"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
The World Land Trust reports that trail cameras in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve there have filmed a Black Bear recorded in central Mexico.
This is the first Black Bear recorded there for 100 years!
There's also footage of a nine-banded Armadillo and Jaguar.
Back in 2018, supporters of the World Land Trust raised a whopping £57,800 to protect an area of the forest of 578 acres - that's the size of nearly 300 football pitches!
Would you like to help the World Land Trust protect more acres for wildlife?
Panthera is dedicated solely to the conservation of wild cats. And Panthera has shared its plans for 2019 and the advances it wants to make for big cats:
Take On Wildlife Crime and Trafficking Globally To clamp down on the threat to other cat species in areas of the world where wildlife crime is rising. Funding from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will help Panthera to increase its work with government partners around the world to disrupt the criminals targeting tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards.
Revolutionize the Way it Shares and Uses Scientific Data To roll out what is arguably the largest collection of data on wild cats in the world. Its new data system will enable scientists and partners to expand and share knowledge in ways they never have before, with immediate access to millions of camera trap images and analytical tools applicable across species, sites, and regions. This global network will change the way conservation is done and speed progress.
Increase its Eyes on the Wild To produce and use up to 10,000 of the PantheraCam V7s - meaning that up to 28,000 camera traps will be in the field. These should be a big help to wild cat biologists.
There’s news from Wilmar International. They are important, because the Singapore based company supplies 40% of the world’s palm oil.
They say (which is different to actually doing) that they will commit to map its suppliers’ entire landbank by the end of 2019.
Wilmar is going to use satellite monitoring to check for deforestation. If they catch companies cutting virgin forest for plantations, those companies will immediately be suspended from doing business with Wilmar.
Greenpeace say they will be watching this development carefully and its activists have been busy in the last few months. If Wilmar does what it says, it means that by 2019 it will be almost impossible for its suppliers to get away with forest destruction.
The problem with palm oil is that it’s cheap – so used in a major way in cosmetics, toiletries and food products.
Huge areas of rainforest have been destroyed to allow for palm oil plantations.
Wildlife species have been badly hit, most notably the orangutan.
Wilmar’s decision comes about because people are showing a backlash against companies that use unsustainable and unverified palm oil.
We must all watch this development and see what Wilmar International actually does. As I said at the start, making these plans is different to actually carrying them out and DOING them. But it’s a start and could be a useful benchmark with which to see what progress they make by the end of 2019.
Make a Difference NOW to Rainforest Conservation
An Indonesian oil palm plantation is up for sale and the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) has a golden opportunity to buy this land and restore the lush forest that once stood there. They need to raise £870,000 by February 2019 to do this and help save the habitat for orangutans. As I write, over £512,000 has been donated already. Find out more and donate here.
Lots of people are giving £5 or £10 or whatever they can to this appeal. What matters is that lots of us take action and give something to make a difference and get this land to protect it for wildlife. I donated for my aunt’s birthday present as she adores orangutans. Every £1 or $1 helps. Donate here
Canada is investing C$14.7 million – that’s the equivalent of about £8.5 million – to put aside 7,900 hectares for wildlife conservation in the Rocky Mountains.
They are beautiful – I visited there far too long ago – and I’m delighted to hear of this move.
The funding will expand a tract of land in the south-east of British Columbia. The initiative will help protect about 40 species. Grizzly bears, wolverines, peregrine falcons and mountain caribou will benefit.
The investment comes from federal and provincial governments. It will add 14% more land to the existing Darkwoods Conservation Area, which has valleys, mountains and lakes and which connects to an existing network of wildlife management areas and parkland.
The investment means that both wildlife and plant life will have improved protection in an area which lies within the world’s only inland temperate rainforest.
There’s a very great danger to rainforests and consequently to all our wellbeing. We all need rainforests in good conditions in order for every one of us to survive and thrive and be well.
Rainforest Rescue report that business groups and politicians want to meet to discuss worldwide demand for energy and raw materials. These groups want to boost economic growth with a new “bioeconomy”.
The idea is that vast amounts of land will produce wood and other agricultural goods.
Burning our forests in power plants and setting up huge industrial plantations to grow biomass for supposedly renewable energy and bioplastics is anything but clean or green.
These plants threaten natural ecosystems, the global climate, human health and human rights. One example is the Brazilian “Biofuture Platform”. This is a Brazilian initiative supported by 20 countries.
Personally, I think far too many business leaders and politicians around the world have lost touch with nature to such an extent that they think it’s now a “nice to have” thing, or something which isn’t relevant to them and doesn’t apply to them. Their arrogance is breathtaking.
Look after the earth and the earth will look after us.
I don't think we are looking after the earth and she is rapidly coming to a point where will she cannot look after us because she isn’t in good health herself. And that’s our fault.
