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\ World Land Trust-US
2010 Annual Report
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Who we are World Land Trust–US (WLT-US) is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to buying and protecting lands
that conserve rare or endangered species and
ecosystems. We work largely in the rainforests and
cloud forests of the Latin American tropics – home to
over 50% of the planet’s biodiversity and one of the
world’s highest conservation priorities.
What we do WLT-US focuses on land purchase and the creation of
new natural protected areas, together with other
tangible projects that protect natural habitats for
conservation. We work in close partnership with
carefully selected local conservation groups and in
alliance with World Land Trust in the UK. We believe
that the key to being successful is to work through
locally-based conservation organizations that can most
effectively acquire & manage lands for conservation.
Our Accomplishments In 2010, WLT-US protected 131,496 acres at 11
critical sites across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and
Bolivia. Our efforts led to the addition of 2,874 acres
to the Barba Azul Nature Reserve – the only home of
the Blue-throated Macaw. Our assistance was catalytic
in purchasing Villa Carmen, an incredibly rich
rainforest site at the headwaters of the Amazon in
Peru. Our work led to the protection of more than
62,000 acres of indigenous rainforest territory in
Bolivia – a haven for Jaguars and Spider Monkeys.
Thanks to your support, we have been able to make a real and lasting difference for
endangered species and ecosystems as well as for the health of the planet. Our
program exceeded $2 million, which saved lands of exceptional biodiversity value
with local partners. Often we pay $100 an acre or less for these critical areas!
www.worldlandtrust-us.org
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Leadership Message
Last year’s economic climate presented challenges for conservation
programs worldwide. But despite these circumstances, World Land
Trust-US had an incredibly effective year – purchasing critical lands
for biodiversity conservation and saving more than 131,506 acres of
threatened rainforests and other imperiled habitats. Working in
conjunction with our in-country conservation partners, local
communities and indigenous groups, and with the vital financial
support of our donors, we helped make a difference for defenseless
forests and endangered species.
World Land Trust-US is proud of our successes and proud to be
doing everything we can to stop this senseless destruction. But there
is no time to celebrate.
The incredible work we do is work that will never be finished. The
pressures facing biodiversity are unrelenting. Each day more
rainforest is destroyed and each day more species are lost, forever.
For 21 years, our goal has been to buy and protect megadiverse
rainforest habitats for endangered species. Our aim, as ever, is to
channel your support to purchase and protect critical lands for
biodiversity conservation, before they are gone.
WLT-US is one of the most efficient and effective international land
conservation nonprofit in the world. We make our dollars — your dollars
— stretch further and do more than any other land conservation group
could. But you don’t need to take our word for it. For the second year in a
row, we earned the prestigious Charity Navigator 4-star rating. Only
the best of the best receive this rating.
Today, we know that the situation for many threatened species and forests is dire. But we are
certain that with your ongoing support, we will continue to make a difference for our planet’s
extraordinary biodiversity.
Thank you!
Byron Swift Dr. Robert S. Ridgely
Executive Director Deputy Director
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Saving Critical Rainforest Sites Across Latin America
WLT-US programs buy land and protect critical sites for biodiversity across Latin America. We
focus especially on rainforests, the earth’s richest biome that holds the vast amount of the planet’s
biodiversity. Many of the rainforest areas most at risk of destruction in Latin America, like the
cloud forests along the Tropical Andes and the Atlantic forests of Brazil, lie in private hands, and
must be purchased in order to be conserved.
The threats are grave, but by targeting these highest priority areas, working closely with local
conservation groups and taking these lands off the market for destructive development, WLT-US
can save countless species and critical habitats that are often protected nowhere else.
Panama rainforest center
Magdalena valley rainforest
Amazonian to Andes forest
Colombian Chocó rainforest
REGUA - Atlantic rainforest
Cosanga cloud forest
Jambue Andean forest
Matses Rainforest Reserve
Apolo dry cloud forest
Foothill Chocó rainforest
Blue-throated Macaw savanna
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Yellow-eared Parrot Corridor
Mindo cloud forest
Fazenda Almas - Caatinga
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Conservation achievements in 2010
WLT-US is the only international non-profit that concentrates on land
purchase for conservation. We focus our efforts on highly threatened
rainforests and habitats at imminent risk of destruction. Our proven
conservation method has allowed us to buy and save some of the most
endangered and most biologically diverse lands in the world, saving
countless endangered species. Last year, in conjunction with our local
partners, WLT-US safeguarded an incredible amount of threatened habitat
across Latin America. We put a stop to deforestation and a halt to
extinction by protecting various endangered ecosystems, including:
• 2,867 acres of threatened savanna forest in Bolivia
• 7,427 acres of Amazonian rainforest in Peru
• 58,827 acres of lush rainforest in Colombia
• 62,000 acres of rich foothill rainforest in Bolivia
Our highly experienced team works alongside our dedicated in-country partners to achieve
incredible results – ensuring that your support to WLT-US has the highest impact.
Over the past 21 years we have built an effective program for realizing biodiversity conservation.
Each of the accomplishments listed below is the result of decisive conservation actions, and each is
a testament to the dedication of countless individuals, donors and partners who continue to support
our work. Thank you for taking positive action.
Major Land Purchase for World’s Rarest Macaw Bolivian Barba Azul Nature Reserve significantly expands
World Land Trust-US helped spearhead an effort to protect
vital habitat for the Critically Endangered Blue-throated
Macaw - the world's rarest Macaw surviving in the wild. This
beautiful bird is found only in one place on Earth: the Beni
Savannas of Bolivia. It is listed as Critically Endangered by
the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature),
due to habitat loss and poaching for the wild bird trade.
The complex system of grasslands, marshes, and forests that makes up the Beni is largely in the
hands of cattle ranchers. Every year, large swaths of land are lost to intentional burning for
pastureland. In 2010 WLT-US helped purchase and protect 2,867 acres of savanna and rainforest in
the Beni. This expansive property and all of its wildlife will now be protected as part of the Barba
Azul Nature Reserve – creating a total protected area of 11,555 acres.
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Spectacular Wildlife Habitat Bought & Saved in Peru Villa Carmen property sits at headwaters of Amazon River
A catalytic small grant by World Land Trust-US, and
support from American Bird Conservancy has helped
the Amazon Conservation Association purchase and
protect a 7,427-acre property called Hacienda Villa
Carmen – an incredibly rich rainforest site at the
headwaters of the Amazon River, in Peru. This newly
protected area lies within the 4.7-million acre Manu
Biosphere Reserve, a mixture of private and public
lands that stretches over a vast swath of pristine forest in
the southwest of that country.
The large Villa Carmen property is bordered by the Pini Pini and Tono rivers and has an elevational
gradient that stretches between 1,500 and 3,500 feet. This diverse habitat is renowned for its species
richness, with particularly high populations of birds, butterflies and mammals.
The new protected area will be managed by the Peruvian NGO the Asociación para la Conservación
de la Cuenca Amazónica (ACCA).
New Reserve Additions for Colombian Conservation Carriker Sanctuary and Giles-Fuertes Reserve added to growing list
The El Dorado Reserve in the Sierra Nevada de Santa
Marta of northeastern Colombia, home to one of the
planet’s highest concentrations of endemic and globally
threatened birds, amphibians and plants, has grown
thanks to land purchases supported by WLT-US. The
newly acquired Hacienda Vista Nieve totals over 250
acres of rich montane forest and reaches an elevation of
8,000 feet. Vista Nieve was established in 1917 by
American Melbourne ―Meb‖ Carriker who was one of
South America’s great naturalists of the early 20th
century and one of Colombia’s greatest ornithologists.
In memory of the tremendous contribution to Neotropical ornithology by Meb Carriker and his
family, this new addition to the 1,928-acre El Dorado Reserve is called the ―Carriker Sanctuary.‖
The Carriker Sanctuary is one of a growing list threatened habitats protected
with WLT-US assistance by our Colombian partner Fundación ProAves.
The list also includes the Giles-Fuertes Reserve, a 2010 addition to the
expansive Yellow-eared Parrot Corridor. This addition adds a 368-acre
fragment of cloud forest to the 16,000-acre corridor, an area that contains a
vital population of the remarkable Fuertes’ Parrot which was thought extinct
until recently. We are grateful to Robert Giles and American Bird
Conservancy for matching our donors and making this success a reality.
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Sixty-two thousand acres of Bolivian forest saved Indigenous community tourism project benefits conservation
Over 62,000 acres of pristine tropical rainforest in Bolivia were
protected in 2010 with World Land Trust-US assistance, following
a decision by an indigenous community to create a tourism refuge
in the Sadiri rainforest. On February 22, 2010, the indigenous
village of San Jose de Uchupiomonas voted overwhelmingly in
favor of a plan to protect a wide swath of the forest they own. San
Jose has opted to create a tourism refuge within their territory as a
sustainable alternative to logging, farming and grazing.
The Serrania Sadiri is within the Madidi National Park
management area, which also makes up the Indigenous
Community Territory of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Because
of this legal designation, the land here is managed by the
people of San Jose, and the decision to protect, ignore or
destroy the rainforest rests with the villagers. This community
action represents a victory for conservation, and prevents old
growth tropical timber in the region from being cut. Hunting,
burning and agricultural activities will also be prohibited.
Formal Protection for Vast Andes-Amazon Reserve Cordillera de Colán National Sanctuary and Chayu Nain Community Reserve, Peru
Efforts by World Land Trust-US and our Peruvian partner APECO supported the government's
formal categorization of a 158,000-acre area that spans many ecosystems on the Amazonian slope
of the Andes. The declaration of the Cordillera de Colán National Sanctuary and the Chayu Nain
Community Reserve represents a historic success for global conservation. Managed by the Awajún
indigenous community, this natural reserve safeguards an astounding array of wildlife, including
many endangered and endemic species such as the Yellow-tailed Wooly Monkey, Peruvian Night
Monkey, Melissa’s Yellow-eared Bat, Long-whiskered Owlet and the Colán Water Frog.
2011 Goals:
1. Buying and Saving Rainforest
WLT-US is the only international non-profit that concentrates
on land purchase for conservation. We focus our efforts on
highly threatened rainforests and habitats at imminent risk of
destruction. Last year, our proven conservation method
allowed us to buy and save some of the most endangered and
most biodiverse lands, saving countless endangered species.
2. Declaration of State Protected Areas
WLT-US and our partners have played an integral role in encouraging the declaration of national
and municipal state protected areas, helping local communities and indigenous groups advance
conservation at an unprecedented rate.
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2010 Financial Summary
In 2010, 97% of expenditures went directly to conservation programs. As a result, WLT-US was
given Charity Navigator’s highest ranking – for being one of the most efficient conservation
organizations in the country.
Ordinary Income summary 2010 2009
Campaign Income $48,415 $56,945
Restricted Contributions – Individuals $1,061,033 $875,773
Restricted Contributions – Foundations $978,845 $533,702
Restricted Contributions – Organizations $30,603 $230,305
Other Contributions $0 $298,905
Total Income $2,118,897 $1,995,631
Expenditures summary 2010 2009
Administration & fundraising $92,323 $49,303
Conservation programs $386,832 $351,276
Land purchase $982,062 $727,117
Land protection $795,085 $715,428
Total Expenditure 2,256,302 $1,843,124
WLT-US is one of the most efficient conservation organizations in the country: over 97% of our budget is spent on direct conservation actions
Board of Directors 2010
John Mitchell, Chair, NY Botanical Garden
Gerard Bertrand, Vice-chair, BirdLife International
Sally F. Davidson, Treasurer, Clyde's Restaurant Group
Byron Swift, Secretary, Executive Director, WLT-US
Dr. Wayt Thomas, Curator of Botany, NY Botanical Garden
Frank Friedrich Kling, Conservationist
Russell Mittermeier, President, Conservation International
Dr. Robert Ridgely, WLT-US, Author
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Financial Support
World Land Trust-US wishes to thank all those whose contributions made these
projects possible, including the following institutions and individuals:
American Bird Conservancy
Nina Abrams Fund
Harry Amin
Nicholas Barthelemy
Beneficia Foundation
Bobolink Foundation
BTS USA
Butler Foundation
Brett Byers
Contributors to the Combined Federal Campaign
Conservation International
Leslie Danoff & Lawrence Robbins
Sally Davidson
Dr. Nathan Delorey
Chistine Duthie
Dolly Belle Foundation
Earth’s Birthday Project
Moses Feldman
Robert Giles
GreaterGood.org
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
Michael Hannallah
Frank F. Kling
Ann S. Kruglak
Carl & Shirley Larson
Loeb
Luanne Lemmer & Eric Veach
March Foundation
Philip May
George W. Merck Fund
John V. Moore
Nutall Ornithological Club
therainforestsite.com
RJM Foundation
Paul Salaman
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Urs-Peter Stäuble
Jim & Ellen Strauss
Wild Waters Foundation
Thomas H. Wilson Foundation
Wolf Creek Foundation
Many other generous donors
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World Land Trust-US has dedicated more than 21 years to buying &
protecting rainforest, focusing on areas that conserve threatened species &
critical ecosystems. We work through local conservation groups who own
or manage the reserves that we help create, & last year granted $2 million to
local organizations involved in acquisition & protection of land –
often for $100 per acre or less.
Please join us in our efforts to save threatened rainforest habitat.
Visit:
www.worldlandtrust-us.org/donate
Consider a Legacy Gift
If you like our work and want
to support it in perpetuity, please
endow your sponsorship by
remembering us in your will.
Contact us for more details.
World Land Trust-US
25 Horner St
Warrenton, VA 20186
800.456.4930