2008 Projects

Habitat Protection

To save a species ultimately means saving its home – the place in which it seeks shelter, forages, breeds and raises young. For some animals, a habitat might be a one-acre tract while for others, a massive, multi-national expanse. Protecting and preserving these special places is a difficult yet critical conservation challenge and a key focus
for the Fund.

Impoverished rural communities around protected areas present great challenges for conservation. The women in these communities are generally very poorly educated, lack skills and forced to work in extreme conditions, often to the neglect of their families. The American Bird Conservancy and Fundacion ProAves have undertaken pilot workshops with community women and heads of households in the buffer areas of its network of reserves. With support from the Fund, these groups are expanding training and capacity-building to raise environmental awareness and secure the skills that will assist poverty alleviation and encourage the best use of natural resources. Assisting local women has been instrumental in gaining the respect and support of local communities for protected areas and conservation, as well as ensure they reap the rewards of protecting the environment.

Throughout Kenya and many other areas of the world, predators and people increasingly come into conflict.  In Kenya, lions and other carnivores facing natural habitat loss now prey on livestock of nearby farming communities. As a result, many predators have been indiscriminately killed in revenge for the loss of livestock.   With support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, two non-lethal predator control projects are underway in Kenya. The Livestock Guardian Dog project taps existing small, local dogs and introduces livestock guardian dogs, which will strengthen the existing herding and protection system.  The second method is Minimum Risk Livestock Management, which will connect data about predator behavior to actual farming practices, with the aim of reducing depredation. This project gives local people means to actively participate in relieving the wildlife conflict faced in this area, promote non-lethal predator control and stop indiscriminate revenge killing of the big cats.

Sometimes conservation issues are quite simple. In the villages of Mboboko and Mapanja of Cameroon, people hunt animals for food and income. In 2007, the Bonava Wildlife Conservation Center conducted a survey in these villages, documenting at least 87 hunters who hunt and sell meat from 180 chimpanzees, 350 monkeys and about 750 antelopes in one year.   A vast majority of these hunters - 90% - indicated they were hunting because they had no other skills. They indicated they would cease hunting if they were trained in other professions like taxi driving and private security guards. With support from the Fund, the Center is conducting alternative career training and education programs for these hunters and constructing two slaughter houses to supply cow meat to the villagers. Such straightforward efforts will hopefully manifest in greater protection for antelopes, monkeys and chimpanzees around Mt. Cameroon.

The Bonobo Conservation Initiative and local partners led the effort to create the Democratic Republic of Congo's new Sankuru Nature Reserve, which at 11,803 square miles is the world's largest continuous protected area for great apes. Home to the DRC's two flagship endemic species, the bonobo (Pan paniscus) and the okapi (Okapia johnstonii), this new protected area provides globally important rainforest and biodiversity protection. With support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, these groups and the DRC park service are now focused on establishing a community-led management structure for the reserve - a structure which will serve as the base for strong, sound and sustainable management of this vast but still fragile space.

Cambodia is crucially important for the conservation of otters. All four of Southeast Asia's otters live here: the Eurasian otter, the Asian small-clawed otter, the smooth-coated otter, and the hairy-nosed otter. All of them are threatened by wetlands degradation, depletion of food sources, and especially hunting. Otters are being unsustainably harvested in the hundreds throughout the region and their fur commands high prices in the illegal wildlife trade. The hairy-nosed and smooth-coated otters are found at the Tonle Sap Lake, where the hunting pressure is very high. Through a grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, Conservation International is implementing activities to mitigate threats and raise awareness, including environmental education for local communities; training and support for rangers; establishing permanent conservation presence; directing community involvement in research and conservation activities, and monitoring otter populations.

The endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon population annually produces millions of eggs. However, natural spawning downstream from Bonners Ferry, Idaho has not meaningfully contributed to the population since the 1960s. Spawning areas currently appear to lack suitable substrates for embryo (fertilized egg) survival. Increased flows in the Kootenai River have not succeeded in restoring natural recruitment and have negatively affected agricultural production in the Kootenai Valley. The Cramer Fish Sciences program, with support fron the Fund, is providing additional suitable substrate for newly-fertilized, broadcast eggs and embryos. The program will assess inexpensive artificial substrates in a research facility to confirm their ability to increase embryo survival.

With support from the Fund, Defenders of Wildlife is collaborating with other programs to protect wolves and grizzly bears, and to foster the broader recovery of these and other predator species, by: 1) Reducing conflicts between humans and predators; 2) Preventing the unnecessary killing of predators by government agencies charged with responding to conflicts; 3) Improving public acceptance and appreciation of predators and predator conservation. Support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is enabling Defenders to further implement urgently needed (and replicable) proactive projects in areas with the biggest potential impact for protecting wolves and grizzlies. Key regions for Defender of Wildlife's work in the U.S. include the Northern Rockies, the Southwest, the Great Lakes basin and eastern North Carolina.

The Kerenci Seblat Tiger Protection & Conservation Program provides practical support to one of Asia's most important national parks in the protection and conservation of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, tiger prey species and tiger habitat. The Fund supports field activities conducted by Tiger Protection and Conservation Units with scientific support from Fauna & Flora International. These units conduct patrols for species and habitat protection, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, wildlife crime investigation and law enforcement. Units also respond to wildlife emergencies including the rescue, treatment and release of highly protected species. The program is recognized as one of the most successful anti-poaching units in Asia, but also conducts practical species conservation training activities, facilitates tiger research and monitoring, and supports the activities of local non-profit organizations working for species and forest conservation.

Indonesia's Gunung Palung National Park is critical to the survival of orangutans, yet is threatened by illegal logging. In 2007, Health In Harmony established a healthcare clinic on the park's border and set up a system of healthcare-for-conservation trades to promote the protection of its rich rainforests. In 2008, with Fund support, the objectives are to continue to develop the conservation incentive system based on healthcare to protect Gunung Palung, creating a system wherein local people can pay for healthcare by working on park reforestation and raise local awareness concerning the link between conservation and health. Such innovative solutions are needed to avert the crisis of deforestation in Indonesia's national parks.

With its strong team of 40 local skilled research assistants and Honorary Wildlife Wardens, the Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project is in a leading position to implement the Management Plan for the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. With continued Fund support, this project will enable additional wildlife surveys. Recent Fund-supported surveys conducted over the past few years have resulted in a set of recommendations for proper biomonitoring of the natural resources found in the area. While the sanctuary is the richest wetland for biodiversity in Southeast Asia, its integrity is threatened by increasing human activities taking place in East Sabah. Regular law enforcement and wildlife population monitoring are key components necessary to ensuring the long-term viability of the entire ecosystem.

Over the past decade, extensive shrimp culturing has provided large profits for fishermen in Thuy Trieu Lagoon in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam province. However, degradation of the seawater quality has made marine aquaculture difficult in the area. Caulerpa lentillifera is one of the edible and commercial seaweeds that has been commercially cultured for food in the Philippines and Japan. It was introduced to Vietnam for aquaculture and culturing by the Institute of Oceanography in 2004. The goal of this research project, supported by the Fund, is to confirm that when Caulerpa lentillifera is grown in a eutrophic condition, the concentration of nitrates and phosphates in the seaweed's tissue will increase and the concentration of nitrates and phosphates in the seawater will decrease. The project aims to improve the quality of the seawater in shrimp farms.

The Serra Bonita Reserve Complex is an innovative and pioneering conservation initiative that protects one of the last remnants of moist submontane forest in the Atlantic Forest Central Biodiversity Corridor in the State of Bahia, Brazil. Globally significant for its endemic species and unique habitat, the forest is the only significant example of this type of vegetation protected in Bahia. With support from the Fund, Instituto Uiraçu will increase the reserve's size by almost 5 percent through purchasing approximately 80 hectares. This purchase will prevent further destruction of priority forest fragments while increasing the biological integrity of the current protected area.

Since 2003, the Izaak Walton League and its partners have worked with Amish farmers to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into the Mill Creek through streambank fencing and riparian buffer plantings. In this next phase of the Mill Creek restoration efforts, with Fund support, the League will plan and implement priority on-the-ground projects, including fencing and stream bank stabilization, that will protect and restore the living resources and water quality of this former trout stream. The League will also educate the community about the importance of watershed conservation. These efforts include an educational watershed festival for the community, the production and distribution of a periodic newsletter, and an educational calendar and art contest. These educational activities will encourage more farmers and other community members to participate in the project.

Reforestation requires a combined effort of individuals, the private sector, funding agencies and government support to ensure a sustainable program. With this grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, Keettim will establish a nursery which will produce tree seedlings to the plantation site and to the community.  Seedlings of indigenous and exotic tree species will be raised for both areas. These seedlings can be used for fuel wood plantation, animal fodder, construction material, habitat for wildlife and also the improvement of the soil nutrient of farmers. The project will initially start with the area of 110,000 M2 of land (closed area) and continue to expand further as far as possible.

With support from the Fund, the Grassroots Reforestation Movement combines goals to increase reforestation in Haiti and to provide a major impact on the lives of disadvantaged Haitians.  The Lambi Fund of Haiti has experience in grassroots reforestation and want to take it to the next level with a world-class collaboration with the Greenbelt Movement led by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai.  Peer-to-peer exchange has begun between the Greenbelt Movement in Kenya and Haitian peasant organizations working on reforestation projects with the Lambi Fund.

For several years, the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has helped the National Audubon Society protect and restore seabird colonies on the Maine coast. This year, the project will support the work of four summer research assistant interns, who will assist with seabird surveys, invasive plant species removal and other needs. Since 1973, Audubon's Seabird Restoration Program has served as a model for developing techniques for seabird management. In 2008, the focus will be habitat restoration for endangered and threatened terns, puffins, and other rare seabirds that are native to the Maine coast. The proposed studies will test methods for controlling invasive vegetation that is degrading habitat for these rare species.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, vast areas of Louisiana's coastal wetlands were destroyed by saltwater and wind. Thousands of miles of habitat were devastated, including habitats of threatened and endangered species as well as the marsh lands and levees that protect human populations from the ravages of ocean storms. With the help of 2,500 volunteers, National Wildlife Federation is restoring Louisiana's coastal wetlands by clearing debris, repairing levees and terraces and replanting native plant species. Working with partner organizations, such as the Fund, this project is fostering the community spirit that will help Louisiana to heal. The project also aims to raise national awareness about the importance of wetlands and coastal zones by educating about the critical roles these special places play for wildlife and human populations.

Conservation of Manafiafy forest habitat is critical to the survival of Madagascar's endemic fauna.  State-imposed habitat conservation efforts have negatively impacted rural communities.  Education programs are needed to communicate and provide tangible benefits to those who depend on forests for survival.  Communities are motivated to conserve forest habitats when they are provided with means to do so. This project, supported by the Fund, aims to ensure long-term conservation of habitat of global significance to fauna conservation through the first community-led reforestation for Anosy.  Supporting local management institutions, involving communities at every stage and providing tangible benefits for their conservation efforts provide great benefit to this area.

Humans are able to have a tremendous impact on natural resources and wildlife populations. This is especially true in coastal communities where residents directly impact the marine ecosystem. Sea turtle populations are especially vulnerable on nesting beaches with high levels of human interaction. In the communities of the southern Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, the Fund is helping the Sea Turtle Restoration Program to establish a network of sea turtle nesting beach projects, entitled PLANS (Playas de Anidación de Tortugas Marinas de Nicoya Sur).  These projects will create a holistic picture of sea turtle populations and the threats to those populations, as well as identify the actions necessary to mitigate those threats within the context of the local community.

The Rainforest Alliance conserves biodiversity and ensures sustainable livelihoods through transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. The efforts in Mexico over the past six months have resulted in more than $50,000 in revenue increases from improved production efficiency and new product development for communities in Durango and $250,000 in sales from furniture sold through a community enterprise, with an additional $960,000 leveraged in additional investment, in Oaxaca. With a grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, efforts will expand to Chihuahua, which is of strategic importance to the Rainforest Alliance for rural development based on conservation of Mexico's forest ecosystems.

Rainforest2Reef has successfully protected more then 300,000 acres of rainforest habitat in the southwest buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, located in the southern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, through innovative conservation agreements with indigenous land owners.  With support from the Fund, even more land will be protected. Efforts to date have resulted in the protection of 60,000 species, including one of the last viable jaguar populations in Central America.  The improvement of livelihoods of more than 300 families and the prevention of an estimated 250,000 tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere annually greatly impact and benefit this area.

Restore America's Estuaries and its alliance members have been working since 1996 to restore the cherished coastal areas of the U.S. Through the Community-based Restoration Program, this group is joining with government agencies, businesses, non-profits, scientists and local volunteers on restoration projects with real impacts. Among its aims are the return of abundant fisheries, strong local economies, and shorelines that are resilient to storms and flooding.  The Program has funded more than 600 local restoration projects to date, while achieving tangible results and getting people involved in their local communities. Along with support from the Fund and other national partnerships, Restore America's Estuaries annually leverages funds received nationally with a 2-1, and in some cases 3-1 match towards on-the-ground projects.

The snow leopard is a magnificent flagship species for one of the last, great wilderness regions on Earth - the spectacular mountain ranges of Asia, including the Himalayas. Unfortunately, snow leopard populations are in decline throughout their range. Experts estimate as few as 3,500 individuals exist in the wild today. India is home to one of the largest remaining snow leopard populations. With support from the Fund, the Snow Leopard Trust works with local villagers to reduce human-cat conflicts caused primarily by the overgrazing of domestic livestock. Using a three-pronged approach, the Trust will work with villagers to set aside grazing-free reserves, establish livestock insurance programs and implement a plan for widespread environmental education.

With support from the Fund, The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with willing landowners to purchase conservation easements, with the purchase price not exceeding the appraised value, on lands that provide additional habitat protection for whooping cranes and other important wildlife species in Calhoun and Aransas counties. In some instances, fee title acquisition of key lands may be necessary depending on the desire of the seller. The Nature Conservancy is working with landowners to protect approximately 5,000 acres of habitat estimated critical to the long-term survival and viability of an ever expanding population of cranes. All conservation easements relative to this project will be designed to ensure that the intended conservation values and objectives are maintained in perpetuity and the easements will be held by TNC or other approved conservation partners. Areas targeted for conservation with this project include tidal marshes and adjacent low-lying uplands. Consultation with state and federal crane biologists using current population data relative to crane usage will be an important strategy for targeting tracts for protection.

With support from the Fund, this project aims to reforest the degraded landscape of the Southwest Province of Cameroon and ensure long-term conservation of its biodiversity through the initial planting of 600,000 trees. The mountain ecosystems throughout the Southwest Province have been under serious pressure from the actions of the local people living within these ecosystems. Forest destruction and bush burning are causing the local extinction of globally threatened biodiversity, loss of soil fertility, watershed destruction and degradation of livelihood systems, property and lives. These actions have led to untold suffering including homelessness, loss of income sources leading to extreme high levels of poverty, loss of cultural values, and serious degradation of ecosystems and habitats. A reinvigorated forest landscape promises a better future for both people and wildlife.

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy was created as a non-profit organization in 1995. The 65,000-acre conservancy has 37 white rhinos and 55 black rhinos, and supports up to 500 elephants during the wet season. Twenty percent of the world's endangered Grevy's zebra population are found on Lewa. What stands Lewa apart from many other conservancies has been its positive influence on the conservation of 1.6 million acres of community lands stretching 150 kilometers north and the impact that this has had on the lives of 62,000 people. A grant from the Fund enables continued support for the ongoing rhino protection in Lewa.

The Maasai Preservation Trust is situated on the Mbirikani Group Ranch which lies between four major national parks - Amboseli, Tsavo West, Chyulu Hills and Mt. Kilimanjaro. The ranch acts as a wet season dispersal area for wildlife from these national parks and is one of the few places in East Africa where significant numbers of large mammals roam freely outside of protected areas. The only population of wild black rhino in Kenya are found in the area and their protection is of particular importance. Tusk Trust started with six community game scouts, and with a grant from the Fund, today it employs 59 scouts that have arrested and prosecuted more than 300 poachers across the area and destroyed more than 4,000 snares.

The Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust was originally formed in 1995 to halt the poaching of elephants in the Matthews Range. At that time, up to 50 elephants a year were being slaughtered for ivory and the population was estimated at fewer than 500 animals. Twelve years later, poaching of elephants in this region is extremely rare and the resident population is now estimated to be in excess of 1,300 animals. The Namunyak community-driven conservation project has established a model recognized throughout East Africa whereby wildlife and wilderness can coexist. As a model, the project also demonstrates how conservation can contribute to the welfare and development of a largely pastoralist Samburu community. Tusk Trust has been the project's main sponsor for 9 years, and with continued support from the Fund, game guard employment will expand and strengthen.

With a grant from the Fund, the Uganda Conservation Foundation is supporting the country's wildlife agencies with management-orientated research, resources for law enforcement, and habitat improvement of the Dura Sector. A United Nations Biosphere Reserve, Dura connects to Kibale National Park. Severely encroached during the 1980s, Dura suffered decades of uncontrolled poaching. In the 1990s, Dura was upgraded to a National Park and illegal settlements were removed. Dura's habitats and wildlife, including one of Africa's largest pelican colonies, remain under severe threat. Lions and hyenas are heavily poisoned and bushmeat freely trafficked. Elsewhere in the region, increasing elephant populations, coupled with compression from agriculture, results in serious crop-raiding. With Fund support, Dura is seeking to ease compression pressure, enable multi-species recoveries, counter bushmeat trafficking, connect the national parks and generate regional revenues.

Support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund will enable 40 student field trips to ranger stations, the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, and the Community Agriculture Development Program. This project solidifies the three years of highly successful operations that Wildlife Alliance has achieved with the Kouprey Express. Since 2004, the Kouprey Express has delivered half-day interactive environmental awareness activities, covering issues from habitat destruction to illegal poaching and trade in wildlife, to more than 15,000 students and 50,000 community members.

Wildlife Trust has been involved with manatee conservation and research in Belize for over 10 years, resulting in direct actions aimed at protecting the species and their habitat. Most Belizian lagoon systems are pristine. Recent manatee tagging and health assessments in Placencia Lagoon, however, suggest that ecological shifts from agriculture and shrimp farms may be affecting manatee health. In fact, the entire lagoon community may be at risk. This study, with support from the Fund, aims to investigate the ecological health of the lagoon, using the manatee as a sentinel species. This study will compare a heavily disturbed system with the less disturbed Southern Lagoon where we have over 10 years of baseline data. The information will be used to accelerate conservation actions for Placencia Lagoon.

Population growth in Eastern Africa is placing unsustainable pressure on the region's outstanding biodiversity. World Wildlife Fund has been piloting a population-health-environment approach in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve in Kenya, facilitating basic health and family planning services for local communities who previously have not had a good access to them. Reducing infant mortality and providing family planning are key ways to help developing countries move through demographic transition and reduce population growth rates. There is a growing movement in Eastern Africa to scale up early approaches such as Kiunga's. With support from the Fund, this project will help bring people from other regions on a study tour to Kiunga, during which participants will evaluate the project and see the value of integrating population-health-environment approaches into their projects. Building regional capacity for such an approach and facilitating replication of this model will make an important practical contribution to reducing population growth rates in areas of high biodiversity in the region.

This project aims to research the human population growth in World Wildlife Fund's key biodiversity areas, and identify the current stages of demographic transition. Areas for population/health interventions will be prioritized to help slow natural population growth. Manuals will be produced as a tool in planning population-health-environment projects. With support from the Fund, this project will help to reduce major and long-term threats to key habitats and their rare and endangered wildlife species.

Tiger Team: Supporting front line tiger protection in Riau, Sumatra
With a grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, this project aims to stabilize the critically endangered Sumatran tiger in the Tesso Nilo Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape. This landscape is severely threatened by habitat loss to commercial plantations. In addition, the remaining tigers face high poaching pressures. This proposed project focuses on preventing poaching to ensure tigers persist within a landscape that has been identified as globally important for tiger conservation. Two 'Tiger Protection Units' comprised of ex-hunters, local villages, and police are currently deployed to reduce tiger poaching, illegal logging and illegal habitat encroachment. Support will be provided to continue the deployment and facilitate landmark prosecutions of tiger traders to send a message of no tolerance to the multitude of traders in Riau province.