"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
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
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:
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.
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!
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.
The majestic Asiatic lion once roamed across Asia and the Middle East and Asia. But, by the early 1900s, the species had suffered from hunting – so much so that only about 20 remained in Western India.
Today, numbers are increasing and now there are about 600 Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest. The problem is that they are very vulnerable to forest fires and to disease.
ZSL is working with the Wildlife Institute of India and the Gujarat Forest Department to ensure the wonderful Asiatic Lion has a future.
4 ways ZSL are helping Asiatic Lions in the Gir Forest
Conservation support including training wildlife rangers and training them in using the SMART tool, which was developed by conservation organisations to establish effective patrolling systems, monitor wildlife populations and movements and identify threats such as poaching or disease
Veterinary support – lions have got stuck down wells and come into conflict with people, and the ZSL staff have taught vets vital lifesaving techniques such as how to intubate anaesthetised lions to help them breathe
Working with the Sakkarbaug Zoo where about 40 Asiatic Lions live – some have been injured too much to return to the wild or for other good reasons they live at the zoo. ZSL and the staff at the zoo share best practice and knowledge about the Asiatic Lions.
Education is vital to engage local communities and help them appreciate the importance of lion conservation.
Can I mention also the Lion Trust (who are specialist fund managers) who sponsor ZSL’s Asiatic Lions Campaign. We need more businesses to get involved like this. Thank you to the Lion Trust.