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1. Will Wilmar put its plan into action and save rainforest?

   Posted on 9:00pm Thursday 20th Dec 2018

   There’s news from Wilmar International.   They are important, because the Singapore based company supplies 40% of the world’s palm oil. They say (which is different to actually doing) that they will commit to map its suppliers’ entire landbank by the end of 2019. Wilmar is going to use satellite monitoring to check for deforestation.   If they catch companies cutting virgin forest for plantations, those companies will immediately be suspended from doing business with Wilmar. Greenpeace say they will be watching this development carefully and its activists have been busy in the last few months.  If Wilmar does what it says, it means that by 2019 it will be almost impossible for its suppliers to get away with forest destruction. The problem with palm oil is that it’s cheap – so used in a major way in cosmetics, toiletries and food products. Huge areas of rainforest have been destroyed to allow for palm oil plantations. Wildlife species have been badly hit, most notably the orangutan.  Wilmar’s decision comes about because people are showing a backlash against companies that use unsustainable and unverified palm oil.  We must all watch this development and see what Wilmar International actually does.   As I said at the start, making these plans is different to actually carrying them out and DOING them.  But it’s a start and could be a useful benchmark with which to see what progress they make by the end of 2019. Make a Difference NOW to Rainforest Conservation An Indonesian oil palm plantation is up for sale and the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) has a golden opportunity to buy this land and restore the lush forest that once stood there.  They need to raise £870,000 by February 2019 to do this and help save the habitat for orangutans.  As I write, over £512,000 has been donated already.   Find out more and donate here. Lots of people are giving £5 or £10 or whatever they can to this appeal.   What matters is that lots of us take action and give something to make a difference and get this land to protect it for wildlife.  I donated for my aunt’s birthday present as she adores orangutans.  Every £1 or $1 helps.   Donate here

    

2. Help rainforest conservation and sign this petition

   Posted on 8:00pm Thursday 8th Nov 2018

   There’s a very great danger to rainforests and consequently to all our wellbeing.  We all need rainforests in good conditions in order for every one of us to survive and thrive and be well.   Rainforest Rescue report that business groups and politicians want to meet to discuss worldwide demand for energy and raw materials.  These groups want to boost economic growth with a new “bioeconomy”.    The idea is that vast amounts of land will produce wood and other agricultural goods.   Rainforest Rescue says:   Burning our forests in power plants and setting up huge industrial plantations to grow biomass for supposedly renewable energy and bioplastics is anything but clean or green.     These plants threaten natural ecosystems, the global climate, human health and human rights.  One example is the Brazilian “Biofuture Platform”. This is a Brazilian initiative supported by 20 countries. Rainforest Rescue is asking us to speak out against these plans by signing their petition.   80 environmental organisations worldwide are against then plans.  Personally, I think far too many business leaders and politicians around the world have lost touch with nature to such an extent that they think it’s now a “nice to have” thing, or something which isn’t relevant to them and doesn’t apply to them.  Their arrogance is breathtaking.    Look after the earth and the earth will look after us.     I don't think we are looking after the earth and she is rapidly coming to a point where will she cannot look after us because she isn’t in good health herself.  And that’s our fault.     Please sign Rainforest Rescue's petition.

3. Ball raises money for orangutan conservation

   Posted on 5:40pm Tuesday 11th Sep 2018

   The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have announced that the Investect Rainforest Ball held on 16 September 2017 raised a swinging £220,426. This staggering sum will be used to protect critically endangered Sumatran orangutans and their rainforest habitat. The money will be split between the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP). Durrell was very grateful to Investec for their support – and the great news is that Investec will be the headline sponsor for the Investec Wildnerness Ball on 28th September 2019. The 2019 event will be a very special one indeed because it will both mark Durrell’s 60th Anniversary and also celebrate Durrell’s new vision to ‘Rewild our World’. Investect Director Kevin Allen was delighted that the ball was such a great success, and noted that Durrell’s commitment to conservation is aligned to Investec’s values of education, entrepreneurship and the environment, so the company was very pleased to sponsor the 2019 event and thus continue to support Durrell’s work. To reserve tables or find out about silver or bronze sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected] Businesses, you can discover ways to give Durrell your corporate support here. Meantime, a big thank you to Investec for supporting wildlife conservation and Durrell in this way.

    

4. Help Ancient Forests in Mexico

   Posted on 10:00pm Tuesday 14th Aug 2018

   In Central Mexico, the ancient forests of Sierra Gorda are being destroyed.  They are home to the big cat, the hummingbird, And there’s a chance to save some of them. They are full of Pinyon Pines, Junipers, Cedars, Sweetgums, Firs and Oaks – some of them hundreds of years old.  They are home to species such as the Monarch Butterfly and the Big-footed Salamander.  Jaguars, pumas, bobcats, margays, ocelots and jaguarondi live here. But the forest is all disappearing, thanks to human activity - agriculture, cattle ranching and man-made fires. Fire has a particularly bad impact – it can take a forest years to recover from a man-made fire. Enter the World Land Trust. The World Land Trust is working with local, family run Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda to conserve habitat in Sierra Gorda.  In the 10 years they’ve been working together, supporters of the World Land Trust have saved over 10,000 acres of these forests already. And there’s more.  Every acre the World Land Trust has protected has remained under the guardianship of its Keepers of the Wild programme, that is, wildlife rangers hired from the local community.  They guard the forests and restore them to their natural state. So how can you help? You can get involved by – I’ll be frank – making a donation.  I’ve made a donation already and it always makes me feel better and that I’ve had an influence on the world’s forests and been able to do something, rather than sit back and do nothing. So imagine spending £25.  And it goes towards saving ancient forests in Mexico.   Isn’t that wild? Where will your £25 go? The thing is, the World Land Trust has the chance to buy and protect an area of 578 acres in Sierra Gorda.   It needs all our support to ensure this forest can be saved for wildlife. You can help and get involved by donating to the World Land Trust’s Ancient Forests Appeal. A £25 donation will enable the Trust’s partner in Sierra Gorda to buy 1,000m² and put it under protection. A £100 donation will protect one acre. This is a very easy way to get involved and do something quickly for wildlife. And to feel as though you’ve made a difference. Donate to the Ancient Forests appeal today

    

    

5. Forest saved from career as a solar farm in New York state

   Posted on 9:00am Wednesday 13th Jun 2018

   So it’s great to go solar, but not at the expense of wildlife habitat.  In the state of New York, Assemblyman Steve Englebright and his colleagues have been fighting to make the pretty stretch of woodland surrounding an abandoned Shoreham nuclear power plant off limits to developers. And back in January, the Assemblyman co-sponsored legislation to stop the site from being turned into a solar farm. And good news – over 800 acres of the site has been added to the publicly protected Central Pine Barrens preservation area, as well as portions of Mastic Woods.   Plus, elected officials have pushed for the state to buy the land altogether. About 840 acres of the property is to be bought from the National Grid in increments over a number of years, starting in 2019.  The area consists of rolling hills and cliffs, and various species of wildlife. It’s one of New York’s remaining original coastal forest tracts, so it’s an important move in terms of protecting Long Island’s natural heritage.  The National Grid had been proposing to bulldoze the forest and build a solar farm in its place.  It is hoped that this purchase will improve the ground and surface water quality and resilience of the coast – and support tourism. Which tourist wants to come to see a solar farm? Englebright is hoping to save the Mastic acres which is still destined to be a solar farm, and that alternative sites can be used for solar development.  Solar energy is great, but there’s a place for it and forest isn’t one of them. Well done to Englebright and his colleagues for this move!  Source:  TBRNewsMedia.com