WLTnews ISSUE No. 45
WINTER 2013
Inside this issue... • Big Match Fortnight, raising funds to save the rainforest of Borneo • Latest land purchases • News from project partners • WLT-US name change • Controversial Conservation, have your say
Saving Real Acres in Real Places
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On track to save Orang-utans and their rainforest neighbours The results of Big Match Fortnight
Special Appeal
£700,000 raised for Borneo The results of Big Match Fortnight, 2-16 October 2013
Borneo Rainforest Appeal: aiming to raise One Million pounds
World Land Trust Blyth House, Bridge Street Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8AB, UK Tel: 01986 874422 Fax: 01986 874425 Email: info@worldlandtrust.org
“Every bit of rainforest that is chopped down is less space for Orang-utans. I fully support the WLT in its bid to save the forests that are left, to ensure that species such as the Orang-utan, Bornean Pygmy Elephant and other critically endangered species are not lost forever. Congratulations on the success of Big Match Fortnight and thank you to everyone who made a donation.” Sir David Attenborough Patron, WLT
Launched by Dr Isabelle Lackman, director of Hutan, WLT’s partner organisation in Borneo, in August, the Borneo Rainforest Appeal is well on its way to raising its target of One Million pounds. Thank you to everyone who rose to the challenge and made a donation during the fortnight. The support for this project and WLT, about to embark on its 25th year, has been unprecedented. Our supporters and ambassadors have enthused, inspired and cajoled so successfully that we have benefited from tens of thousands of pounds of free, high profile advertising and PR for the appeal. And, as well as motivating our existing donors to make a contribution, we have reached many new people who we hope will be inspired by our work and become part of our long term donor base. Thank you also to our Patrons who have given
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Orang-utans. Absolutely extraordinary animals and easy to see why they generate so much affection. And when you look into their eyes it’s like a reflection in a not so distant mirror. I’m really pleased that I was able to play a role in WLT’s Big Match Fortnight - an organisation and a cause I wholeheartedly support. Thank you to everyone who showed they cared by making a donation. What a wonderful achievement.
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Thanks to the generosity of our supporters WLT has achieved its greatest ever fundraising success by raising £685,152 for the Borneo Rainforest Appeal during Big Match Fortnight 2013. Taking into account donations to the appeal made before and after Big Match Fortnight, the appeal total now tops £700,000.
Chris Packham, Patron, WLT magnificent support and also to our Trustees and Council members (which includes Simon Barnes) for their unstinting support and to the very many people who have gone the extra mile to help us give a lifeline to threatened species in Borneo.
Special thanks to Simon Barnes Simon Barnes writes about the work of the Trust regularly in The Times. In his column of 12 October he wrote: “Times readers responded [to last week’s feature] with a level of generosity that has almost struck me dumb. In the first week [of Big Match Fortnight] more than £100,000 had been sent to WLT and I’m told that a large proportion of these funds came from readers. I am humbled, bemused, marvelling - and quite shatteringly grateful. The Malay for thank you is terima kasih. Its literal meaning is: “Received with love.” Thank you Simon and to absolutely everyone who donated to our appeal.
Simon Barnes with WLT’s Mary McEvoy, on a site visit to the rainforest of Malaysian Borneo. They are watching a White-crested Hornbill in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain, which your donations are helping to save.
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Keruak Wildlife Corridor in Borneo Saving species from extinction, and not just Orang-utans Special Appeal
Hornbills including this Oriental Pied Hornbill are monogamous and mate for life. There are eight species of hornbill in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain. Threats are primarily loss of forest but they have been hunted in the past for food, eastern medicinal purposes and because they eat orchard fruit.
The Proboscis Monkey is endemic to Borneo and endangered throughout its range. It prefers forests along river edges. Its Malay name, Monyet belanda, means “Dutch monkey”, as allegedly Indonesians remarked that the Dutch colonisers often had similarly large bellies and noses.
The Bornean Pygmy Elephant is an endangered species. Numbers are estimated to be as few as 2,050 wild individuals compared to more than 600,000 African Elephants. Expanding human development disrupts their migration routes and depletes their food sources.
The Lower Kinabatangan Floodplain showing location of the Keruak Corridor (inset).
Down payments secure land in the Keruak Wildlife Corridor Thanks to overwhelming support for the Borneo Rainforest Appeal, particularly through Big Match Fortnight, we have wasted no time in sending funds for down payments towards the creation of the Keruak Wildlife Corridor that links the Keruak Virgin Jungle Reserve with Lot 2 of Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. Hutan, our partners in Borneo, confirm that the land is being saved as we write this.
The first phase of land purchase will secure a stretch of several properties along the north bank of the Kinabatangan River, to safeguard the Keruak Wildlife Corridor. Even small parcels of land can be a lifeline for Orang-utans so long as they link protected forests, enabling animals to move safely over greater distances. Phase 2: Once the riverside properties have been purchased, and if we have sufficient funds, we will be able to move on to purchase more properties further back from the river which will widen the corridor.
The One Million pound appeal We still need to raise £300,000 to complete the crucial corridor of land for Orang-utans. To donate, visit www.worldlandtrust.org or use the donation form insert.
The Flat-headed Cat alive and well in Kinabatangan Despite being one of only six wild cat species listed by IUCN as Endangered, the Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is one of the least known of the world’s wild cats. Patchily distributed in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra, it is suspected that there could be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals surviving in the wild, and these are restricted to wetland habitats in fragmented forests. The good news is that they have been seen in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain and one was spotted by the WLT group on a site visit in October 2012. Bill Oddie, who was in this group was so taken with the Flat-headed Cat that he composed a song in its honour, called “Nobody tells the Flat Headed Cat where to go…”
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New land purchase success Safeguarding the forests, safeguarding the rarest Latest Buy an Acre land purchases
Buy an Acre & Action Fund
2,500 acres SAVED in Colombia
The Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) survives in the Andean regions of Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, but its populations are declining due to the loss of forest habitat to cattle ranching and agriculture. Further land purchase safeguards its habitat.
390 acres SAVED in Ecuador Ecuador’s Podocarpus National Park may well be the world’s last stronghold for the Mountain Tapir which has an estimated total population of just 2,500 individuals in the wild. This recent land purchase of 390 acres (158 hectares) will protect more rainforest habitat. Not all the land within the Podocarpus National Park is protected and when important land does come up for purchase Nature and Culture International (NCI), one of WLT’s Ecuadorian partners, look carefully at the biodiversity that would be protected. This latest property was known to be home to Mountain Tapirs and so became a priority for purchase. Ranging between 1,040 and 1,960 metres above sea level in an area where the Andes meets the Amazonian basin, it contains an important water source for mammals and also for the Bombuscaro River which supplies the city of Zamora. Funds for the purchase came from WLT’s corporate supporter TapirApps and the intrepid bungee jumpers of Paradise Wildlife Park.
The purchase of two new properties has extended Las Tangaras Reserve in Colombia, one of the most diverse tropical forest sites on Earth. The reserve is owned and managed by WLT’s partner, ProAves. Protection of the sites was crucial for the survival of rare and threatened birds, including two endemic species: Goldenringed Tanager (Bangsia aureocinta) and Black-and-gold Tanager (Bangsia melanochlamys). Threatened mammals on the reserve include the Spectacled Bear. We reported on the progress of the larger of the two purchases in the Spring issue of WLT News, and can now confirm that this has been completed; it adds 1,869 acres (756 hectares) to the reserve. The most recent purchase, protecting 688 acres (278 hectares) within the core reserve was strategically important as it safeguards an important watershed of the Rio Atrato and habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna. Some of this land was purchased with funds from the Action Fund as it cost more than £100 an acre but was considered a priority for protection.
New land purchase in the pipeline At Paradise Wildlife Park, in Hertfordshire, James Cork, Head of Paddocks section (top right), with fellow keepers and resident tapir, present John Burton (WLT CEO) and Viv Burton (Head of Communications) with a cheque for £2,500. Funds were raised mainly through their terrifying bungee jump, which involved being lifted to the top of a crane nearly as high as the London Eye. Many thanks to James, Carrie Arnold, Callum Bullworthy and co-jumper Emily. “I have a massive love for tapirs”, said James, “and I try to educate our visitors about these fantastic animals at every opportunity.”
New land purchase is currently under way with three of our project partners in Ecuador: Nature & Culture International, Fundación Jocotoco, Fundación EcoMinga. And in Mexico with Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda and in Colombia with ProAves.
Buy an Acre projects Save One Acre for £100 in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. See donation form enclosed or donate online:
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Success stories from our overseas conservation partners Helped with funds from WLT
Action Fund & Keepers of the Wild
Best ever breeding season for Yellowshouldered Parrots on Margarita Island, Venezuela Recognising the significance of the habitat and biodiversity of the Macanao Peninsula, on the western side of Margarita Island, in 2009 WLT funded the purchase of 1,809 acres (732 hectares) of threatened dry forest. This forest provides vital roosting sites for the Yellow-Shouldered Parrot.
Cerro Blanco designated an Area of Importance for the Conservation of Bats (AICOM) The Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, close to Ecuador’s largest city Guayaquil, is managed by WLT’s partner Fundación Pro-Bosque. This 15,019 acre (6,078 hectare) reserve is one of the last remaining Ecuadorian dry forests and is vital for the survival of many species including the reserve’s flagship species, the Great Green Macaw. Its importance for bats has now been officially recognised. Research into bat species has been taking place since 2007 and biologist Jaime Salas, who created an inventory of bat species at Cerro Blanco, has been assisted by Leonardo Álava. Their dedication has been rewarded with the first AICOM in Ecuador.
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Although we often focus on large mammals, habitat preservation is just as important for small mammals. I am delighted that Cerro Blanco has been declared an important area for bat conservation. Just knowing that it protects 32 different species of bat is enough to a warm the heart of any conservationist. John Burton, WLT CEO
This breeding season a record number of Yellow-shouldered Parrots fledged thanks to the vigilance of WLT partner, Provita. The 16 nest sites were protected day and night resulting in 77 chicks successfully fledging - 33 more than last year. Since 2012 WLT has supported Keeper of the Wild (reserve ranger), Pablo Antonio Millán, who is assisted in his work to protect the nesting sites by six other rangers. The parrots build nests in the cavities of tree trunks, but the nests are often spoiled by poachers who, outside the breeding season, are looking for iguanas in the nest holes. Early in the year rangers repaired damaged nests by applying net covered in nontoxic plaster to make sure that the parrots had enough places to breed.
Illegal pet trade Every year, between March and August, Yellow-shouldered Parrots raise their chicks in Macanao and every year poachers and
Keeper of the Wild Pablo Antonio Millán repairs a damaged nest using net covered in nontoxic plaster. And five healthy Yellowshouldered Parrots chicks survive the 2013 breeding season. traffickers attempt to remove chicks from their nests to sell into the illegal pet trade. The ranger’s job is risky, as poachers can be aggressive. A few years ago Provita’s team was attacked by armed poachers, who fired warning shots and stole 16 chicks. Early in the 2012 season, poachers damaged 40 per cent of the nests, even before the eggs hatched. Congratulations to Provita on their success this year.
32 species of bat Of the 32 species of bats recorded at Cerro Blanco the two most important are the Fraternal Fruit-eating Bat (Artibeus fraterculus) and the Harmless Serotine (Eptesicus innoxius), both of which are endemic to the dry forest. Other significant species are the Little Big-eared Bat (Micronycteris megalotis), Heller's Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus matapalensis), Pallas's Mastiff Bat
(Molossus molossus) and Wilson’s Bonneted Bat (Eumops wilsoni) only discovered in 2009. One of the more unusual species found at Cerro Blanco is the Greater Bulldog Bat or Fisherman Bat (Noctilio leporinus), (photographed above) which flies low over water to catch fish. They can catch as many as 40 fish of up to 80mm in length in a single night.
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www.worldlandtrust.org
Live from the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil Nicholas Locke, director of REGUA reports on land purchase and releasing wildlife back to safety Minas Gerais State
Rio de Janeiro State
Brazil
Nova Friburgo Teresópolis Petrópolis
Macaé
Cabo Frio
Rio de Janeiro
September 2013: REGUA adds another 62 acres to its reserve Guapi Assu Ecological Reserve (REGUA) has added another 62 acres (25 hectares) of Atlantic Rainforest to its reserve thanks to funding from WLT. The newly acquired property lies in the Upper Guapi Assu watershed, adjoining the existing reserve boundary. Most of the new property is secondary forest, although there are areas of old, overgrown banana plantations and a small patch of grassland which can be replanted with native trees. “The acquisition of this new property increases REGUA’s protected area and continues to demonstrate to local communities our commitment to the forests that surround them,” said Nicholas Locke. “Being able to demonstrate that grassy hillsides can return to forest is a win/win situation with local people being able to see increased biodiversity and improved environmental services.”
REGUA currently protects 18,000 acres (7,400 hectares) of critically threatened Atlantic Rainforest. As can be seen from this photograph, some hillsides have been cleared of their trees in the past but with funds for tree planting the forests can be restored.
Three quarters of the property lie within the limits of Três Picos Park, which means that in due course REGUA can apply for Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) status for the small area outside Três Picos - 16 acres (6.5 hectares). Under the RPPN programme, land use is restricted to research, environmental education and ecotourism in perpetuity. REGUA was formed in 2001, and over the years its Director, Nicholas Locke, has overseen the expansion of the reserve as properties and funds have become available. WLT has partnered REGUA since 2005, and has supported land purchase, tree planting, and the employment of rangers on the reserve. REGUA’s high level of biodiversity encourages scientific research and tourism as well as generating jobs that boost the economy and give local people a stake in environmental protection.
Atlantic Rainforest haven REGUA’s reserve protection and reforestation work within the Upper Guapi Assu watershed makes it a prime conservation area for Rio de Janeiro state’s Atlantic Rainforest. REGUA protects 55 mammal species including the Brown-throated Threetoed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) and the critically endangered Woolly Spider Monkey (Muriqui brachyteles). 456 species of birds have been confirmed, including 118 endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest. Amphibians number some 456 species of which 282 are endemic and of the 311 species of reptile found in the Atlantic Forest 42 have been recorded at REGUA. Over 170 species of dragonfly and damselfly have now been recorded, including several species new to science. Also 570 species of butterfly.
Visit the Atlantic Rainforest at REGUA
Keepers of the Wild
“If seeing a sloth in the wild is one of your dreams please think about visiting REGUA. The reserve offers sloths much habitat which is steadily recovering, with many food plants available, so you may well be lucky,” says Nicholas.
WLT supports REGUA by providing funds to employ Keepers of the Wild (reserve rangers). It costs approximately £5,000 to employ a ranger for one year.
The REGUA reserve is situated 80 kilometres north east of Rio de Janeiro. It protects some of the last remaining Atlantic Rainforest, and provides crucial habitat for many threatened species. REGUA welcomes visitors to the Guapi Assu Bird Lodge which offers excellent accommodation and is non-profit making. Funds generated from tourism are ploughed back into REGUA’s conservation work which includes habitat restoration, biodiversity monitoring, species reintroductions and education and community projects.
To donate to Keepers of the Wild visit www.worldlandtrust.org or use the donation form insert.
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Good news for lost and stolen wildlife Back to safety in the REGUA Reserve Safe new home for Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Children from a school close to the REGUA Reserve had an opportunity to release birds, trapped illegally, back into the wild. The birds had been caught by mist net and were destined for the caged bird market.
Buffy-fronted Seedeaters back in the wild Sue Healey, REGUA volunteer reports
“The endangered Brown-throated Threetoed Sloth is one of those magical creatures of the Neotropics. Slothful in our language has a connotation of being lazy and it is taken from the slow nature of this lovely, friendly creature. Although the sloth spends close to 75 per cent of its time in trees hugging on for dear life with its strong claws it isn’t as slow as one may believe and when motivated can move quite quickly. Sloths are predominantly arboreal and we often see them at REGUA, in Cecropia trees - a hollow tree that itself has a symbiotic relationship with the Azteca ants. The tree is a pioneer species so there is never any lack of them on the reserve. REGUA rangers, Vianna and Ramos, were on their routine duties when they found this sloth crossing a busy highway nearby so they promptly stopped the traffic and placed it inside the boot of their car. It was a fine, healthy male and they brought it back to REGUA to be released into a safer habitat. We released him in some Cecropia trees and he quickly took off to climb to safety among the lofty branches.” Nicholas Locke, Director, REGUA
“On 21 July we received a surprise telephone call from the Rio de Janerio State Forestry Police asking if we could release 170 wild Buffy-fronted Seedeater (Sporophila frontalis) in the reserve that afternoon. These birds had been illegally captured in the Nova Friburgo area, 45 km in a straight line from REGUA. The Forestry Police were keen to release them as fast as possible. This threatened species only occurs in the last fragments of Atlantic Rainforest and as we already have them at REGUA we immediately agreed. We decided to release them near the wetlands, with plenty of cover for them to shelter, and diverse food sources. Visitors from the REGUA Lodge, and children from a local school, were invited so that the release could be used as an educational experience for them. The Municipal Secretary of the Environment and the police officers gave short presentations to the children explaining why it is wrong to take birds from the wild, put them in cages and keep them in their own homes, and why it was such a positive event to be able to release them back into the wild. They listened carefully to all that was said.
The four cages were carefully taken from the vehicle and the children removed the covers. As soon as the birds saw daylight and their surroundings they started to call and flap excitedly. The children were captivated as the birds flew past them to freedom. Releasing species is a highly contentious subject because of the health of the birds and the risk of spreading disease, but as these birds had only been in captivity for two days, having been caught in mist nets, the priority was to get them back into the wild as quickly as possible. They adapted very well to their new home.”
The Buffy-fronted Seedeater only occurs in the last fragments of Atlantic Rainforest and is threatened by loss of habitat and illegal trapping. Prized because of its remarkable song, they are known for their migratory habits, feeding mainly on bamboo, which they follow as the flowering and fruiting occurs at different periods in the Atlantic Rainforest.
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How does WLT address Climate Change? Roger Wilson explains WLT’s Carbon Balanced Programme Climate change is constantly in the news. Most scientists and political leaders consider it the greatest challenge facing society today while some, on increasingly shaky ground, deny it altogether. Because it is complicated and baffling many are simply left feeling a little bored. The sure things are that the proposals on the table promise to disrupt our lifestyles and economy which makes it an unpopular subject. It is a global problem that demands a global consensus and a global response but there are powerful reasons to prevaricate and nothing decisive gets done.
is at the top of the scale but the certification requirements are elaborate and the job has taken several years and millions of pounds to implement. Furthermore this kind of action needs the support of big companies and must be at a landscape scale. Even so, what we
saved represents a few weeks’ worth of deforestation in the Paraguayan Chaco as a whole. At the other end of the scale, WLT’s Carbon Balanced programme addresses other questions:
Voluntary action takes a lead So much for the international response but what about voluntary action? Here the fear of false or overblown claims has led to independently audited systems that ensure actions on the ground really do reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These projects also validate their credentials in terms of positive benefits for communities, natural habitats and wildlife. WLT is all about voluntary action and has risen to the challenge; in partnership with Guyra Paraguay and the local Yshir community it has snatched 18,500 acres of forest in the Paraguayan Chaco - complete with its endangered Chaco Peccaries, Giant Armadillos, Palo Santo trees and the rest of its fauna and flora - from imminent destruction by cattle ranchers. A parallel action has been taken in the Atlantic Forest of San Rafael, Paraguay. This time with the small-holder community of La Amistad. These acts, financed by Swire Pacific Offshore and legally bound for permanence, have prevented the release of many tens of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The project is dual-certified under the Verified Carbon Standard and validated to Gold Level under Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance guidelines. The Paraguay Forest Conservation Project
Art by members of the Yshir community in Paraguay has recently been on display in World Land Trust gallery. This image shows Chaco Peccaries and Palo Borracho (‘drunken’) trees, symbolic of the Dry Chaco. These communities have no written language. “The drawings are historically important,” explains John Burton, WLT CEO, “until the last quarter of the 20th century, most of the communities had little contact with the rest of the world, and their art is largely uninfluenced by art teachers and methods.” These images provide a wonderful visual expression of the landscape, flora and fauna of the region. With vast areas of grassland and lowland forest, thorn trees and impenetrable undergrowth, the Dry Chaco presents a hostile environment, but one that is home to an extraordinary range of species. WLT has been supporting conservation in Paraguay for nearly a decade, helping create three reserves covering very
different habitats: in the Dry Chaco, in the Chaco-Pantanal, and in the Atlantic Rainforest, including land saved through Carbon Balanced projects. WLT also supports the management of three further protected areas covering more than 2.5 million acres in Northern Paraguay. WLT is currently working with Paraguay’s leading conservation organisation, Guyra Paraguay, and the Yshir community to jointly manage 12,000 acres (4,745 hecatres) of land for conservation and cultural protection. You can see more examples of the Yshir artwork on the gallery pages of the website: www.worldlandtrust.org/gallery
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Saving Dry Chaco, Atlantic Rainforest and Chaco-Pantanal habitats and … the threats
• How can individuals and small to medium-sized companies contribute? • How can we maximise the conservation for the money spent? • How can we use carbon finance for the smaller, strategic, high conservation value sites that WLT specialises in saving? • And how can we have carbonfinanced projects at a scale our local partners can handle easily? The process is made as simple as possible: WLT provides the tools for companies and individuals to calculate their emissions from energy use and travel. They then pay WLT to secure an area of forest large enough to keep an equivalent amount of carbon locked away. This is offsetting, but the common concerns are covered by using all the basic rules applied to the fully certified Paraguay project but at a smaller scale. Each offset is individually assigned to a project site so the contributor knows exactly where their offsets are made. The area must be threatened with clearance if no action is taken. It is permanently protected with legal safeguards and amount of emissions that clearance would release must be conservatively estimated, with a big (usually 50 per cent) safety margin. WLT’s Carbon Balanced programme has proved an effective conservation programme – over 3,700 acres in eight key sites in Ecuador has been protected to date. It is also efficient in that all the funding goes to conservation and project management. Roger Wilson, Senior Conservationist: Special Conservation Initiatives, WLT WLT’s Carbon Balanced programme offers individuals and companies a means of offsetting their CO2 emissions while conserving some of the world’s most endangered species and habitats. To find out more about WLT’s Carbon Balanced programme visit the Ecosystems Services pages of our website: www.worldlandtrust.org/eco-services
llegal deforestation around the San Rafael Reserve which protects some of the last Atlantic Rainforest left in the world. In October 2012 Guyra Paraguay's buildings inside the reserve were subject to an arson attack in what was thought to be an act of intimidation by illegal loggers.
Nick Baker on Celebrity Mastermind to support WLT Naturalist, writer and TV presenter Nick Baker has been passionate about wildlife all his life. He has presented many TV series and specials including The Really Wild Show (BBC1), Killer Shark Live (C5), Test Your Pet (CBBC & BBC1), and Nick’s Quest (Channel 5/Discovery). He is regularly on Discovery Channel which is where Andrea Ferreira (right) first saw him on television in Paraguay.
Nick Baker with Andrea Ferreira, representing Guyra Paraguay, on the WLT stand at Birdfair 2013.
This Christmas Nick is taking part in BBC One's Celebrity Mastermind and has chosen to represent WLT and donate his fee to the Trust’s conservation work in the Dry Chaco of Paraguay. Nick is hoping to make a site visit to the Dry Chaco with WLT CEO, John Burton, early in the New Year. Celebrity Mastermind will be broadcast on BBC1 over the Christmas period.
Easy ways to become a ‘Friend’ Be part of WLT’s long • Complete a Direct Debit form online: term future: www.worldlandtrust.org/supporting/ friends.htm become a • Download the form and post to WLT ‘Friend’ ‘Friends’ pledge a minimum donation of £5 a month to the WLT Action Fund for our most urgent project needs.
• Let us know if you’d like us to send a form to you by post • For other payment options or for more information please call the WLT office: 01986 874 422
Saving wilderness, saving wildlife and adding leverage
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World Land Trust-US changes its name to Rainforest Trust The partnership continues Moving slowly towards a shared vision, in 2006 the US not-for-profit, World Parks, became World Land Trust-US. In 2013 they became the Rainforest Trust. Prior to 2006, John Burton (WLT CEO) and Byron Swift (then President of World Parks in the USA) had been discussing innovative ways of working hand in hand across the world, knowing only too well the pitfalls, having both been involved in international conservation for 30 years. World Parks was established in the same year as WLT and already shared several project partners and much of WLT’s project criteria. In July 2006, at the WLT AGM, Trustees agreed to the change of name for World Parks and an agreement was signed. Since then WLT and WLT-US have worked closely together, sharing information and enabling each to build a higher profile and a wider support base. In the ensuing six years both WLT and WLT-US have seen major growth in capacity and project commitment. While WLT-US has traditionally focused on the New World, WLT has become increasingly involved in saving threatened land in Asia and Africa. The closeness of the working relationship has meant that over the past
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While our name has changed, our mission has not. Our dedication to protecting threatened places and species remains as solid as ever, as does our commitment to being one of the most costeffective conservation organisations on the ground. We will retain close ties with World Land Trust, and will continue to work closely with our overseas partner to ensure the future success of joint projects.
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Dr Paul Salaman CEO Rainforest Trust
Two of Colombia's rarest primates win a remarkable victory with the help of Rainforest Trust (formerly World Land Trust-US) Working with Proaves (Colombian conservation partner of both Rainforest Trust and World Land Trust), Rainforest Trust has recently funded the purchase of 5,691 acres (2,303 hectares) to protect essential habitat for the Colombian Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps rufiventris), and the Cotton-top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). Named the Titi Nature Reserve, after the titi monkeys of South America that occur from Colombia to Brazil, Peru and north Paraguay, it is located in Urabá six years we have been able to have open and frank discussions with our colleagues at WLT-US and, despite the name change, we shall continue to work co-operatively in our shared mission to save as much
Rainforest Trust supports Borneo Rainforest Appeal during Big Match Fortnight To celebrate the new working arrangements the Rainforest Trust donated £107,277 to the Borneo Rainforest Appeal, during Big Match Fortnight. This was a wonderful way to demonstrate shared support for conservation. Other programme partners and projects supported by both organisations include: Fundación ProAves, Colombia, (Las Tangaras Reserve & Reserva Natural Titi); Armonia, Bolivia, (Barba Azul Reserve) and Fundación Jocotoco, Ecuador, (many reserves; the most recent shared support funded the extension of the Buenaventura Reserve).
moist rainforest of Northern Colombia. This is the first sanctuary to offer protection for the Colombian Spider Monkey and one of only two for the Cotton-top Tamarin. Protecting this land was crucial for the survival of these charismatic primates whose numbers have decreased dramatically in recent decades. For the Colombian Spider Monkey, with its wild population totalling perhaps less than 100, this is particularly true. threatened habitats and their wildlife as possible. We look forward to building on the partnership. More information on their website: www.rainforesttrust.org
Rainforest Trust joins WLT’s institutional partners As well as WLT’s 26 overseas conservation programme partners, WLT now has three institutional partners with whom we work on shared information and funding initiatives. They are: Rainforest Trust (USA), IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands and Acciónatura (Spain). WLT also works closely with Birdlife International. Photo credits: Cover: Suzi Eszterhas/naturepl.com; Page 2: Chris Packham (above), David Bebber (below); Page 3: Stewart Forbes (hornbill), Proboscis Monkey as cover, Jo Finch/WLT (elephants); Arun Roisri/Shutterstock.com (Flat-headed Cat); Page 4: Juan Pablo Reyes (tapir), Paradise Wildlife Park; Provita (Margarita Island); page 6: Thor Ostbye; page 7: REGUA (all); Page 9: PROCOSARA (San Rafael Reserve), WLT (Nick Baker); Page 10: Alonso Quevedo/ProAves; Page 11: REGUA (trees); David Bebber (elephants); WLT (Controversial Conservation), Wildlife Trust of India (elephants).
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Plant a Tree with WLT GREAT GIFT: Help to create the rainforests of the future
Gallery On-line Some of the forests at WLT-funded reserves had been cleared before the reserve was established. Tree planting, with native tree species, is currently taking place in Ecuador and you can play your part in creating the rainforests of the future. • For £5 we will plant a tree for yourself or as a gift. We will send a Gift Card, with standard text. Forests are being restored with native tree species through WLT’s Plant a Tree programme.
• For donations of £25 we will plant five trees and send you a personalised Certificate and Gift Pack.
WLT’s Wildlife Art Gallery has had several very popular exhibitions over the past year which have attracted much local support. While Suffolk is off the beaten track we can now offer everyone an opportunity to view nearly all the artwork on our website: www.worldlandtrust.org/gallery There are original works of art by internationally renowned wildlife artists, newly discovered talents, as well as photographs and prints. Purchases can be shipped to almost any part of the world.
Wildlife-friendly gifts for children Three delightful books in rhyme by WLT supporter Kevin Price. Heart-warming stories and games that will, without doubt, be stocking filler favourites with young children this Christmas. All three books feature WLT and are printed on Carbon Balanced paper. Ages 3-7.
Special Offer Order from WLT and pay only £4.75 each (plus £2.25 P&P) (Normal retail selling price: £5.99) To order send your cheque (payable to WLT) to the address on page 2. For queries, overseas orders or to pay by credit card please call WLT: 01986 874 422
Look out for Elephants A scarf to treasure for years to come WLT and Lily and Lionel have collaborated on a stunning range of silk scarves to raise awareness and funds to help protect African Elephants. Made from hand-spun silk, the beautiful scarves showcase stunning imagery from twice award-winning Press Photographer of the Year and WLT ambassador, David Bebber. The exclusive Look out for Elephants collection has three striking designs and 20 per cent from the sale of each scarf is donated to WLT’s project with Nature Kenya. The scarves are on sale at Harrods and online from Lily and Lionel. http://lilyandlionel.com/special-collections-1/look-out-forelephants.html
Buy gifts from two companies supporting the Borneo Rainforest Appeal Orico is a new award winning British company producing advanced natural skincare, certified organic using rich natural ingredients. www.oricolondon.co.uk Believer Jewellery’s “Life Collection” is inspired by Fibonacci spiral patterns found in nature. 20 per cent of the sale price of this beautiful jewellery is donated to WLT for the Borneo appeal and Buy an Acre in Colombia. http://believerjewellery.com
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Controversial Conservation A WLT meeting at the Royal Society, held on October 2013
• We tell people in India that they should protect elephants and tigers, despite the fact that they can cause human deaths, eat cattle and destroy crops. In Britain we are gassing badgers because they carry TB. India has TB in wildlife as well, but no badgers. Vivek Menon challenged those living in the UK to consider how it is that the people of India can live alongside big dangerous animals.
• Domestic cats and feral cats. You either love or hate cats. Many cat owners are in denial that their own pet slaughters wildlife. Feral cats on the loose are perhaps an even greater threat. George Fenwick and Celia Haddon gave two opposing views. Controversial Conservation has started a public debate, and thanks to social media, the discussions are ongoing. Members of the public are encouraged to join the debate, online questions and comments will be forwarded to panellists, and more Controversial Conservation events are planned.
The event was sponsored by Sibthorp Trust.
An opportunity to listen again A podcast can be heard on our website: www.worldlandtrust.org/education/ podcasts or on our YouTube channel. A video will be released in due course. www.youtube.com/worldlandtrust.org If you would like to join the debate please write to us at the WLT office (address on page 2) or email: info@worldlandtrust.org
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Elephant and calf using the TirunelliKudrakote corridor Vivek Menon, who was in the UK from India for the Controversial Conservation debate, showed us this heart-warming image taken recently of a mother elephant and calf using the TirunelliKudrakote corridor in Kerala, funded with help from WLT. Just over 6,000 elephants live in this area.
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• Which niche species are worth saving? Is it right to divert huge amount of funds to save, for instance, rhinos, pandas and orang-utans? And if so who decides which species can be saved and which are doomed?
WLT Patron Chris Packham chaired discussions and the other four panellists Vivek Menon, founder of Wildlife Trust of India, a WLT conservation partner; Mark Avery, former Conservation Director of RSPB; George Fenwick, President of American Bird Conservancy and Celia Haddon, author and cat expert - spoke eloquently and passionately about their topics and were not afraid to be controversial in their views.
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Topics discussed included:
• In this country harriers and goshawks are relentlessly persecuted by those who want to shoot grouse and partridges, “much of it is carried out by gamekeepers,” said Mark Avery.
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Issues that are rarely discussed outside conservation circles were raised publicly at Controversial Conservation, a debate held by WLT at the Royal Society on 14 October.