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1. African Parks reporting from 2017

   Posted on 9:00pm Monday 25th Jun 2018

   African Parks is responsible for the rehabilitation and long term management of national parks and protected areas. They do this in partnership with governments and local communities, and the goal is to make teach park ecologically, socially and financially sustainable in the long term. And at the end of 2017, they were responsible for managing 14 protected areas in 9 countries (it’s now 15).   The areas spanned 40,540 square miles covering 7 of the 11 ecological biomes on the continent.  They have a large counter-poaching force with 1,000 rangers and over 5,000 staff across the parks. They are undertaking various active management interventions: Extreme species translocations and reintroductions Providing security to create safer spaces for humans and wildlife Ensuring that local people benefit Where security has been restored and governance established, they’ve seen the rise of civility and a better way of life has returned.  There is tremendous momentum to make this rehabilitation happen and to continue to build on successes that African Parks has so far achieved.   Founded in 2000, it’s a non-profit conservation organisation. Their Annual Report for 2017 Restoration:  Nature’s Return highlights: The Chinko team achieved success on the ground keeping 10,000km2 free of cattle and giving wildlife a chance to return 39 elephants were collared in one of the largest elephant collaring exercises in Africa, giving them better protection from armed poachers The successful reintroduction of 18 black rhinos from South Africa to the Akagera Park in Rwanda, 10 years after they had locally become extinct.   7 years were spent making the park safe and reducing poaching to an all time low.  Singing children lined the route between Kigali and Akagera to celebrate their return. The park received 37,000 tourists for the year, making it 75% self-sustaining In August, 520 elephants were translocated from the Liwonde National Park and the Majete Wildlife Reserve to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.  Tourism is on the rise here, and back in Liwonde the human-wildlife conflict has dropped dramatically as a result A long term agreement was signed with the Government of Benin for the Penjari National Park, the largest remaining intact ecosystem in all of West Africa, and a stronghold for the critically endangered West African lion and African elephant In December, African Parks signed a 25 management agreement with the Government of Mozambique to manage the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, the first marine reserve in its portfolio And HRH Prince Harry joined African Parks as their President. African Parks’ model for its protected area management  Law enforcement for the long term sustainability of the parks Biodiversity conservation, with active management of the wildlife and their habitats Community development – the process of building constituencies for conservation through economic development Tourism and enterprise – well managed parks contribute directly to the local and national economy Management and infrastructure – essential for governance and effective park management African Parks goal is to manage 20 African parks by 2020.    You can be a part of this journey and give your support.    Sign up for African Parks’ newsletter Donate to African Parks

2. 20,000 acres protected in Wisconsin, USA

   Posted on 10:00pm Wednesday 13th Jun 2018

   The Mississippi Valley Conservancy  has protected over 20,000 acres permanently from development! Its mission is to conserve native and working landscapes.  It seeks to protect rare plant communities, threatened wildlife species, scenic beauties and opportunities to undertake sustainable agriculture.  And it gives people the chance to get outside, connect with nature and develop healthy habits with good exercise. You can see some of the nature reserves it has protected here. The Boscobel Bluffs State Natural Area is one region that is protected  ©Mississippi Valley Conservancy And it’s been able to protect more land, thanks to landowners working with the Conservancy. A 360 acre farm received protection forever from development, especially from frac sand mining  which is very prevalent in the county.  The owners of the farm, Bill and Mary Ann Hein, have achieved this permanent protection of their much loved farm by a voluntary conservation agreement with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy.  The property is protected from future development, mining or any other habitat destruction. Meantime, Tom and Sharon Sharratt have made their second conservation agreement with the Conservancy for an additional 82 acres of land in Wisconsin.  This agreement protects the natural resources on their land by limiting activities that would disrupt the farming, native habitat and wildlife that thrive there. 40 acres of wildlife-rich land has also been added to those properties which are being permanently protected, thanks to self-described biology “nerds” Judy Kingsbury and Leslie Grossberg. If that wasn’t enough, the Mississippi Valley Conservancy received a rare gift of $1 million from an anonymous donor who wants to see the donation tripled to be a legacy for the Conservancy, which has launched an endowment campaign to fulfil the donor’s vision with a fund called “Our Children’s Natural Heritage Endowment.” The Conservancy uses public and private money to preserve land, whilst still providing public access on some lands. Make a donation to the Mississippi Valley Conservancy

    

3. First jaguars born in the Iberá National Park in Argentina in over a century!

   Posted on 8:00pm Wednesday 13th Jun 2018

   There’s great news for jaguars in Argentina.  Two jaguar cubs have been born – the first to be born from the Tompkins Conservation’s Jaguar Reintroduction Programme and the first jaguars to be born in decades in the region. So how did this come about? Back in 1983, 3.2 million acres was established - the Iberá Natural Reserve in Corrientes province, North East Argentina.  It created a tremendous opportunity for jaguar restoration. And the Conservation Land Trust (CLT) was established there;   it is ecologically restoring 370,000 acres of former cattle ranches to establish Argentina’s largest national park inside the larger Iberá reserve. And CLT started a programme to reintroduce those large mammals that became extirpated inside Iberá during the XXth century.     After re-establishing the presence of giant anteaters and pampas deer there, jaguars are next.  The Tompkins Conservation team in Argentina consists of vets and scientists, community stakeholders and policy makers – and they’ve all collaborated with the goal of breeding a generation of jaguars that could be released into their natural habitat and survive in the wild on their own. There are about 200 individuals in the wild in Argentina today, and about 15,000 jaguars roam the wild worldwide. The goal is to restore a stable 100 jaguar population to Iberá National Park – these jaguar cubs are a great start.  For more information on this Jaguar programme, click here

    

4. 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

    

5. 5,000 trees planted and doing well in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

   Posted on 8:00pm Monday 26th Mar 2018

   In Brazil, 5,000 trees have been planted the Atlantic Forest

   Trees planted in the Matumbo Gap of the Atlantic Forest in 2017 are doing well!

   5,000 trees were planted, thanks to funding from the World Land Trust’s Plant a Tree programme.  The programme plants a tree for a £5 donation.   

   The trees are all grown from seeds collected from the indigenous tree species of the neighbouring Atlantic Forest.  They are cultivated in the nursery of the Reserva Ecológica e Guapiaçu (REGUA) and then planted in the slopes of the cleared area known as the Matumbo Gap.

   The Matumbo Gap has been a priority for reforestation.   It would create a wildlife corridor between two areas of forest which are under the protection of the Reserva Ecológica e Guapiaçu.  The area is funded by the World Land Trust.

   The forest is maturing; some pioneer plant species are bearing seeds and fruit, which fees the native fauna, particularly bats and birds. 

   
   

   
   The Reserva Ecológica e Guapiaçu’s mission is to protect the remaining areas of Altantic Forest and connect fragmented habitats.   These areas have been cut off from each other because of clearance for agriculture. 

   Thriving wildlife can be seen in the state of Rio de Janeiro, thanks to successes from REGUA’s work.

   You can be a part of the World Land Trust’s work to support reforestation in Brazil, Ecuador and Kenya through their Plant a Tree Programme.  

   Native tree species are planted to restore degraded habitats for £5 each.  Donate £25 or more, and you’ll receive a donation pack detailing the impact of your support. 

   BE A PART OF THIS SUCCESS STORY - PLANT A TREE HERE FOR JUST £5

   You can also make a donation to REGUA here