Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project

Project Background

The Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project , launched by David Bellamy OBE, was the third project of the World Land Trust, and gave everyone a unique opportunity to become a 'founder owner' of the tropical paradise island of Danjugan.

The location

Known as the Green Necklace of the Pacific, the Philippine Islands are facing immense pressure from commercial and industrial development. And while many Filipinos themselves are intent upon preserving their "jewel" there is no question that the country is changing at an incredible pace.

The Philippines are made up of over 7,000 islands, which lie between latitude 21ºN and latitude 5ºN, on the westernmost rim of the Pacific Ocean, they are actually a series of half-drowned mountain ranges – part of the chain which extend from Indonesia to Japan. The country stretches 1,840 km from north to south, and spans 1,104km at its widest point. The land mass of the archipelago is slightly larger than the British Isles, and with so many islands dotted across such a vast expanse of water it is not surprising that the Philippine coastline is double that of the United States.

The 7,000+ islands which make up the Philippines are being cleared of their tropical forests at an alarming rate and very few still have their forests intact and one of these islands which came to the attention of the WLT, was Danjugan Island.

Danjugan Island

Danjugan Island.

Danjugan is an extremely important island for several reasons. It is one of the few islands in the area that still has its original tropical forests, and these are literally teeming with wildlife. It is also a critical 'stopping off' place for migratory birds including swallows, waders and kingfishers. Additionally, the island is surrounded by a beautiful coral reef that is in urgent need of protection. Phase Two of the project includes a re-afforestation programme on the adjacent mainland.

Early history of Danjugan

In early 1993, at the suggestion of William Oliver, a UK conservationist working on endangered species in the Philippines, Gerry Ledesma of the Negros Ecological and Forest Foundation, contacted John Burton of the World Land Trust and asked for assistance in saving the island of Danjugan from development. The World Land Trust asked Sue Wells, an international expert on coral reefs, who was at that time based in Manila, to visit the island and report on its importance. Her report back to the World Land Trust was favourable in all respects, and the World Land Trust then approached Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) to see if they would be prepared to become involved with developing a plan for protecting the marine resources. CCC sent Pete Raines to visit the island, and his report was also enthusiastic.The WLT and Gerry Ledesma early on decided that a new Foundation was needed, and the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation (Inc) was formed, with Pete Raines from Coral Cay Conservation and John Burton from the World Land Trust among its board of directors. Meanwhile, the World Land Trust had launched the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Project in the UK, which was established primarily to raise the funds for the purchase of the island of Danjugan, and Coral Cay Conservation launched an extensive series of expeditions to survey the reefs around the island.

The purchase of Danjugan

The former owners of Danjugan island had been seeking to sell, and WLT were alerted to the fact that developers were waiting in the wings to move in and begin clearance. This really was a 'Window of Opportunity' - and in order to purchase and start to protect Danjugan and save its natural resources from inappropriate development, the WLT had to commit to raising £250,000. In 2000, all the loan had been repaid and the fundraising for the land purchase successfully completed, thanks to the generosity of individuals, companies and groups.

More information on the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project

To learn more about the Danjugan Island project visit the main project page: Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project.