Buying land to save tropical rainforests forever
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2010 Conservation news from WLT-US Jul New Reserve for Fuertes' Parrots: a gold mine for conservation May Stunning success for parrots once thought extinct Apr WLT-US now accepting your text message donations Mar Supporters visit new Colombian reserve Jan iPhone Application Developer MyAppy to help Buy and Protect Rainforest with WLT-US 2009 Conservation news from WLT-US Dec WLT-US ranked one of the top conservation nonprofit's by Charity Navigator
Dec World's smallest Orchid Discovered in World Land Trust Reserve Nov 1,700 acres of Brazilian rainforest saved; 18,000 acres now protected Oct 16,000 acres Yellow-eared Parrot Corridor established in Colombian Andes Sep WLT-US partner discovers key areas for an Endangered Hummingbird Aug 3,356 acres of endangered Magdalena valley rainforest saved Jul WLT-US saves 1 million acres of Amazon rainforest in Peru May A Brighter future for some of the most endangered dry forest species Apr Urraca Lodge launched at Jorupe Reserve in Ecuador Mar See our 2008 Annual report Feb Review the acres YOU saved in 2008 with WLT-US Jan First protected area established for critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw 
Sarina Rubin, aged 12, saves 11 acres of rainforest with WLT-USSarina Rubin, at age 12, in preparation for her Bat Mitzvah, decided her project should help save the world. Specifically, Sarina decided to help save rain forests. Sarina spent the last 12 months collected recyclables from school parties, offices, condos, and homes. Then, with ungloved hands, she fed the sticky, wet, dripping, dirty cans and bottles through the recycler behind the local grocery store. Sarina also organized bakes sales, summer carnivals and ran lemonade stands with her friends to raise more funds. To date, Sarina raised $1,100 for which she purchased rainforest acreage through WLT-US. In addition, Sarina bought the acreage in memory of people in her life who will not be able to share the Bat Mitzvah day with her and Sarina will be presenting the certificates to their relatives at her Bat Mitzvah, July 18, 2009. With the help of World Land Trust, Sarina has brought double meaning to her Bat Mitzvah; she’s helping to save the rain forests and honoring her family at the same time. WLT-US partner discovers key areas for an Endangered Hummingbird Researchers from our partner organization in Ecuador, Fundación Jocotoco, have just published important new information on the distribution, plumage, and reproductive behavior of the Endangered Esmeraldas Woodstar (Chaetocercus berlepschi) thanks to the support of the World Land Trust-US and American Bird Conservancy. This tiny hummingbird, barely bigger than a bumblebee, is endemic to moist forest in the coastal lowlands and foothills of central and northern Ecuador, where it has a small range and an extremely fragmented distribution. Although the Fundación Jocotoco researchers encountered the hummingbird most frequently in the Ayampe area, they also found small numbers at sites as far as 62 miles northward along the coast. They also discovered the first nests of the species for science. In fact, they located a total of 33 nests—a remarkable number for any species of tropical hummingbird. While monitoring these nests, the researchers made the surprising discovery that birds previously described and shown in field guide illustrations as females were actually juvenile males. The study was published in the June issue of the Wilson Journal of Ornithology. It is now known that female Esmeraldas Woodstars resemble the females of the closely related Little Woodstar (C. bombus), although with a distinct tail pattern and different head markings. This new information is critical for obtaining further reliable information on the species and will aid future researchers and conservationists taking much-needed action to save the species. Much remains to be learned about the Esmeraldas Woodstar; for example it is still not known where the species spends the non-breeding season. The Esmeraldas Woodstar is acutely threatened by the loss of lowland and foothill moist forest. As little as 10% of these forests remain in western Ecuador and most forest patches are small fragments that may provide poor habitat. Esmeraldas Woodstars breed at a few sites in Machalilla National Park but the park does not provide suitable protection for the species. The park is subject to frequent logging and hunting and there are even a few villages inside the park boundaries. The woodstar is not known to breed in any other protected area. Bert Harris, one of the Jocotoco researchers, put it in the following way: “The Esmeraldas Woodstar critically needs a new protected area in its breeding range. Breeding hotspots such Ayampe are under considerable human pressure from logging, agriculture, and mining. If swift action is not taken, these key areas may become so degraded that they will no longer support breeding. Ideally the protected area should be established along the southern Manabí coast near Ayampe.” WLT-US is working with Fundación Jocotoco on developing these conservation solutions for the Esmeraldas Woodstar. |
