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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.

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Monday, 30 April 2007:

Jocotoco Antpittas monitored using transmitters (Ecuador) 

Antpitta being fitted with transmitter.

The Jocotoco Antpitta is the emblem of Fundación Jocotoco (FJ), WLT's partner organisation in Ecuador. This species of antpitta was only discovered in 1997 and FJ's first reserve at Tapichalaca was set up to protect the critically threatened habitat where they were found. Almost the entire known population of the antpitta occurs in this one location and the best place for viewing them is in an area of bamboo thicket quite close to the visitor lodge.

In order to reduce disturbance in the forest the antpittas have been trained to answer a call from the warden. Here an antpitta is being fitted with a tiny transmitter so that its activities can be monitored more closely. Very little is known about the habits of endemic birds in the Ecuadorian reserves and learning more about their movements will help identify areas which need protection in order to help their numbers increase.

Labels: Ecuador

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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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Thursday, 26 April 2007:

Roadrunner and puma captured by remote cameras, and a letter from the field (Mexico) 

Having previously photographed a jaguar, Roberto Pedraza of Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda sent these photos, also captured by remote controlled cameras to WLT: "Today we found some quite nice surprises. I'm attaching a photo of another big cat, a mountain lion (Puma), and a very nice photo of a roadrunner, as you may see he was quite curious about the trap." Click on the images to see larger versions.

Extract taken from an email sent to WLT last month from Programme Manager, Kirsty Burgess, during her visit to look at a new project site in Central Mexico.

26th March 2007, Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Dear WLT,

All going well here out here in Sierra Gorda, and it has certainly been a very productive visit so far. We've spent part of our time meeting with the local organisation, Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda at their offices, then the rest of the time in the field looking at previous land purchase projects, potential forest restoration sites and watershed restoration/erosion prevention projects. Last Friday was particularily interesting, as we travelled to the far north-eastern tip of the Biosphere Reserve to look at a potential 400ha land purchase site in an area of humid, but high altitude oak-pine forest with thousand-year-old endemic cycads in abundance there.

The range of habitats here is great - diverse, and not at all what I have been familiar with. Driving to Jalpan (where the organisation's office is located) through the biosphere reserve, there's fairly sharp transitions from semi-desert scrub (with some great cacti) to cloud forest mostly of pine and oak and then to dry deciduous forest. Although its spring here, and the oak forest is also just putting out its new leaves, the new leaves are various shades of brown and red, so it looks like a UK autumn. Only a few wildlife sightings so far - although plenty of Jaguar evidence including paw prints, and scats. Another interesting element is that the whole area is limestone, so there are sink holes all over the place, plus lots of un explored caves with no doubt a healthy bat population!

Best wishes and see you all soon,
Kirsty

Labels: Mexico

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Two new project partners for WLT in Ecuador 

WLT has recently signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with two new project partners in Ecuador: Pro Bosque, who administer the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, near Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil, and the Ecominga Foundation, established by botanical expert, Lou Jost, to save areas of prime botanical importance.

The Cerro Blanco forest protects the best remaining Ecuadorian deciduous forests, now reduced to 1% of its former extent; the flagship species is the critically endangered Ecuadorian subspecies of the Great Green Macaw. WLT is working with Pro Bosque to reconnect and extend the forest area and is funding a tree planting project. WLT is also involved in raising funds for two reserves through the Ecominga Foundation.

Labels: Ecuador

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