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Conservation Project News

Conservation projects news from the World Land Trust, an international wildlife conservation charity working to protect threatened wildlife habitats worldwide.

This page shows the most recent projects news updates, or a selection of posts in the same category. To read older posts, use the projects news archive in the navigation bar on this page. The newest posts can always be found at www.worldlandtrust.org/news/projects-news.htm.

Conservation projects news on this page:

Friday, 15 January 2010:

World Land Trust's Brazilian project partners visit the UK 

Nicholas and Raquel Locke, Directors of REGUA (Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu),World Land Trust's Brazilian project partner, visited the UK in December. As part of their visit Nicholas gave a presentation to representatives from the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) at Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire. BIAZA members have been working with the World Land Trust (WLT) as part of the Trust's Wild Spaces Programme to raise funds to purchase and protect a 1,700 acre reserve in Brazil.

Raquel Locke (REGUA), Kelly Jacobs, centre (WLT) and Nicholas Locke (REGUA) at Paradise Wildlife Park.

The impressive BIAZA Reserve was purchased in August 2009 and Nicholas' presentation enabled BIAZA members to see images of the reserve they had helped to protect. Nicholas also brought some great news: A puma had been spotted on the reserve, the first time this species has been seen on BIAZA land and an exciting indication of the health of the forest in this area.

Recognising the importance of this habitat and to secure the land as quickly as possible the purchase was made with a loan, a proportion of which is still outstanding. WLT still urgently needs to raise funds to complete payment of the loan and then to ensure the permanent protection of this vital section of Atlantic Rainforest.

Find out more about the BIAZA Reserve and how zoos are helping conservation in the field on WLT's Wild Spaces and on the rest of the work at REGUA and how you can help on our Brazil project pages.

Labels: Brazil

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Monday, 30 November 2009:

New Lizard found in Brazil reserve 

A research team based at WLT project partner's reserve REGUA have discovered the presence of a new species in the area. The Slender Anole (Anolis fuscoauratus), a forest dwelling lizard, was discovered in a 133 ha forest fragment, partly owed by REGUA.

Slender Anole (Anolis fuscoauratus) - a new species to REGUA. Photo © Davor Vrcibradic. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The species has a wide distribution in South America but had previously not been well documented in the Atlantic Rainforest and its range had not been confirmed to extend to Rio State. This finding brings the known reptile species for the state to 131 and adds a second Anole species to the list.

Distribution notes on this species are now available on the REGUA website:
Reptilia, Polychrotidae, Anolis fuscoauratus: Distribution extension (PDF, 174KB, opens in new window)

You will need Adobe Reader to open the report. Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe, below.

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Find out more about REGUA and WLT's work in Brazil »

Labels: Brazil

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Wednesday, 5 August 2009:

1,700 acres of Brazilian rainforest saved; 18,000 acres now protected 

Fantastic news from Brazilian partners REGUA: they have been successful with the purchase of a 1,700 acre property adjacent to the recently acquired Matumbo Gap properties, meaning that REGUA now own and manage over 18,000 acres of Atlantic Rainforest.

Carlos and Anna Lemgruber, owners of the 1,700 acre property, transferring the ownership of the land to REGUA for permanent protection. Click on the image to see a larger version.

This area, acquired with the support from World Land Trust (WLT) and members of Biaza (British and Irish Zoos and Aquariums) fits within REGUA's long-term strategy to create a corridor between their existing reserve to join with the International Primatology Center, located to the west of REGUA. Recognising the importance of this habitat, WLT acquired a loan in order to secure the property as soon as possible, and although the contract has now been signed, WLT still need to raise funds for this strategic property.

You can help: Protect rainforest in Brazil, make a donation to save acres of rainforest in Brazil here.

Learn more about the REGUA Project here

Labels: Brazil

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Wednesday, 29 April 2009:

842 acres of Atlantic rainforest habitat secured in Brazil 

Great news from REGUA, Brazilian project partners of World Land Trust (WLT): A parcel of Atlantic rainforest habitat made up of 12 separate properties (totalling an impressive 842 acres) has now been saved.

Atlantic forest landscape at the REGUA Reserve, Brazil. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Known as the 'Matumbo Gap', the protection of this important land purchase, a priority for REGUA, has been secured largely as a result of WLT donors who have donated generously and also enabled the leverage of additional matched funding from WLT-US and American Bird Conservancy as well as a grant through the IUCN National Committee for the Netherlands Small Grants for the Purchase of Nature Programme.

REGUA is now looking at other strategic parcels of land urgently needing protection and are currently negotiating the purchase of a property adjacent to the Matumbo, which is being part funded by members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums through WLT's Wild Spaces programme.

Learn more about the REGUA Project in Brazil

Labels: Brazil

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Thursday, 4 December 2008:

Carbon offsetting and tree planting restores over 460 ha of degraded habitat 

Javier Robaio tending to tree saplings in a nursery (top) at Buenaventura Reserve, Ecuador. (See a larger image of the forest at Buenaventura.) Photos by Renton Righelato

2008 has been another successful year for the World Land Trust's carbon offsetting and tree-planting initiatives. Under WLT's tree planting agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy our project partners in Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay have planted an impressive 410,500 trees, that's over 1,100 trees a day! The planting has restored some 410 hectares of degraded habitat which extends and buffers existing reserves and helps to further protect endangered species such as the Great Green Macaw and El Oro Parakeet.

Carbon offset funds raised through the Carbon Balanced programme have enabled the purchase, protection and restoration of 58 hectares of threatened land in Ecuador and Mexico. Our Mexican project partner, Grupo Ecologica Sierra Gorda, has developed an incentive scheme to deliver their offsets, paying small-scale landowners to plant up cleared land. This not only provides benefits for climate change, biodiversity and watershed protection but also a valuable income source for an impoverished Mexican community.

We should all be doing what we can to reduce the emissions that we are responsible for. To this end the Carbon Balanced website has a page with links to useful energy reduction advice and greener living sites. When you have done what you can to reduce your carbon emissions, please support WLT's vital habitat restoration work: Calculate and offset your unavoidable emissions with Carbon Balanced.

Labels: Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay

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Friday, 18 July 2008:

New project partners in Brazil 

Local Brazilian conservation organisation, Fundação O Boticário, have recently partnered with the World Land Trust, and we are discussing with them a new initiative to protect and restore Araucaria Moist Forests within the Atlantic Forest in the southern Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Parana. This initiative in based on the principle that whilst the conifer Araucaria angustifolia itself may not be endangered the forest type it dominates has been greatly reduced and highly fragmented, and is threatened at an ecosystem level. Securing land will protect forest fragments that are risk from logging and clearance for agriculture.

Labels: Brazil

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Tuesday, 1 July 2008:

New land purchases in Brazil (Matumbo Gap) and Ecuador (Cerro Candelaria) 

In the recent eBulletin, two new land purchases were announced: A further 4 properties in the 'Matumbo Gap' have been purchased by REGUA, WLT's partners in Brazil. In Ecuador, Fundación Ecominga has secured a further 400 hectares of land, which means that the river that passes through the Cerro Candelaria Reserve will now be protected on both banks.

Labels: Brazil, Ecuador

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Monday, 10 March 2008:

News from the Atlantic Rainforest (Brazil) 

In the latest newsletter from REGUA, WLT's partner organisation in Brazil, Nicholas Locke writes:

"REGUA now employs 7 rangers covering close to 7 000 hectares. This in turn has enabled researchers to study the existing flora and flora with some fascinating results. Amongst several projects taking place currently at REGUA, there are three projects studying amphibians."

One team of researchers is studying forest remnant species and populations of amphibians , comparing them to those of the area consisting of uninterrupted rainforest. Another team is studying how populations and species change with altitude and the third team is conducting a full inventory of amphibians at REGUA.

Learn more about the current projects at REGUA and other news from the reserve in the February issue of REGUA's newsletter (PDF, 1.35MB, opens in new window), including:

• Protection at REGUA: Land purchase
• Restoration: Reforestation
• Environmental Education: Formation of young conservationists

You will need Adobe Reader to open the REGUA newsletter. Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe, below.

Get Adobe Reader (opens in new window)

Labels: Brazil

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Friday, 14 December 2007:

Re-released curassows may already be breeding (Brazil) 

We recently received this letter from Christine Steiner, who is working on a Red-billed Curassow project at REGUA, Brazil:

"Yesterday we saw two males and we heard both emitting their typical vocalization of reproduction (Wooooooooooooooop), a loud sound very similar to the sound of a 'bottle in the wind' (what a strange comparison..!)."

This is great news, and indicates that the area in the REGUA reserve, where the captive-bred currasows have been released, provides a good habitat for them. Christine and her project team hadn't expected the birds to begin reproducing until next autumn!

Christine continued: "We will keep our fingers crossed, and hope they find females (there are 2 in the vicinity)! It will be wonderful to find nests this breeding season!"

Learn more about the Red-billed Curassow »

Labels: Brazil

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Friday, 2 November 2007:

Re-released curassows are persisting in the wild (Brazil) 

Male Red-billed Curassow. Photo © Christine Steiner.

A previous report from REGUA, told of REGUA's re-introduction project of Red-billed Curassows (Crax blumenbachii), where captive bred birds are being released at the reserve in Brazil. The birds are fitted with transmitters so that their movement can be tracked. Up to September this year, REGUA has released a total of 28 curassows (15 females and 13 males) and they have just sent a new report on the progress of the birds.

Read REGUA's full report on the Red-billed curassows (PDF, 1.2Mb, opens in new window)

You will need Adobe Reader to open the report. Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe, below.

Get Adobe Reader (opens in new window)

More information

• REGUA's website: www.regua.co.uk
• Read more about the Red-billed Curassow
• Read more about the REGUA project

Labels: Brazil

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Friday, 14 September 2007:

Wetland expansion at REGUA (Brazil) 

The top photo shows the area before the creation of the wetland; the bottom one shows the completed wetland area.

Nocholas Locke of REGUA, World Land Trust partners in Brazil, reports in the latest newsletter from the organisation:

"Our second wetland is now in place and finished. It has increased the water surface area by a vast amount and we have planted our forested edge using naturally occurring Tabebuia cassinoides. This forest will allow us to plant the rare orchids that used to grow wild in the wetlands, Cattleya harrisoniana. We are ever so happy and the views from the lodge of the entire area are truly unbelievable."

"Both REGUA wetlands have now become a most extraordinary sanctuary. The bird species count is in excess of 200 species and the mammal count rising to include a family of 8 capivaras, some 12 beady eyed yellow snouted caiman as well as Giant snipe, Whistling herons, Masked duck, Brazilian teal and the Pinneated bittern."

"We are so incredibly happy with the results , and there isn't a day which doesn't surprise us with its results."

Visit the reserve:

www.guapiassubirdlodge.com has a suggested itinerary for a 5 day visit to the Guapi Assu Bird Lodge, Brazil.

Labels: Brazil

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Tuesday, 4 September 2007:

Woolly Spider Monkeys seen in REGUA (Brazil) 

Muriqui photographed on REGUA's Red Trail in April 2007. Photograph by Neil Burchett.

Sightings of the critically endangered Woolly Spider Monkey, Brachyteles arachnoids, also known as the Muriqui, have been recorded on the 6,500 ha Reserva Ecological de Guapi Assu (REGUA) situated in Três Picos State Park in Brazil.

Observations of the Muriqui have occurred on a number of trails throughout the reserve and group sightings indicate that there is a healthy population of males, females and young. A group of 15 individuals was seen in April 2007 on REGUA's red trail.

The Muriqui is the largest primate within the Neotropics and is Brazil's largest endemic mammal species. Their total range is now limited to fragments of Atlantic forest and they are usually found at the higher altitudes within the REGUA reserve. They are very arboreal, rarely descending to the forest floor, and often feed by hanging from the branches of a tree with their prehensile tail. Young leaves, fruits and seeds constitute a large part of their diet. The world's total population is estimated to be in the region of 1,000 individuals.

The combined area protected by REGUA, Três Picos State Park and Serra dos Orgãos National Park provide continuous forest cover of approximately 60,000 ha, which is large enough for several separate populations of Muriqui to survive without direct competition, although they do not show signs of being territorial.

Little is known about the lifespan and habits of the Murique but, with further research and surveying, REGUA hopes to be able to help increase the understanding of Muriqui ecology and to establish how many occur on the reserve.

Labels: Brazil

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Monday, 2 July 2007:

Competition winner enjoys her stay in the Atlantic Rainforest (Brazil) 

The View from REGUA lodge.

Annaliese Martindale was the lucky winner of the Brazil Holiday Promotion competition back in September last year. She, and her fellow traveller, Clare Everleigh, have recently returned from their holiday and had a wonderful time at the REGUA lodge, as an extract from her email confirms:

"My favourite place was definitely REGUA Lodge. We had it all to ourselves and were spoiled rotten from the moment we arrived. The views from our room overlooking the mountains and the Atlantic rainforest were honestly to die for. We kept pinching ourselves that it was for real. Nicholas Locke, and our guide Adilei, made sure that our days were filled with fun and variety. We went through the forest on horseback, we hiked the trails to a beautiful waterfall and we spotted numerous birds, a snake, puma tracks and a sloth - which made my day. When we were too tired to walk, we went out in the jeep for an exciting experience spotting birds and wildlife along the way. We had the most gorgeous home cooked food and, with large jugs of the local tipple: Caipirinha (made with hand picked limes) - we slept like babies. We would definitely recommend the Lodge as a fantastic place to stay and also the travel company who provided the best service we've ever had.

We have both come home inspired by Nicholas and the wonderful work being done by REGUA. We now know that it is possible to make a difference to the world and especially the rainforest, and we will definitely return to South America for more adventures and are considering voluntary work."

Annaliese and Clare stayed at the REGUA Bird Lodge - see REGUA Bird Lodge; and their trip was organised by WLT sponsors, Trips Worldwide

Labels: Brazil

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Monday, 30 April 2007:

Land protection and re-introductions at the REGUA reserve (Brazil) 

Currasaws being fitted with radio collars prior to release. Click on the images to see larger versions.

New land purchase expands REGUA reserve

IUCN Netherlands has recently pledged funds to assist WLT Partners, REGUA, to purchase an important piece of land in the Estreito region of Brazil. This purchase will secure an area within the government-owned Três Picos State Park, expanding the Guapi Assu Reserve by another 35 hectares and now REGUA administrate close to 6500 ha of forest. This brings the area owned and managed by REGUA to nearly 15,600 acres (6,500 ha).

Local residents are enthusiastic about REGUA protecting this land as it also protects an important watershed and will guarantee the quality of the water.

Re-introduced Red-billed Curassows learn to fend for themselves

Destruction of the Atlantic Rainforest and hunting has threatened the Red-billed Curassow with extinction in the wild. In September 2006, 20 captive bred Red-billed Curassows (10 male and 10 female) were released as part of a re-introduction project at REGUA. On March 10th 2007 the last two Red-billed Curassows were successfully released, replacements for two that were lost to predation after release. The birds are slowly venturing further from the release pen with only one female and two males visiting the feeders regularly. REGUA are therefore hopeful that at some point they will no longer need to provide food for the birds.

After six months of release the birds are also showing more and more natural behaviours particularly with humans: Where they originally showed no real fear, they now either hide, run or fly away, all of which are natural responses that will help the birds to evade predation in the future.

More on the above and other news from REGUA can be read in the March issue of REGUA's newsletter (PDF, 640kb, opens in new window), including:

• Current Projects
• Reforestation and wetland expansion
• Environmental Education

You will need Adobe Reader to open the REGUA newsletter. Adobe Reader is free and can be downloaded from Adobe, below.

Get Adobe Reader (opens in new window)

Labels: Brazil

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