The World Land Trust eBulletin Issue 43, November 2006

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In this issue:
Rare monkey sighted in Brazil
Vice President of Paraguay launches Chaco-Pantanal project
WLT supporters help protect rainforest in Brazil
Land purchase as strategy for biodiversity conservation
Dreaming of a green Christmas – Gifts for all
News in brief

Rare monkey sighted in Brazil

Muriqui monkey at the REGUA reserve. Photo © Leonardo Pimentel/REGUA

Muriqui monkeys spotted on REGUA reserve.

WLT are pleased to announce that a troop of Muriqui monkeys, South America's largest primate, has been sighted on the REGUA reserve in Brazil. This exciting discovery was made by REGUA's resident veterinarian Leonardo Pimentel, who not only spotted the rarely seen primate but even managed to photograph the monkeys and record some of their distinctive vocalizations.

The Muriqui, or woolly spider monkey, is among the worlds rarest mammals, classified by IUCN as Endangered due to loss of their natural Atlantic Rainforest home. Although the species was already known to be living in the rainforests of the REGUA reserve it is always encouraging to hear of first hand evidence, and even more reason to continue to protect this vital habitat.

Read more about WLT's project in Brazil
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/brazil.htm

Make a donation to the REGUA project
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/supporting/donation.htm

More information and images of the muruqui from ARKive
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Brachyteles_arachnoides/more_info.html

Vice President of Paraguay launches Chaco-Pantanal project

Luis Alberto Castiglioni, Vice President of Paraguay (right) with Alberto Yanosky, Executive Director of Guyra Paraguay (centre) and WLT's Chief Executive, John Burton.

Grassland conservation project gets governmental recognition.

Official recognition was given to an initiative launched by World Land Trust and Guyra Paraguay, at a vice-presidential reception held in Asuncion, Paraguay's capital city, on 9th November 2006.

His Excellency, Luis Alberto Castiglioni, Vice President of Paraguay, spoke of the importance of the Chaco-Pantanal (dry and wet grassland) project, which was started just over a year ago. Specific mention was given to those who have made this project possible: Sid Templer and family; the Finch family; Kevin Cox and the Netherlands National Committee for IUCN (The World Conservation Union). Presentations were also delivered by the Paraguayan Minister of Environment, Alberto Yanosky, Executive Director of Guyra Paraguay and WLT's John Burton.

Read more about WLT's project in Paraguay
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/paraguay.htm

WLT supporters help protect rainforest in Brazil

John Burton with Albertino and Diane Abela on the land they helped save.

WLT Trustee, Albertino Abela and his wife Diane, and WLT Programmes Manager, Kirsty Burgess were also present at the vice-presidental reception in Paraguay. The event coincided with the group’s two-week visit to South America to see the newly protected land at REGUA, WLT's project in Brazil. The new reserve is 800 ha and was created with Albertino and Diane's help, in celebration of their marriage earlier this year, with support also from Helping Hands Trust and a Trustee of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust.

Albertino and Diane were self-funded on their visit to South America.

Land purchase as strategy for biodiversity conservation

Dutch Workshop brings together WLT Partners.

A few of the workshop participants gather at the entrance to the National Park. Left to right: Roberto Pedraza (Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda, Mexico), Francisco (Pancho) Sornoza (Jocotoco Foundation, Ecuador*), Raquel Locke (REGUA, Brazil*), Alberto Yanosky (Guyra Paraguay*), Victoria Maldonado (CODEF, Chile), Clara Solano (Fundación Natura Colombia), Dr P S Easa (Wildlife Trust of India*) and José María Musmeci (Fundación Patagonia Natural*). *Denotes WLT Partner organisation.

At the end of September the IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands and the World Land Trust hosted the first symposium on "Land Purchase as an Intervention Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation". Held in a small hotel in the de Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park in Holland, the workshops brought together fourteen representatives of Partner organisations of IUCN-NL and WLT, where they were able to compare and exchange experiences. WLT’s Partner organisations were represented by: Edilberto Romero (Programme for Belize), José María Musmeci (Fundación Patagonia Natural), Nicholas Locke (REGUA, Brazil), Dr P S Easa (Wildlife Trust of India), Alberto Yanosky (Guyra Paraguay), Gerry Ledesma (Philippines Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation) and Francisco (Pancho) Sornoza (Jocotoco Foundation, Ecuador).

The topics discussed included how to make reserves financially viable, strategies for fundraising, and how the organisations could learn from each other. WLT is to host a website where the case studies and other information provided by representatives can be shared with other organisations involved in land purchase.

Read the press release: First symposium on private nature reserves for conservation
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/news/2006/10/first-symposium-on-private-nature.htm

Dreaming of a green Christmas – Gifts for all:

Save rainforest acres...

For an ecologically sound Christmas present, please buy your friends and loved ones WLT Gift Acres for just £25. You can save One Acre of Rainforest in Brazil or Ecuador, invest in an Elephant Corridor in Kerala or restore mangrove forests. New Classic or Funky Jaguar certificates available. Donate online at www.worldlandtrust.org or contact the UK office (details below).

Donors in the United States can now make tax deductible contributions to protect rainforest in South America through World Land Trust-US.If you would like to Give an Acre (or more) in someone else’s name, WLT-US should be able to get a gift certificate to you in time for the holidays as long as donations are received by 15 December. Although land prices are rising, WLT-US can still protect an acre of critical habitat in South America for $50. Donations may be made online through www.networkforgood.org or sent directly to the WLT-US office (address below).

...Or, carbon balance your Christmas

Father Christmas with his low-carbon sleigh should be a shining example to us all this year. But if after all efforts at 'greening' your Christmas you can't quite match up to Santa, you can offset your Christmas-related carbon emissions in the knowledge that you are helping restore degraded rainforest in South America – for a mere £7.50! Read more at www.worldlandtrust.org/news.

News in Brief

Get a free BBC wildlife calendar

The 2007 BBC Wildlife Calendar is now available and World Land Trust is represented by a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird on the March page. Other stunning photographs include tigers, young Brown Bear, Humpback Whale and Arctic Fox. We have 30 copies to give away and it is a case of first come first served. The first 30 people to telephone the UK office (0845 054 4422) with a credit card donation to cover post & packing will get a calendar. (Available to supporters within the UK only.)

There's just time to order WLT's exclusive Christmas cards

This year there are three different charity Christmas cards to choose from. All can be ordered online, over the telephone or by post and prices start at £2 for 5 cards. More information at: www.worldlandtrust.org/christmas

Also on the WLT website:

Jocotoco Foundation receives environmental award
www.worldlandtrust.org/newsarchive/2006_11_01_archive.htm#116419555579404114

Green Issues blog: Climate change suddenly fashionable
www.worldlandtrust.org/news/2006/10/climate-change-suddenly-fashionable.htm

World Land Trust Annual Review and Accounts 2005
www.worldlandtrust.org/newsarchive/2006_11_01_archive.htm#116402001512389478