World Land Trust Track Record

• Founded in 1989 to purchase land for conservation in Belize.
• Successfully helped save and protect 250,000 acres of tropical forest in Belize.
• Helped save 5,000 acres of rainforest in Costa Rica, which is now incorporated into Corcovado National Park.
• Awarded Lottery Grant for Special Needs development at its Education and Conservation Centre at Wyld Court Rainforest, Berkshire (now The Living Rainforest).
• Successfully raised funds to purchase and protect the pristine island of Danjugan, in the Philippines.
• Secured EU-funding of over £1-million for research into forestry and horticulture in Belize.
• Raised $380,000 to purchase and protect 15,000 acres of coastal steppe habitat in the Argentine Patagonia. The reserve has been granted the official status of Wildlife Refuge.
• Has helped purchase and protect 8 forest reserves in Ecuador, covering over 18,000 acres and protecting numerous species of globally threatened birds and other endangered or threatened animals and plants.
• Successfully obtained funding from the Department For International Development to produce an educational resource, Focus on Forests. This is available as printed booklets, available free of charges to homes and schools, as well as a website, www.focusonforests.org, which has since been awarded "5 star rating for educational usefulness" by Schoolzone and "Topmarks Excellent Site Award" by Topmarks Education.
• Collaborated with the University of East Anglia in creating a diploma course in Conservation and Project Administration, designed to equip the next generation of conservationists with essential theoretical and practical skills, as well as relevant work experience.
• Supported by leading conservationists including Sir David Attenborough and Bill Oddie.
• Supported by over 20,000 individuals over the past ten years.
• Sponsors include British Airways (Environment), Tate & Lyle, Wade Furniture, Paul Mitchell Hair Care, Natural History Book Service, Nationwide Building Society and Enterprise Plants.
• Recently launched the “Books for Conservation” Programme, supported by the Natural History Book Service, to provide essential text-books and field guides to conservation organisations in developing countries, free of charge.
• Established a Study Tours programme, providing tailor-made training for senior conservation managers from around the world.

Success Stories

Since 1989, with support from public donations, company sponsorship, government and foundation grants, the World Land Trust has helped protect over 350,000 acres of steaming tropical forest, colourful coral reefs, arid coastal steppe, and ancient beech woodland.

Programme for Belize

WLT’s first project was a great success, raising over US$ 2-million for the purchase and protection of 250,000 acres of tropical forest – an area 4% of the county. The land purchase in Belize is now part of the largest single tract of forest left in the whole of Central America.

Read more about Programme for Belize

Philippines Reef & Rainforest Project

With intact forests and coral reef, Danjugan Island is a wildlife oasis in an area where deforestation occurs at an alarming rate. Through the ongoing commitment of the local organisation, Danjugan was awarded “Best Managed Coral Reef in the Philippines” in 2002.

Read more about the Philippines Reef & Rainforest Project

Rainforest Action Costa Rica

Creating a blueprint for sustainable development, this community-based project explored methods of sustainable forestry, using mobile sawmills to reduce damage to the surrounding forests, whilst generating and income simultaneously. The Trust helped purchase 5,000 acres in the Esquinas Sector, which is now incorporated into Corcovado National Park.

Read more about Rainforest Action Costa Rica

Kites Hill Reserve, Gloucestershire, UK

Donated to WLT, this 40 acre reserve lies within an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty", and contains stands of native Beech woodland, included on the English Nature "Natura 2000" list, registering a "network of the most important conservation sites in Europe".

Read more about Kites Hill Reserve