World Land Trust in the News

Given the relentless pace at which wildlife habitat is being devoured by the march of development, some government agencies, non-governmental organizations and individuals have been trying to push back—by buying land and letting nature reclaim it.

A recent exercise involved the purchase of 26 acres along the Thirunelli-Kudrakote wildlife corridor in the Wayanad district of Kerala that comes under the watch of the non-profit Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). In the past few months, camera traps have recorded three tigers crossing the corridor.

The land was purchased by WTI with the help of the World Land Trust (WTL), IUCN-Netherlands and the Elephant Family to restore the degraded habitat and protect wildlife along the stretch.

(The article discusses both the challenge of buying land in India with land costs surging, and also the struggle to strike the right balance between conservation and economic growth)

Our staff and overseas partner organisations are continually working to purchase and protect land that faces imminent threat across the world, and in four countries we can still purchase vital land for £100 an acre...

A camera trap has captured photos of two healthy tigers using a protected corridor in the Kerala province of southwest India this year, evidence that the pathway could help populations of the endangered animals...

Many thanks to readers who responded to my piece about the Euro-leopard, better known as the Caucasian leopard, and sent generous donations to World land Trust to support the conservation project run there by an Armenian NGO called the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets. It's a project, incidentally, that operates from local goodwill, a few exceptional individuals and strong support from more developed nations.

(Simon Barnes, Into the wild, final item)

The great problem with European life is that there are not nearly enough cats. I don’t mean pussy-cats: I mean the big fierce ones that can kill you. Life is a great deal richer for the presence of enormous menacing felids. They add a touch of Tabasco to a morning stroll...

(Simon Barnes features the Caucasian Leopard in The Times)

The World Land Trust (WLT) established in the United Kingdom is an international conservation charity that has made it its mission to give permanent protection to important wildlife habitat and does so by funding partner organisations around the world to create land reserves...

(Volume 66-3 of Malaysian Naturalist provides a comprehensive overview of the work and achievements of World Land Trust)

Ian Mills has photographed more than 80 different species of moth using a simple shuttered light box in his father's garden in Halesworth. An album of Ian's moth photographs is on display at World Land Trust (WLT) gallery in Halesworth...

World Land Trust is delighted to announce the opening today of a new exhibition at its gallery in Halesworth. Birds and Bees celebrates the turn of the seasons from winter to spring...

Being in the busy office I get to be involved in a whole range of 'interesting' activities from researching and writing pieces on key animal species for the website, to helping collate information and updates on the projects for inclusion in the annual reviews for the trustees. The expertise of the WLT staff alone means I find observing and taking notes in meetings a valuable experience, and this is also supplemented by a steady stream of visitors to the office from a diverse range of organisations and backgrounds...

(Ruth Stanton-Saringer describes the range of tasks she undertakes as a World Land Trust intern)

Where do we stand today on Edward Lear? John Lennon loved him, as did Queen Victoria, to whom he gave drawing lessons.

Last year there were bicentennial shows in Oxford, at the Ashmolean, and at the Royal Society, and there is currently a smaller exhibition of prints at the World Land Trust gallery in Halesworth, Suffolk.

But it’s when we come to the limericks that opinion tends to divide, and divide sharply...

Should you feel the urge, the World Land Trust is running a limerick competition along with their exhibition...

These were chestnut-fronted macaws; majestic enough but by no means the most spectacular macaws in the world. Or the most endangered. So I make another trip, this time to Halesworth in Suffolk, to talk about a different species of macaw. This one is even more dramatic to look at, and is in deep trouble...

(Simon Barnes describes how the prospects of the Blue-throated macaw are improving, thanks to WLT's support for the Barba Azul nature reserve in Bolivia)

A much-loved wildlife expert has become a patron of a Halesworth-based charity. Chris Packham has become a patron of World Land Trust, joining the existing patrons Sir David Attenborough and David Gower.

I missed the Ryder Cup as I was in Borneo saving the rainforest with the World Land Trust. But Europe's victory over the United States added another layer of improbability to the sporting year... In one of the classic sporting comebacks, Europe played all their best men early, seized the initiative and, with a sweet momentum shift, got the 8½ points they needed to win. Meanwhile, the World Land Trust helped to secure two more tracts of forest as orang-utan corridors.

(In his sports round up of 2012, Simon Barnes mentions World Land Trust's achievements in Borneo)

One of the great problems with enjoying wildlife is that, on the whole, the wildlife would rather you were somewhere else. That being the case, they will often avoid the place where you are waiting for their company...

(Simon Barnes reports on the BBC Wildlife Magazine Camera-trap Photo of the Year competition, sponsored by World Land Trust and Paramo)

Are you a rainforest half-destroyed sort of person? Or do you prefer to think that the rainforest is half-saved? I’m the first – at least, I am when I’m at home. In England, I can’t see the wood for the oil palm trees: the plantations that have sprouted up in areas where the towering forests have been clear-felled. But when I'm in the forest I feel quite differently...

John Burton, co-founder of the non-profit environmental organisation World Land Trust, was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate from UCS.

The mammals are shy and elusive and they can hear you coming from a mile off [...] I am back from Sabah in Borneo, travelling with the wildlife charity the World Land Trust.

I was there looking at rainforest sites that the World Land Trust might help to purchase - but that didn’t mean we couldn’t stop and smell the monkeys.

An animal loving youngster got on his bike and cycled 10 miles to help save the world's rainforests and the creatures which live there. The enterprising seven-year-old ... wanted to raise enough money to buy an acre of rainforest for the World Land Trust. Afterwards Freddie said: "My legs felt like jelly. I was exhausted! It felt really brilliant though because I've done something to help save wildlife. Any children - and even adults - can help too. I really want to keep riding more."

 A space-hopping student from Gloucestershire has had his bouncing world record bid confirmed by Guinness World Records [...] "I'm really proud, and happy to have achieved it for the World Land Trust," he said.

A British tennis star and Olympian, author of the critically acclaimed novel War Horse and the co-founder of the World Land Trust are amongst ten extraordinary individuals set to receive Honorary Awards from University Campus Suffolk during Graduation Ceremonies this autumn.

The Green Group wanted to support Ecuador, whose forests are under threat and chose to support the World Land Trust. This has a scheme to buy up acres of virgin forest, 2,431 to date, to create Nature Reserves or extend existing ones and hand them over to local NGOs to manage them.

A student has broken the world record for the longest distance ever travelled on a space hopper in 24 hours [...] Roger raised £900 in sponsorship for the World Land Trust.

A space-hopping student from Gloucestershire has bounced for four miles in a bid to beat the world record [...] Mr Auster, who has also raised over £900 in sponsorship for the World Land Trust, was expecting the attempt to take over five hours to complete.

Climate change could cause Mexico to lose 68 percent of its cloud forests by 2080, according to research published in Nature Climate Change. World Land Trust (WLT) is working in partnership with local conservation organization Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda (GESG) to save as much of this threatened habitat as possible.

Wallis, a premium high street women’s clothing brand, has launched a new collection by aspiring print designer Lollie Dunbar [...] In addition to this latest endeavour with Wallis, she has also collaborated with the World Land Trust and Liberty London after winning a scarf print design competition.

Aged 22, Lollie Dunbar has been asked by women’s fashion company Wallis to design a line for their spring and summer collection. The high street store called Miss Dunbar after she won a scarf print competition run by Liberty, the World Land Trust and her university, last December.

Awarded to a marketing partnership between a business and a charity that has used the company's products to promote the charity's cause or brand, or helped to raise funds for the charity.

A 124-acre nature reserve in the South American nation of Colombia has been created to provide sanctuary to the endangered golden poison dart frog.

Independent video game distributor Humble Bundle has been pretty progressive since its inception in 2010.

Mendham, home of the late great artist Sir Alfred Munnings, is celebrating the successes of home grown talent following in his footsteps.

Pupils from the village primary school have won prizes in the World Land Trust Children’s Art Competition held at the trust’s gallery in Halesworth.

It’s been a month since the last Humble Indie Bundle, so it’s time for another [...] You get to choose how your money is allocated, with the charity this time being the World Land Trust. The WLT takes direct action to save rainforests and wildlife habitats and is well worth donating a few dollars to.

 “In a bid to save the species, the World Land Trust (WLT) and Colombian NGO ProAves have teamed up to establish a 50 hectare (124 acres) reserve in the Chocó rainforest.”

…“I showed her an education pack called Running in the Corridors, which had been sent to me by the World Land Trust and which contains a CD (which Lyddie loved exploring), competition, game and poster.”

"Last year I was in Zambia with the World Land Trust. We visited a partner-donor organisation, the emerald-mining company Gemfields. One reason for the trip was to see how green, ho ho, their operation was, and it stood up to our scrutiny very well."

"..around five hectares of rainforest in Guapi Assu will be officially be named 'Seo Tai-ji Forest' on March 21 after the Korean singer of the same name."

"The World Land Trust has been working to save biologically important and threatened habitats acre by acre since 1989."

"To save many of these areas from development that would destroy the natural ecosystem and wipe out many species of animals and plants, he called on businesses to help buy the land."

"A major problem facing the WLT is that worldwide land prices are escalating at an alarming rate. Just a few years ago the trust could fund the purchase of threatened tropical forest in Brazil for just £50 an acre. Today such land costs around £400 an acre."

"Fashion and conservation untie on the fundraising project Emeralds for Elephants India 2011, working together for environmental and social change."

"For villagers and their families it is a tragedy, but for tiger conservationists a sudden rise in the number of attacks offers welcome, if gruesome, evidence the predator is staging a comeback."

"As the Natural History Museum's expedition is abandoned, the area is being converted to ranchland faster than ever."

"An auction that included an array of emerald jewelry by well-known designers and an emerald-studded "elephant" has raised $1 million for the World Land Trust and the Wildlife Trust of India, organizations that work to create a network of wildlife corridors for the endangered Asian elephant."

"Adventures in India over 22 years have led Halesworth couple to explore the heart of the country. On their latest trip they met the people saving the Asian elephant."

"Don’t miss the Andrew Squire’s Hinterland exhibition in collaboration with the World Land Trust."

"This year Lily helped launch the World Land Trust's Emerald for Elephant Exhibition, which has been designed to create awareness and raise important funds for the protection of the critically endangered Asian elephant."

"The house is also adorned with magnificent species photographs taken in the Atlantic Rainforest by animal keeper - Chris Knowles, who spent a month at the REGUA reserve, which the wildlife park donated £6,000 towards its protection through the World Land Trust last year."

"Two or three months ago, as regular readers of the space will remember, I was out in the jungles of India saving the elephants with the Word Land Trust. And at the end, I was having a beer with Vivek Menon, CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India, and a great elephant man... By Simon Barnes"

"The official presentation of the co-management of one million hectares of Paraguayan Chaco was made, where the Ministry of Environment, Guyra Paraguay Foundation and the World Land Trust (WLT, British NGO) under a tripartite agreement..."

"Remote and impenetrable, the Chaco forest in Paraguay has been saved with the help of a maverick conservationist from Suffolk."

"This part has been bought up by Guyra Paraguay with the support of the World Land Trust in this country. There are holes at the edge of the forest and here, gloriously, the broken forest is being healed."

"Climate Care was the most transparent, with Blue Ventures Carbon Offset, Pure and the World Land Trust also highly rated."

David Attenborough's response to the article The great green land grab:
"John Vidal's article makes some very pertinent observations about people and organisations that buy land for conservation, but let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater."

"Last night the World Land Trust launched its new project, which has placed a webcam in a South American rainforest in a bid to show conservation work in action..."

"I paid a visit to the Reserva Ecológica di Guapi Assu, where purchases, aided by WLT, have already been made and stunning areas of forest have been made safe."