Get WLT Projects News delivered to your desktop How does this work? » More WLT news feeds »

Conservation Project News

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

You are viewing the archived pages, return to the current projects news here.

Conservation projects news on this page:

Monday, 17 September 2007:

Golden-plumed Parakeets nest in Tapichalaca Reserve (Ecuador) 

Golden-plumed parakeets in a palm tree. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Golden-plumed Parakeet (Leptosittaca branickii is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and numbers are thought to be as low as 400 birds. They only occur in fragmented habitats in montane forest on the east slope of the Andes from northern Colombia and Ecuador to Peru in temperate cloud and elfin forest at 2,400-3,400 m, occasionally lower. They depend on Wax palms (Ceroxylon sp) in which they take refuge and make their nests, and are heavily dependent on Podocarpus cones for food.

Golden-plumed parakeets are present in Podocarpus National Park and these birds were photographed on the border of the Christopher Parsons sector of the Jocotoco Foundation's Tapichalaca Reserve and the Podocarpus National Park, nesting in a dead Wax palm. Both Wax Palms and Podocarpus trees are being lost through deforestation and this does not bode well for the future of these parakeets, outside protected areas. On Palm Sunday this year there was a high profile campaign in Quito, supported by the church, to encourage people to wave corn stalks and branches from ornamental plants instead of traditional palm fronds and the woven crosses made from Wax palm, in an attempt to alert people to the plight of the Golden-plumed Parakeet.

Another bird, the Yellow-eared parrot, also depended on the Wax palm for its survival but there have been no confirmed sightings in Ecuador for eight years.

The Christopher Parsons rainforest was purchased from funds raised by World Land Trust in memory of Christopher Parsons, a WLT Trustee, who died in 2002. He was the producer of Life on Earth and a close friend of Sir David Attenborough.

Labels: Ecuador

| Permanent location of this post | Post a Comment | Read comments (0) | Links to this post |

Share this post with your friends

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

| Permanent location of this post | Post a Comment | Read comments (0) | Links to this post |

Share this post with your friends

Mountain Agoutis photographed in Tapichalaca (Ecuador) 

(Top) Mountain Agousti being fed in Tapichalaca. (Bottom) One of the animals visiting the reserve. See a larger image of the Agouti (use your back button to return here.)

A family group of these wild Mountain Agoutis (Cuniculus taczanowskii), belonging to the paca family, arrived in the store room at the Tapichalaca lodge in Ecuador recently. One of the park rangers tried a few tasty morsels which seemed to go down very well before they wandered off back into their rainforest retreat.

The Mountain Agouti is a large rodent which is Endangered throughout its range, and has rarely been photographed in the wild. (This may even be the first photograph for Ecuador).

Mountain Agoutis are mainly nocturnal and feed on a wide variety of vegetable matter including fallen fruit, roots, leaves and seeds. Because of the damage they cause to crops they have been relentlessly persecuted in agricultural areas in the past and have been intensively hunted for their flesh which is highly prized.

Labels: Ecuador

| Permanent location of this post | Post a Comment | Read comments (0) | Links to this post |

Share this post with your friends

Tuesday, 4 September 2007:

Elephants in Hyde Park raise money for elephant corridor (India) 

Willow elephants 'wandering' through Hyde Park to raise awareness of the threats facing the elephants in India.

Today saw the launch of "Trunks meet Trunks", a series of family activities in Hyde Park, London, organised by Elephant Family to raise awareness of the threats to the Asian Elephant, and support WLT's elephant corridor project in Kerala, south-west India.

Between 4th-18th September, 12 life size elephants made out of willow will be 'wandering' through the park, culminating in an invitation-only charity auction on 16th September.

Come and see the elephants and learn more about the elephant corridor project!

For more information, visit www.trunks-meet-trunks.org

Labels: India

| Permanent location of this post | Post a Comment | Read comments (0) | Links to this post |

Share this post with your friends

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

| Permanent location of this post | Post a Comment | Read comments (0) | Links to this post |

Share this post with your friends