The World Land Trust eBulletin Issue 32, September 2005

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In this issue:
Ecuador Update: Endangered Bird Found in New WLT Reserve
More Ecuador News: New Land and Homes for Macaws
Watch Indian Films and Support WLT's Elephant Corridor Project
Order Wildlife Christmas Cards from the WLT
News in Brief

Ecuador Update: Endangered Bird Found in New WLT Reserve 

Jocotoco Antpitta. A threatened and highly secretive bird, almost the entire population of the Jocotoco Antpitta exist in one of WLT's Ecuador Reserves.

The Jocotoco Antpitta found in Christopher Parsons Rainforest.

Earlier this month ornithologist Niels Krabbe made an exciting discovery: The Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi) is present in the Christopher Parsons Rainforest. WLT's partner organisation in Ecuador, the Jocotoco Foundation, owns and manages this WLT funded reserve and knew it was prime habitat for this highly secretive bird. However, they had been searching for it for 18 months without success - until now.

Dr Krabbe, author of "Birds of the High Andes" and co-founder of the Jocotoco Foundation, heard the sound of one or two Jocotoco Antpittas at the Christopher Parsons reserve and another two in the opposite direction, indicating the presence of at least three and possibly four or five previously undiscovered birds in the area. STOP PRESS: This week Dr Krabbe heard the call of yet another Antpitta in this reserve.

This is very encouraging news as the the Jocotoco Antpitta is classified as endangered. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the bird " is known from very few locations, and has an extremely small range in which habitat destruction and degradation are occurring."

The Jocotoco Antpitta was first discovered in 1997 in what is now the Jocotoco Foundation's Tapichalaca Reserve. Established specifically to protect the Jocotoco Antpitta, this reserve is home to almost the entire known population of the bird, as well as ten other Red Data Book bird species. Christopher Parsons Rainforest, located adjacent to Tapichalaca, was purchased in 2003 in memory of the late Christopher Parsons, World Land Trust Trustee and director of David Attenborough's television series "Life on Earth".

This recent discovery shows just how important it is to protect not just isolated patches where endangered species are already known to occur, but also areas that are thought to be prime habitats. Your donation can make this possible.

Make a donation to WLT's Tropical Forest project in Ecuador
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/supporting/donation.htm

Read more about the Jocotoco Antpitta
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/antpitta.htm

More Ecuador News: New Land and Homes for Macaws 

Great Green Macaw, painted by former WLT intern Emma Page, who is exhibiting at the Milan International Wildlife Art Exhibition 26 Sep-14 Oct. You can send this image as an ecard on the WLT website.

Great Green Macaws get homes at Canandé Reserve.

With funding from the Swarovski Company artificial birds nests in PVC have been manufactured and put up at the Jocotoco Foundation's reserve at Canandé. The nests are for the threatened Great Green Macaw (Ara ambigua) and have been placed in large "Guayacán" trees which are visited by the Macaws at the time of fruiting and are also thought to be used for nesting. This should make the nests irresistible to the macaws and we are hoping to see them take up residence in their new homes soon.

New land purchase creates continuous nature reserve

The Jocotoco Foundation has just completed the purchase of a 200 ha slice of land located between the Christopher Parsons Rainforest and the main reserve at Tapichalaca, bought with funds raised by the WLT. This is in addition to about 100 ha bought in June and means that the gap between the two reserves has now been closed. Tapichalaca and Christopher Parsons Forest now form a continuous wildlife haven, where the longest (flat measured) transect is seven and a half miles (12km).

More updates from Ecuador and the World Land Trust's other project areas will be available in WLT News, the Trust's printed newsletter, which is sent twice a year to supporters who request it. The new issue is out in early October, when it will also be available to download from www.worldlandtrust.org/newsletters.

Watch Indian Films and Support WLT's Elephant Corridor Project

Aldeburgh film event to raise money for WLT's elephant corridor project.

Soak up some warmth and absorb the vibrant colours and sounds from India at Aldeburgh Cinema, Suffolk, on October 9th 3pm. The event, organised by WLT intern Jessica Reiss to raise money for the Trust's elephant project, offers the chance to get some amazing insights into Indian culture through the showing of two documentaries.

The first documentary "The Gods Never Die", shows "The Dance of Splendour" where villagers in Kerala live to the rhythm of rites dedicated to their ancestors and protective deities. The second documentary "The Battle of the Ganges", paints an intimate picture of Veer Bhadra Mishra, an Indian Holy man fighting for the survival of his culture. The directors, Johnathan Watts and Daniel Whistler respectively, will be present to answer questions after the screenings. Tickets are available from the Trust at £4 if bought in advance, and from Aldeburgh Cinema at £5 on the day of the event. All proceeds will go to the World Land Trust's Wild Lands Elephant Corridor project in India.

Read more in the press release: Help Save the Indian Elephants - By Watching Indian Films
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/news/2005/09/help-save-indian-elephants-by-watching.htm

Christmas Jaguars One of our exclusive wildlife Christmas cards. Price (Packs of 5): £2.95+p&p Special Offer: £2.75+p&p/pack for two packs or more

Order Wildlife Christmas Cards from the WLT

This year we offer you not just one or two, but five different charity Christmas cards to choose from. All of the wildlife themed Christmas cards are exclusive to the World Land Trust and available to order online or over the telephone.

Choose between cards with a message (Season's Greetings) or blank, or for corporate orders of 150 cards or more your own message can be overprinted at no extra cost.

The cards come in packs of five or six, depending on design, with envelopes included. Prices start at £1.50/pack plus postage & packaging with special offer prices if you order two packs or more.

View and order WLT Charity Christmas cards here
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/christmas/order.htm

News in Brief

Charity auction raises £10,000 for rainforest conservation

Earlier this month, Fortune Magazine hosted the Fortune 500 Gala in London's Foreign and Colonial Office headquarters. Guests included representatives of some of the largest and most profitable businesses in Europe. Sir David Attenborough accompanied John Burton, WLT's CEO to the Gala where, as part of the dinner, a Charity Auction was held. One of the items auctioned was a new wildlife reserve in Ecuador, which the World Land Trust and its partner, the Jocotoco Foundation would purchase. The wildlife reserve raised £10,000, which will allow a significant new reserve to be purchased.

Ecology Building Society raises over £900 for conservation

WLT sponsor the Ecology Building Society has raised over £900 for the WLT in recent months. Twenty-five pence was donated for every survey form completed by customers, which added up totalled £912.50 - a small incentive but a great return for both the Trust and the Ecology Building Society.

WLT Diploma course in conservation starts

The WLT/University of East Anglia Diploma course in Conservation and Project Administration commenced this semester, and in recognition of the WLT's involvement, John Burton, the Trust's CEO has been appointed a Visiting Fellow of the University. The first student (Amy Nott) has been enrolled, and UEA's Harriet Jones is working part time for the WLT assisting with the education programme.

Read more about the Diploma course in conservation
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/uea.htm

New projects pages on WLT website

The Ecuador project pages of the WLT website have been updated. In addition to handy links to project news, you can now also read more about - and see images of - some of the endangered and threatened birds and other wildlife found in the Ecuador reserves. A photo gallery will be added in the near future.

Read more about the WLT conservation projects
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/projects/index.htm