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World Land TrusteBulletin - Conservation News

World Land Trust eBulletin May 2010

Stop Press: WLT wins Gold Medal at Chelsea Flower Show

 Bill Oddie in WLT's Atlantic Rainforest exhibit at Chelsea Flower Show.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show: WLT wins Gold Medal and Best Continuous Learning Exhibit.

If you have tickets for the Flower Show please come and visit  the Trust’s exhibit at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. In the Continuous Learning Section of the Great Marquee World Land Trust (WLT) is focusing on the Atlantic Rainforest. Bill Oddie represented the WLT on the opening Press Day, yesterday.

Prior to Chelsea, Bill wanted to see the Atlantic Rainforest for himself and travelled to Brazil with WLT’s John Burton to see first hand both the wonders of the existing forests and how it is being saved by REGUA in Brazil,  and Fundación Frontera Verde in Argentina, and also the depressing loss of forest over much of the parts it once covered.


Read more about the trip and watch a video Bill Oddie talking about the restoration work in the Atlantic Rainforest »

See photos of the WLT exhibit

Guatemalan Park Guards prevent illegal palm leaf extraction

Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) seen at Laguna GrandeTourists to the Laguna Grande Reserve in Guatemala are able to see species such as the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), (pictured) thanks to small scale ecotourism at this WLT supported reserve. The visitor activities are part of a management plan being drawn up by World Land Trust’s Guatemalan project partners FUNDAECO.

Park guards have already had an important role to play in the management and protection of the reserve: Whilst out on patrol they intercepted people illegally taking palm leaves which are used widely for roofing materials.

Read more about the vital role of Park Guards at Laguna Grande »

Close Encounters with "Killer Bees" in Ecuador

Massive swarms of Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera scutellata (commonly known as killer bees) attacked a team of 18 biology students and professors returning from an expedition to the Río Zuñac Reserve, Ecuador.

Lou Jost of Fundación EcoMinga, World Land Trust Ecuadorian partners reports: ‘’we were returning home from a beautiful trip, when the students were attacked by clouds of killer bees."

Killer bees have also become a problem on the WLT webcam in Ecuador and swarms of bees are often seen invading the hummingbird feeder.

Read more about the student's encounter with "Killer Bees" in Ecuador »

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Exciting Species sightings in Ecuador

Orange-breasted Falcon chicks sighted at NarupaRarely recorded in Ecuador, WLT partners, Fundación Jocotoco were delighted to find this nest with two robust Orange-breasted Falcon young almost ready for fledging, on the edge of Narupa Reserve. Very little is known of the status of the species even though its range in Neotropical forests covers south-east Mexico to Paraguay and Northern Argentina.

Fabulous pictures of a Tamandua were also captured this month.

View more images and information on these species sightings »

Elephants are now parading around London

The pearly Prince on display at Coutts BankThe fibre glass elephants in London’s Elephant Parade are all wonderfully diverse, but if you are visiting the parade, be sure to visit the two World Land Trust elephants.  The ‘Pearly Prince’ rotates and shimmers in the window of Coutts Bank on The Strand. Limited edition friendship bracelets are being sold to celebrate the Elephant Parade. The bracelets are really beautiful and enable everyone to help support the conservation of the Asian Elephants.

‘The Emerald Queen’ resides, with all her wonderful emeralds, in the Wonder Room, Selfridges. On 23 June Sotheby's will auction the ‘Emerald Queen’ and the collection of emerald jewellery designed especially to sit beside her at an exclusive auction event to be held in the Wonder Room. A percentage of sales is being donated to the World Land Trust's Indian Elephant Corridor project.

If you are interested in biding for the elephants visit the Giving Lots website

For further information on the Elephant parade visit the event pages

Other news and updates

Amphibian and Butterfly research underway at REGUA, Brazil

Threatened parrot species raise awareness of Wax Palm conservation in Ecuador

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