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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, 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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Thursday, 17 July 2008:

Threatened White-breasted Parakeet gets helping hand at Tapichalaca (Ecuador) 

The White-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura albipectus)

Also known as the White-necked Parakeet, this species is only known to occur in three areas in south-east (Amazonia) Ecuador, of which Podocarpus National Park is one of its last strongholds. Fundación Jocotoco's Tapichalaca Reserve, which abuts Podocarpus, has a small population, in recently acquired low altitude land, and since the species' total population is estimated to be only a few thousand individuals, FJ has just started a project in an effort to boost numbers on the reserve.

As a follow-up to the successful nest-box project for the El-Oro Parakeet on the Buenaventura Reserve, nest boxes are to be installed at Tapichalaca for the White-breasted Parakeet. The design of these boxes has been greatly assisted by cooperation with Pro Aves Colombia, and the Loro Parque Foundation of Spain is generously funding the work.

Two years there were reports of a small flock being recorded just across the border in Peru, but was apparently unfortunately collected in the name of science. The collecting of species already declared globally threatened is something we do not condone since accurate identification, and recording, can now be carried out using latest photographic technology.

Learn more about the Tropical Forest Project in Ecuador, through which the World Land Trust supports Fundación Jocotoco's reserves

Labels: Ecuador

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Tuesday, 1 July 2008:

New projects in Malaysian Borneo and Bolivia 

Orang-utan habitat in Borneo and Blue-Throated Macaw habitat in Bolivia to be protected

Two new conservation projects were announced by the World Land Trust in the latest eBulletin:

• Orang-utan habitat protection in Borneo
  This project will protect a priority location for the Bornean Orang-utan in east Malaysia by creating corridors between existing wildlife sanctuaries.
• Grassland protection in Bolivia
  This project aims to create the first protected area for the endemic Blue-Throated Macaw, which has a total population of only 300 individuals remaining.

More information on these exiting new projects will be available soon.

Labels: Bolivia, Malaysia

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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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Wednesday, 25 June 2008:

A Future for Wildlife Reserves: Symposium discusses financial sustainability of private protected areas 

The main thrust of the World Land Trust is to raise funds to purchase land that is critically threatened by destructive activities such as logging and clearance to make way for intensive agriculture. But this raises the question: "What happens next?"

When World Land Trust (WLT) commits to support its overseas partners in securing land and creating a new protected area, the intention is that these reserves will be protected in perpetuity. With each new reserve comes the associated challenge of how best to ensure its permanent protection. And now that WLT has successfully raised funds for the purchase of over 375,000 acres worldwide this puts a tremendous strain on our project partners who take on the responsibility of protecting their wildlife reserves. Ways of raising a sustainable income stream was one of the key issues that was discussed at a ground-breaking symposium held in The Netherlands in September 2006, to discuss "Land Purchase as a Intervention Strategy for Nature Conservation"

"I am normally very cynical about conferences, and gave up going to most of them years ago, but this symposium demonstrated that if the right people get together, really significant results can be achieved." John Burton, CEO, World Land Trust

Held jointly with the IUCN National Committee for the Netherlands (IUCN-NL), the first symposium was attended by the key decision makers from WLT's overseas NGO partners and those of IUCN-NL, and it proved a unique and stimulating forum for discussion. Delegates were all agreed that such meetings should be held every 18-months and the second symposium took place in May 2008, hosted by WLT's first project partners, Programme for Belize. This symposium brought together NGO leaders to discuss "Financial Sustainability of Private Protected Areas".

Attended by seventeen participants from countries ranging from Argentina to India, the symposium was held at the La Milpa Field Station at the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area in Belize, in the forest that WLT was set up to help purchase and save nearly twenty years ago.

Delegates at the four-day symposium discussed topics specifically addressing the creation of sustainable income streams for conservation, including Payment for Ecological Services, Carbon Sequestration, Tourism, and Endowment Funds. The wealth of experience and expertise represented by the 17 participants enabled in-depth discussion on the potential opportunities and pit-falls of these topics, and each participant returned home with information and inspiration on how to develop their conservation activities and fulfil their pledges to protecting the reserves in their countries.

Learn more

Land Purchase as a Intervention Strategy for Nature Conservation - The proceedings from the 2006 symposium(PDF, 4.72MB, opens in new window)

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The participants of the symposium: Front (kneeling): Constantino Aucca (Ecoan, Peru)
Front row (l-r): John Burton (WLT), Alberto Yanosky (Guyra Paraguay), Maria Lourdes Nunes (Fundação O Boticário, Brazil), Victoria Maldonado (Fundación Palma, Chile), Francisco Sornoza (Fundación Jocotoco, Ecuador)
2nd row (l-r): Edilberto Romero (Programme for Belize), Kirsty Burgess (WLT), Joanne Finch (WLT), Roberto Pedraza (Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda, Mexico), Nicholas Locke (REGUA, Brazil)
3rd/4th row (l-r): Eric von Horstman (Fundación Pro-bosque, Ecuador), Mario Malajovich (Fundación Frontera Verde, Argentina), Marc Hoogeslag (IUCN Netherlands), Aukje de Boer (IUCN Netherlands), Mark Gruin (WLT), Benno Glauser (Iniciativa Amotocodie)
5th/6th row (l-r): Vivek Menon (Wildlife Trust of India), Marco Cerezo (Fundaeco, Guatemala), Luis Castelli (Fundación Patagonia Natural, Argentina), Gerardo Ledesma (Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Founation), Franklin Rojas (Provita, Venezuela), Lou Jost (Fundación Ecominga, Ecuador), Roger Wilson (WLT), Daan Wensing (IUCN Netherlands)

Labels: All

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Wednesday, 30 April 2008:

Paraguayan government to conserve over 2.5-million acres thanks to WLT donors 

Alberto Yanosky, Exec. Director of Guyra Paraguay (left) and Carlos Antonio Lopez-Doze, Paraguay's Minister of the Environment sign the agreement in the UNDP Meeting Room, Asuncion, on 11 March 2008.


John Burton, WLT CEO (and Alberto Yanosky) speaking at the meeting when the Minister of the Environment announced the co-management agreement.


Aerial photo of the Dry Chaco, showing extensive soil erosion (light brown patches) where the vegetation has been degraded. See a larger image here.

WLT is currently funding the purchase of three very different habitats in Paraguay: Dry Chaco (Campo Iris), the Chaco-Pantanal Reserve and Atlantic Forest (San Rafael). Each is unique and all are threatened, primarily by the spread of agriculture, and in particular the growing market for biofuels and soya.

Even the Dry Chaco, a seemingly impenetrable habitat, isn't safe as a new dry-adapted variety of soy has been developed and trials are already taking place in the Chaco. But there is good news...

In March the Government of Paraguay signed an innovative co-management agreement which will conserve over 2.5-million acres of threatened habitat in Paraguay. This initial agreement is with the WLT's partners, Guyra Paraguay and in making the announcement, the Minister of the Environment, Carlos Antonio Lopez-Doze, supported by the Minister of Tourism, Liz Cramer, stated that the support of the World Land Trust and its donors in recognising the international importance of Paraguay's biodiversity, was a key factor in this momentous decision.

Over the next few months a formal tri-party Agreement between the Ministry of the Environment, Guyra Paraguay and the World Land Trust will be drawn up and signed, giving Guyra Paraguay the responsibility for the management of the Northern Chaco Biosphere Reserve, as well as the Atlantic Rainforest of San Rafael, on behalf of the people of Paraguay.

The role of the WLT will be to co-ordinate international fundraising to support the conservation of the region, as well as providing technical assistance on carbon sequestration and 'avoided deforestation' projects which is all part of the overall vision for the Reserve.

Message from Sir David Attenborough congratulating the Government of Paraguay on its decision to protect the Dry Chaco:

"This is one of the last great wilderness areas left in the world, and it is hugely encouraging that much of it is still as it was when I was there half a century ago. The Government of Paraguay is to be congratulated on recognising the international importance of its wild heritage. Not only is it vital to save the incredible biodiversity of the region but part of the land is also home to people who still live in the forests largely unaffected by the outside world. I think it is wonderful that the World Land Trust has been able to play such an important role in saving it for future generations and I hope the rest of the world will respond generously and support WLT as it raises funds for the long term protection of this vast wildlife paradise."
Sir David Attenborough, Patron, World Land Trust

Learn more about the World Land Trust's Chaco/Pantanal Project in Paraguay

Labels: Paraguay

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Ecuador's Minister of Tourism visits Buenaventura Reserve (Ecuador) 

Recognising the wealth of wildlife protected by Fundación Jocotoco Reserves, Ecuador's Minister of Tourism, Veronica Sion de Josse, together with her husband and son, recently visited the Buenaventura Reserve.

This year's tree planting activities are in full swing at the reserve and as well as helping plant some tree seedlings, the minister and her family were captivated by the webcam, strategically placed in front of a hummingbird feeder. As can be seen in the photo, the visitors enjoyed watching not only the multitude of birds coming to the feeders but also a group of coatis, who frequently turn up to feast on bananas and other fruit.

See the hummingbird webcam in action

Learn more about the Buenaventura Reserve

Labels: Ecuador

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Tuesday, 29 April 2008:

A visit to two totally different potential reserve sites in Ecuador 

The Ayampe River valley (top), home of the Esmeraldas Woodstar hummingbird (above). Click on the images to see larger versions.


The Northern Ghost Bat, about which little is known. Click on the image to see a larger version.


Andean Fox (also known as the Paramo Wolf) in Antisana. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Last month the World Land Trust's Chairman, Renton Righelato, made a self-funded trip to Ecuador to join representatives of Fundación Jocotoco exploring two potential new reserve sites.

"Ecuador is remarkable in the diversity of its natural habitats and the range of species they contain - this is why it is such an important area for the World Land Trust. In February, Nigel Simpson and I were lucky enough to be part of a team from our Ecuadorean partner, Fundación Jocotoco, exploring two, wholly different, potential new reserve sites: Ayampe, warm and at sea level; and Antisana, at 4,000-6,000 metres and cold!"

"Near the settlement of Ayampe in the warm, semi-arid, Tumbesian region, where the River Ayampe enters the Pacific, is a pocket of more humid forest. It is one of two known sites of an endangered and virtually unknown hummingbird - the Esmeraldas Woodstar - a bird not much bigger than a bumble bee. Here we saw a male displaying by towering from its treetop perch out of sight in the sky and diving back down to a nearby female, who is then left to do everything else, nest-building, incubating and feeding the young, on her own. It was reassuring to see several nests, some with eggs and one with a tiny chick. The Jocotoco researchers will be returning later in the year to learn more of the life history of this species and work out how best to protect it."

"There were bigger things to see as well - including parties of Magnificent Frigate Birds soaring over and the remarkable Ghost Bat pictured here."

"In contrast, the paramo on the slopes of the high volcanoes of Ecuador is cold and wet. Like alpine meadows, unspoilt paramo is a rich mixture of plants with many beautiful flowers; but years of overgrazing and drainage have degraded much of it and plantation of foreign pine defaced it."

"Antisana is home to some of the few remaining Great Condors of Ecuador, which can occasionally be seen feeding on carcases of dead animals, along with the beautiful Paramo Wolf (really a large fox), shown here."

"The prospect of protecting and restoring up to 100,000 hectares of paramo and of polylepis forest of the lower slopes of one of the great volcanoes could not be more exciting - we await further news from Fundación Jocotoco."

Learn more about the Tropical Forest Project in Ecuador and the reserves protected by Fundación Jocotoco.

Labels: Ecuador

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