Letter from Our CEO colorful sunset in pantanal-brazil | esb professional
Sometimes it seems there is only bad news to report in conservation : a million species facing extinction , climate change accelerating , the world distracted by other crises . But Rainforest Trust ’ s partners in the field are achieving extraordinary successes , sometimes against unbelievable odds . In this fall newsletter , we are excited to report on some of these .
For example , consider the Niger Delta in Nigeria . The first time Rachel Ikemeh saw the Critically Endangered Niger Delta Red Colobus monkeys here , she was standing knee deep in oil spilled from nearby wells . Indeed , I can remember trying to launch a program here back when I was at the Wildlife Conservation Society . The site felt like a war zone between rebels , oil hijackers , oil company security and government soldiers , and we eventually had to give up . Now , with Rainforest Trust ’ s support , Rachel has succeeded where others failed : The monkeys are now protected in a community reserve and increasing in numbers .
Or take another wetland habitat , the Pantanal — the largest tropical wetland in the world , which sits just south of the Amazon in South America . In 2013 , less than 2 % of this habitat was protected , Jaguars were persecuted throughout by ranchers and in decline , and few had heard of the Pantanal ’ s extraordinary avian diversity . But that year was a turning point , when support from our donors enabled us to grant half a million dollars to the newly formed conservation organization Panthera to buy the Old Jofre Ranch , for Jaguars . Now , 10 years later , Panthera estimates some 1,000 Jaguars are thriving in the Pantanal . Indeed , the big cats feel so secure that tourists in boats reliably view them every day , creating South America ’ s leading wildlife tourism attraction .
These repeated successes around the world add up to a metric of which we are very proud : 99.3 % of the forests we have protected since our founding in 1988 remain standing .
These successes , and so many more — some detailed in this newsletter — are possible because Rainforest Trust , on behalf of our donors , is able to scour the tropics and subtropics not only for the most threatened species and habitats , but also for the very best local conservationists and conservation opportunities . Among these are several new opportunities for which we are especially excited : in the Brazilian Amazon , where a pro-conservation government is racing to protect the forest ; in Indonesia , where deforestation has fallen sharply over the past few years as local conservation organizations have created community reserves with our help ; and in South Sudan , where the world ’ s largest migration of antelopes has survived 75 years of civil war and recently attracted a new protector in African Parks .
Whichever Rainforest Trust projects or funds you choose to support , please know your gift will go 100 % toward conservation , empowering deeply committed conservationists around the world to take immediate action . And , while I cannot guarantee that every project will succeed in all its goals and metrics , our past successes demonstrate that the odds are actually pretty good !
In gratitude for your ongoing support ,
Dr . James C . Deutsch | CEO
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