THE SAVES CHALLENGE
Each and every day, rampant rainforest destruction pushes wildlife to extinction and our planet towards an irreversible crisis. We can dramatically reduce this senseless loss by Safeguarding Areas Vital to Endangered Species – SAVES.
Establishing New Protected Areas
Rainforest Trust collaborates with strong local organizations to safeguard endangered species and intact landscapes by creating permanent protected areas in regions most at risk of habitat destruction. These protected areas, vital for the survival of many species, are established through direct land purchase, the designation of national parks and other government-recognized protected areas, or the creation of community conservation areas that are sustainably managed by local stakeholders and government.
Rainforest Trust is dedicated to fostering strong collaborations and empowering conservation leaders within their own countries. Our simple model has proven highly effective for over 30 years and has saved over 33 million acres.
Land Purchase
Some of the most endangered species survive in the last fragments of natural habitat that are often privately owned and unprotected. In many cases the only option is to purchase those properties and protect them. For example, in Ecuador, we have supported Fundación Jocotoco in acquiring many private properties to establish a strategic network of 15 nature reserves for Critically Endangered birds, mammals and amphibians. These purchases have not only protected land where these species live now, but also provide space for movement to higher altitudes as climate changes.
Designated Areas
By working with local NGOs that have strong relationships with governments and communities, we are helping to expand protected area networks in priority regions. For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we assisted our local partner Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation to create the 2.2-million acre Lomami National Park, which is home to global stronghold populations of Bonobos, Okapis and a host of other threatened species. This is the first national park to be declared in the country in four decades.
Community Involvement
Engaging community support in the protection of local wildlife habitat is vital to the success of our long-term conservation strategy. In Peru, Rainforest Trust worked with Center for the Development of an Indigenous Amazon (CEDIA), who collaborated with local indigenous communities to petition the government to formally declare the 3.3-million-acre Sierra del Divisor National Park in 2015. The communities will now participate in actively safeguarding the new park, which secures the final link in a 67-million-acre Andes-Amazon Conservation Corridor. Together we’ve developed two similar projects that will ultimately protect more than 7 million acres in the Peruvian Amazon.
Saving Species from Extinction
Our focus is always to strategically preserve threatened habitat that has the most impact for the most gravely endangered species – no matter how big or small. Our work spans the 54-acre Nakanacagi Cave in Fiji, the only known maternity colony of the Endangered Fijian Free-tailed Bat, to the 900-acre Geometric Tortoise Reserve in South Africa, one of the last viable populations of this species in the world.
Join Us to Support the SAVES Challenge
Rainforest Trust is leading partners worldwide to invest $100 million in conservation work to establish protection on 50 million acres for endangered wildlife, but we need your help to make this ambitious goal a reality. Launched in 2016, the SAVES Challenge has transformed Rainforest Trusts thanks to the generous support of an anonymous friend and conservationist who realized the importance and urgency of our work.
Every dollar donated to a SAVES Challenge conservation project will be matched 1:1 so your donation has double the impact. 100% of all gifts to projects will power important conservation work.
Contact us for more information or explore our projects to take advantage of this remarkable matching gift opportunity that will double the impact of your donation in support of the SAVES Challenge.
(Header Photo: Red Panda by Mathias Appel)
