The History of World Land Trust

WLT’s third project focused on the Osa Peninsula, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Working with TUVA, we helped safeguard rainforest and support sustainable livelihoods for local farmers.

Our first official Patron, David Gower OBE, an English former cricketer and now a prominent cricket commentator. He is widely regarded as one of the most elegant left handed batsmen in the history of the game. Until he was six, David Gower’s family lived in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) in Africa. From a young age he was lucky enough to go to the big game parks where he developed a lifelong interest in wildlife. David has continued to be spokesperson and advocate for the work of the Trust

Sir David Attenborough became Patron of World Land Trust, having supported the charity since its founding in 1989. Inspired by John Burton’s innovative approach to protecting threatened habitats, he praised WLT’s model as one of the most effective ways to safeguard the natural world, noting that its support goes directly to where it is most needed. He is quoted as saying.

“The money that is given to the World Land Trust, in my estimation, has more effect on the wild world than almost anything I can think of”.

Urgent funds were raised to support the securing of important Orangutan habitat in Malaysian Borneo

Urgent funds were raised to support the securing of important elephant corridors in India

In 2013 World Land Trust welcome Patron Chris Packham, who has been a wildlife fanatic for as long as he can remember. His parents recall how he tried to ‘collect’ creatures that crept and crawled across their lawn before he could even walk.
With the years the obsession grew and at an early age Chris became a champion of ‘unloved’ animals. Bats were a particular love, as were snakes and lizards.

Adventurer and broadcaster Steve Backshall became a Patron of World Land Trust, building on his support for the charity’s work. Known for championing wildlife through his television expeditions, he brought WLT to new audiences and backed key appeals, including efforts to protect threatened rainforest habitats in Borneo and Colombia.

Project to protect an area of forest in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The appeal coincided with the Rio Olympics. Fronted by World Land Trust Ambassador and Olympian Helen Glover.

In 2016 WLT supported Wildlife Trust of India (WTI),  in their urgent bid to save Indian Elephants from extinction by safeguarding their traditional migration routes. The Elephant Corridor Appeal raised £750,000 to extend and protect Mudahalli Corridor, where the Eastern and Western Ghats meet in southern India.

WLT launched an appeal to protect the cloud forests of Sierra Gorda, home to Monarch Butterflies, big cats and rare amphibians.

WLT reached its £600,000 target to secure over 8,000 acres in northern Belize, creating vital habitat for Jaguars and expanding the corridor through additional Buy an Acre support.

After three decades leading World Land Trust, founders John and Viv Burton stepped down from their roles, marking the end of an era in which they guided WLT from its beginnings in 1989 to becoming a global conservation organisation

Dr Catherine Barnard joins WLT as CEO, bringing more than two decades of global conservation experience, spanning BirdLife International, RSPB, sustainable agriculture leadership and practical fieldwork across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

A record response allowed WLT to help protect 4,843 acres of Ecuador’s Chocó rainforest, part of a rare remaining two per cent of this once vast ecosystem.

Supporters helped secure 642 acres of forest and wetlands in Colombia’s Barbacoas region, expanding protected areas and linking key reserves.

This appeal expanded Guatemala’s Laguna Grande Reserve to nearly 5,000 acres, protecting mangroves, forests and over 700 species in a highly threatened Caribbean landscape.

Supporters enabled the next phase of the Garo Green Spine in northeast India, securing land for a fourth elephant corridor and strengthening community managed reserves.

Funding doubled the protected area of the Anzu and Zúñac reserves in Ecuador, safeguarding unique foothill forests at risk from logging, agriculture and proposed oil projects.

We wanted a symbol that truly represented who we are. Our logo reflects the natural patterns that show how small changes can trigger wider reactions, with the circle expressing balance and wholeness. The Red-eyed Tree Frog felt like the perfect choice, as amphibians are vital indicators of environmental health yet are declining rapidly, with around a third of species now endangered mainly due to climate change and habitat loss.

Supporters enabled AESMO to purchase 91 hectares of cloud forest, protect critical water sources and support rangers safeguarding wildlife in the Mesoamerican hotspot.

This project expanded the El Silencio Reserve by 1,495 hectares, protecting remaining tropical forests and accelerating plans for a 6,000 hectare wildlife corridor in the Middle Magdalena Valley.