for more information

    

2. Help Rainforest Rescue help the Ekuri people protect their forest and help gorillas

   Posted on 9:00pm Monday 23rd Nov 2020

   Rainforest Rescue are asking for donations to help the indigenous Ekuri protect their community forest. You see, bulldozers appeared without warning and started to clear one of Nigeria’s last remaining forests.   The Ekuri people rose up quickly – they have a lot of experience defending their forest against the exploitation of others. The Ekuri people and Rainforest Rescue have developed a powerful coalition over the years. They want to get the government of Cross River State to abandon its plans for a superhighway to nowhere.    If it were to be created, that superhighway would impact national parks, forest reserves – and 185 villages along its 270 kilometre route.Sixty Eco-Guards are being trained to protect the forest by Martins Ego and activities of the NGOs Ekuri Initiative and DevCon.   One of the species of wildlife who will be particularly affected if this highway goes ahead is the endangered Cross River Gorillas because the region is home to the Afi Wildlife Sanctuary.  Please help the Ekuri people defend their forest home and protect it for people and wildlife – especially the gorillas! Find out more and donate here

    

    

3. Good news from the World Land Trust for conservation

   Posted on 9:00am Saturday 14th Nov 2020

   There’s some good news from the conservation world that I wanted to share with you today so here it is:The World Land Trust have had a very successful autumn. I’m thrilled to say that they hit the required fundraising target of £100,000 in just a few weeks to protect vital gorilla habitat in Africa.  The success of #FutureforGorillas means that there’s a safer future for Camaroon’s great ape population.  The fundraiser kicked off on 4 September and hit its target, thanks to the kindness and generosity of donors in early November.  The World Land Trust’s partner, the Environmental and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF), now has the resources to start creating a forest corridor in eastern Cameroon.  The area is home to Western Lowland gorillas, chimpanzee, elephants, pangolins, hippos, leopards and other species as well.  The creation and protection of forests will mean that species can keep their populations strong in number and have a future.  Here’s the video about it: Find out more about the #FutureforGorillas Appeal here And there’s more good news from the World Land Trust! Big Match Fortnight:  Save Ecuador’s Chocó Forest Their Big Match Fortnight Appeal hit its target of £500,000 in a fortnight! Donors from around the world joined together and made a difference to the incredible appeal to help the World Land Trust and its partner in Ecuador save the last 2% of the Chocó Forest.   The Appeal is still open so you can still donate (I’m writing this on 14 November 2020) which means that even more of the forest can be saved and protected for wildlife.Decades of logging have destroyed 98% of the Chocó forest.  And the World Land Trust’s partner, FJ, got the chance to save the remaining 2% of it – about 57,000 acres in all – from one firm.  Other organisations are involved but the support from World Land Trust donors means that 1,667 acres will be saved – that’s an expansion of the Canandé Reserve which links it to other areas that are protected in the region.  The area is so diverse that scientists took just 45 minutes to find a new species! In fact, 25% of its flora and 10% of its fauna can’t be found anywhere else on earth The Canandé Reserve is a botanical haven.  It’s home to about 375 bird species and 135 reptile and amphibian species of whom 28 are globally threatened.  Goodness knows how many other species live there! The more support the appeal has, the more their forest home can be extended and protected.Support this appeal here   You could also support the #NottooLate Appeal Fund, enabling the World Land Trust to act quickly wherever conservation action is needed.   Visit the World Land Trust's website here

    

    

4. Orangutan Foundation's 30 Year Anniversary Appeal

   Posted on 9:00am Tuesday 10th Nov 2020

   The 8th to 14th November 2020 is Orangutan Caring Week. That gives me a great reason to tell you about a very special appeal which is being run by the Orangutan Foundation and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme. The Orangutan Foundation celebrated their 30th Anniversary in October 2020 so it would be wonderful to see this appeal completed in the same year! They are looking to raise £300,000 for conservation work that’s really vital. In doing so, they want to save three species of orangutan:  The Bornean, Sumatran and  Tapanuli orangutans.  They are all critically endangered and are all suffering from a severe loss of tropical forest habitat.   As a result, their population numbers have plummeted by an incredible 90%.  What will the £300,000 be used for? In Borneo, it will be used for the following (and I’m kind of quoting): Protecting habitat in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and the Tanjung Puting National Park Protection the operation of 8 guard posts in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and two in the Tanjung Puting National Park Monitoring the health and behaviour of orangutans who have been released Supporting the veterinary and monitoring operations at 5 release camps Restoring degraded lands in the reserve Supporting the reforestation programme to increase the extent of habitat that’s suitable for the orangutans Conserving orangutans in landscapes outside conservation areas Collaborating with stakeholders across 2.5 million acres of prime forest habitat In Sumatra, The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme needs funds urgently to: Manage peatlands in the Leuser Ecosytem Protect carbon-rich peatlands with the highest orangutan densities Protect the Tapanuli orangutans in the Batang Toru Ecosystem Increase protected status of their habitat and connecting fragmented forests  Build up newly established wild populations in Jantho and Bukit Tigapuluh Support SOCP’s reintroduction of rehabilitated ex-captive orangutans. Transfer ‘unreleasable’ orangutans to the new Orangutan Haven Care for disabled or sick orangutans that cannot be released back to the wild. So you can see that the £300,000 will be very well spent and really help make a difference to orangutans (and a lot of other species living in the area who also call the forests home). Both organisations have done a great deal of work in the time they have been looking after orangutans and now they need to do more to help them.  The Tapanuli species of orangutan was only found in 2017. If we could get 60,000 people to donate £5 or its equivalent, that would hit the target! Visit the Orangutan Foundation’s website to find out more and donate.

    

5. International Orangutan Day 2020

   Posted on 8:00am Wednesday 19th Aug 2020

   The 19th August is International Orangutan Day and there are some very good ways in which you can help orangutans. Why?  Because the orangutan’s forest is being destroyed so that palm oil plantations can be created in their place. The Iceland advert was banned for being too political but it’s worth looking at because it shows exactly what we are doing to orangutan’s habitat. 1. Donate The Orangutan Foundation are looking to save 300 acres for orangutans and you can donate to help them do this here. The Orangutan Foundation International based in Australia is also looking for donations. 2. Change your buying habits The Orangutan Foundation International has information on palm oil and how to spot when it is in products you might buy. I’m doing this and looking to decrease my use of palm oil as much as possible. Look at your normal shopping list and then take a look at  Ethical Consumer’s guide to palm oil – they have a list of the worst offenders when it comes to palm oil.  If you currently buy from the list of worst offenders, you don’t have to go without – just swap them for another product made by a different company.