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Mission

World Land Trust–US is dedicated to buying and protecting lands that conserve rare or endangered species and endangered ecosystems rich in biodiversity. 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.

Methods

WLT-US focuses on tangible projects with long-term impacts for conservation, such as land purchase for the creation of new natural protected areas. We work in alliance with World Land Trust in the United Kingdom, and always work in close partnership with carefully selected local conservation groups, who own and manage the reserves that we help to create.

Accomplishments

Since our founding in 1989, we and our partner WLT in the UK have saved almost 1 million acres of high priority lands! In 2008, WLT-US bought and conserved 15,000 acres protecting some of the most endangered species and critical habitats in the tropics. Our program exceeded $2 million, used to buy and manage nature reserves of exceptional biodiversity value with local partners. Often we pay $100 an acre or less for these critical areas!

World Land Trust - US 2806 P Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20007 www.worldlandtrust-us.org

Tel: 800-456-4930

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Time to Act for rainforests! Leadership message

It’s time to stop talking and start saving our planet. We all know that far too many wonderful natural places are perilously close to being lost forever. We also know their fate is in our hands! 2008 was World Land Trust-US’s most successful year yet, with $2 million raised that has secured 15,000 acres of rare and vanishing tropical forest at 17 critical habitat sites in six countries in the New World tropics, the world's richest biome. We would like to thank our conservation partners, and our many donors, whose generous support made our projects possible. World Land Trust-US has dedicated 20 years to buying and saving critical tropical habitats, focusing on areas that conserve threatened species and their unique ecosystems. Our goal is to secure the funds necessary to purchase and manage critical lands for biodiversity conservation. Our strategic approach includes:

1) WLT-US buys real acres in real places and protects them forever. By targeting the highest

priority areas and taking these areas off the market for destruction, we can save countless species and critical habitats that are often protected nowhere else.

2) We aim to be highly efficient, with only a 2% administrative overhead, and generally are able to purchase lands at very inexpensive prices, often a small fraction of US land prices.

3) We work through and help build the capacity of local conservation organizations with good governance and the experience to acquire and manage natural private reserves.

4) We focus actions on key areas under imminent threat that often represent the last surviving habitat for threatened species. We then move swiftly to protect these biodiversity treasures before they are lost.

We all can take great pride in what we are doing. Together we're conserving some of the planet’s most important natural places and ensuring that more of our planet's biological riches will endure for future generations. Thank you so much for your support, and let's keep saving critical habitat!

Byron Swift Dr. Robert S. Ridgely Executive Director Deputy Director

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Saving critical rainforest sites across Latin America WLT-US' programs protect critical sites for biodiversity across Latin America. We focus especially on rainforests, the earth’s richest biome that holds a vast amount of the planet’s biodiversity yet 100 acres of rainforests are cleared every minute. 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, where we focus our programs, lie in private hands. 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

Chicamocha dry forest

Amazonian slope rainforestColombian Chocó forest

Magdalena valley rainforest

Cosanga cloud forest

Canandé Chocó rainforest

Buenaventura humid forest

Tapichalaca cloud forest

Santander dry cloud forest1 

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 

Cauca valley cloud forest5 

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10  11 

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Fazenda Almas ‐ CaatingaBalbina – Atlantic rainforest

REGUA – Atlantic rainforestSan Rafael – Atlantic rainforest

Palkachupa Cotinga area

12 13 14 1516 17

Beni wet savanna 

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Conservation achievements in 2008 Without doubt, 2008 was our most successful year with $2 million raised that has secured 15,000 acres of rare and vanishing tropical habitat at 17 high priority sites in six countries of South America. We emphasize our work in partnerships, and our alliance with World Land Trust and our strategic partnership with American Bird Conservancy have significantly extended our effectiveness. In 2008 WLT-US also continued to support Fundación Jocotoco, our conservation partner for over ten years, to purchase and protect the habitats of many endangered bird species in its ten private reserves in Ecuador, and commenced work with Fundación ProAves to supports its similar reserve network in Colombia. Highlights of the past year’s achievements, including our concentration on the Amazon-Andes Rainforest and Atlantic rainforest hotspots, are described below. Saving the Amazon-Andean forests: Andean Cloud Forests: The world’s single most important biodiversity ecosystem is the tropical Andes. In 2008 WLT-US donors funded critical acquisitions of lands at a number of critical sites:

• 116 acres in the Ecuadorian Andes for Fundación Jocotoco to expand the Tapichalaca Reserve at the principal site for the Jocotoco Antpitta (right), Tapichalaca Tree-frog and many other species.

• 526 acres of spectacular cloud forests in the Cosanga Valley of Ecuador with the Napo Andean Forest Foundation that helps buffer the Antisana Reserve.

• 99 acres, with Fundación ProAves, to expand the Recurve-billed Bushbird Reserve which holds remarkable “dry cloud forest” for the enigmatic and recently rediscovered bushbird.

• 124 acres, with Fundación EcoMinga, to expand the Rio Zuñac Reserve in a rich center of plant endemism in central Ecuador, with many endemic species, especially orchids.

• 355 acres, with Fundación ProAves, to expand the Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve in the Western Cordillera of Colombia to help save the parrot and endemic Quindío Wax Palm.

Magdalena Valley, Colombia: WLT-US supported the acquisition and protection of 2,048 acres of primary rainforest in the Magdalena Valley to protect the endangered Magdalena Spider-Monkey and Blue-billed Curassow, together with ABC. This reserve represents the first protected area in the region and our last opportunity to save the Magdalena Valley's unique rainforest wildlife. We need to protect another 20,000 acres at this site to assure the viable survival of this essential forest habitat.

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Amazonian foothills: WLT-US purchased a critical area of foothill forest beside Villavicencio, Colombia’s largest city on the Amazonian slope of the Andes, for ProAves to establish the new Orange-breasted Falcon Nature Reserve (right) that protects rare and endangered primates and birds. Tumbesian Dry Forests: In 2008 WLT-US donors provided the funds to expand by 120 acres Fundación Jocotoco's Jorupe Reserve, with many endemic species of the Tumbesian region of Ecuador, and helped build a new ecolodge to provide long-term ecotourism income to assist in covering reserve management costs. Chicamocha Dry forests: WLT-US purchased 3,215 acres of the last pristine dry tropical forest in the Chicamocha Dry Valley ecosystem to create a fabulous new nature reserve. This highly endangered and previously completely unprotected area has 40% of the world’s population of the critically endangered Niceforo’s Wren and Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird as well the

agnificent Chicamocha Cavanillesia tree.

the worlds

tion of the

dangered Spectacled Bear

irds, tanagers, and other rare fauna and flora.

m Chocó rainforests: WLT-US acquired land to significantly expand three of the most important private protected areas in the Chocó region of western Ecuador and Colombia – one of wettest and most biodiverse ecosystems:

• 1,470 acres to expand Fundación Jocotoco’s Canandé Reserve with the endangered and little-known Banded Ground-Cuckoo and an important breeding populamajestic Great-green Macaw.

• 1,003 acres at Fundación ProAves' Pangan Reserve in southern Colombia, one of the wettest rainforests on the planet with a very high concentration of endemic species, as well as the en(middle right).

• 375 acres through a generous land donation to support Mindo Cloud Forest Foundation, protecting lands near Mindo, Ecuador known for its astonishing variety of hummingb

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Saving the Atlantic rainforests: Reserva Ecologica de Guapiaçu, Brazil. The Brazilian Atlantic rainforest or Mata Atlantica has been severely destroyed. We are helping protect one of the last large tracts of forest in the region, just 70km north of the city of Rio de Janeiro. REGUA is home to at least 420 species of birds—of which 120 are endemic to the Mata Atlantica biome—as well as mammals such as woolly spider monkey and puma. WLT-US donors contributed towards the purchase of 652 acres and assisted with the reintroduction of the critically endangered Red-billed Curassow. San Rafael, Paraguay. WLT-US contributed to the acquisition of 1,389 acres at San Rafael Reserve with our partner Guyra Paraguay. San Rafael is the most important tract of Atlantic Forest remaining in Paraguay and protects the watershed of a major tributary of the Paraguay-Paraná river system as well as protecting indigenous cultures in the region Mata Balbina Forest, Brazil. Following the rediscovery of the critically endangered Stresemann’s Bristlefront in heart of the Brazilian Atlantic forest at Mata Balbina, Minas Gerais state, WLT-US supported ABC and Fundação Biodiversitas to produce a conservation strategy to protect this and many other endangered Atlantic forest endemics, including the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Capuchin and Banded Cotinga. In 2008, WLT-US supported ABC’s campaign to further expand the initial private reserve by 500 acres. Saving Other Critical Ecosystems: Beni Savanna, Bolivia. WLT-US partnered with American Bird Conservancy to support Asociación Armonia’s purchase of 8,792 acres to establish a reserve in the seasonally flooded savannas of Beni, a habitat that is protected nowhere else. The savannas are the last refuge of the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw, along with millions of waterbirds and mammals including the Giant Armadillo, Giant Anteater, and Giant Otter. Caatinga dry forest, NE Brazil: WLT-US is working with Associação Plantas do Nordeste to protect 8,650 acres of undisturbed Caatinga habitat in northeast Brazil at Fazenda Almas, with excellent representation of endemic flora. If we are successful in raising the needed funds, this will become one of the largest reserves of undisturbed Caatinga habitat. Borneo Rainforests: Outside of South America, we partnered with World Land Trust in the UK and Leap Conservancy in Borneo to help acquire 355 acres of tropical rainforest on Borneo to establish a critically needed corridor between two sections of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, enabling the protection and long-term survival of over 600 Orang-utans.

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WLT-US 2008 major project grants summary Borneo Project US$ Orang-utan Corridor (Leap Conservancy) Purchase of 178 acres $260,000 Bolivia Blue-throated Macaw (Armonia/ABC) Purchase 3,844 acres $77,713 Brazil Fazenda Almas (Assoc. Plantas do Nordeste) Management 8650 acres $25,000 REGUA Reserve (REGUA) Purchase 113 acres $56,275 Balbina (Biodiversitas / ABC) Purchase 25 acres $10,000 Colombia Magdalena "Paujil" Reserve (ProAves/ABC) Purchase 2,048 acres $117,400 Chicamocha dry forest Reserve (ProAves/ABC) Purchase 3,214 acres $59,361 Pangan Reserve (Fundación ProAves) Purchase 1,003 acres $29,412 Yellow-eared Parrot Reserve (ProAves) Purchase 355 acres $34,783 Orange-breasted Falcon Reserve (ProAves) Purchase 74 acres $64,706 Recurve-billed Bushbird Reserve (ProAves) Purchase 98 acres $11,000 Fundación ProAves Reserve management $27,000 Ecuador Cosanga (Napo Andean Forest Foundation) Purchase 526 acres $47,000 Zuñac (Fundación EcoMinga) Purchase 123 acres $15,000 Tapichalaca Reserve (Fundación Jocotoco) Purchase 116 acres $50,000 Jorupe Reserve (Fundación Jocotoco) Purchase 120 acres $30,000 Canandé Reserve (Fundación Jocotoco) Purchase 595 acres $100,035 Fundación Jocotoco Reserve infrastructure $200,000 Fundación Jocotoco Reserve management $268,545 Panama Panama Rainforest Discovery Center (Fundación Avifauna) Reserve infrastructure $241,000

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Conservation Priorities for 2009 During 2009, WLT-US will focus support towards expanding a network of strategic protected areas on the most critical rainforest lands across the Amazon-Andes rainforest region. We aim to support the acquisition of at least 40,000 acres in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. Target areas include: In Ecuador, WLT-US will aim to expand Fundación Jocotoco's ten reserves to ensure viable populations of the most endangered species, including purchasing 2,000 acres around the Rio Canandé Reserve, and possibly a huge area around the Antisana Volcano. We also aim to assist our partners EcoMinga and Napo Andean Forest Foundation to buy critical cloud forest habitat for endangered species in the Andes.

In Colombia, WLT-US will support Fundación ProAves to purchase and protect three core areas:

• 11,700 acres the highly threatened Magdalena Valley rainforest around the Paujil reserve to safeguard endangered species,

• 15,300 acres of endangered cloud forests and páramo in the Central Cordillera to protect the critically endangered Yellow-eared Parrot and Fuertes’s Parrot, and

• 9,950 acres of cloud forest and páramo to expand the Dusky Starfrontlet Reserve with extraordinary levels of endemism in flora and fauna.

In Peru, WLT-US will support Nature and Culture International to establish state protected areas, focusing on areas rich in biodiversity in the Amazonian region of northern Peru. In Bolivia, WLT-US will support our partner Asociación Armonia to further protect the habitat of the endangered Blue-throated Macaw and establish a protected area for the unprotected and threatened Palkachupa Cotinga in the Bolivian Yungas forest. In Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, WLT-US will focus support towards land purchase in the very important Atlantic rainforest hotspot, aiming to protect at least 5,000 acres. Additionally, purchase 12,000 acres of caatinga habitat for the Fazenda Almas Reserve in northeastern Brazil.

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2008 Financial Summary As in 2007, 98% of expenditures went directly to conservation actions, including more than 50% towards direct land acquisition costs, which earned World Land Trust-US a five star rating for the twentieth consecutive year from the Independent Charities of America. Ordinary Income summary 2008* 2007 Campaign Income $52,189 $53,562 Restricted Contributions – Individuals $1,101,400 $1,093,794 Restricted Contributions –Foundations $353,500 $1,066,000 Restricted Contributions –Organization $264,925 $131,987 Contributions - Unrestricted $261,353 $140,786 Interest Income $21,226 $10,553 Gain/Loss on transactions -$20,370 $0 Total Income $2,034,230 $2,496,738 Expenditures summary 2008* 2007 Administration and fundraising $43,871 $45,025 Conservation programs $554,407 $931,036 Land purchase $1,131,366 $500,000 Land management $505,952 $613,866 Total Expenditure $2,235,597 $2,089,927 *before audit

FY 2008 Expenditure of $2,235,597

Board of Directors 2008 John Mitchell, Chair Gerard Bertrand, Vice-chair NY Botanical Garden Honorary President, WLT (UK) Sally F. Davidson, Treasurer Dr. Wayt Thomas Chair, Clyde's Restaurant Group Curator of Botany, NY Botanical Garden Dr. Robert Ridgely Byron Swift, Secretary World Land Trust-US, Author Executive Director, WLT-US

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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:

American Bird Conservancy Beneficia Foundation

Blue Moon Fund Clyde's Restaurant Group

The Community Foundation - Boulder, Colorado Contributors through the Combined Federal Campaign

Damuth Foundation EcoTurs

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

Jewish Community Foundation - San Diego March Foundation

The Overbrook Foundation Pacific Endowment Peery Foundation

therainforestsite.com Western Alliance for Nature

Wild Waters Foundation Wild Woods Foundation

World Land Trust Many generous individual donors.

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13 WLT-US has a 5 star Best in America rating by the Independent Charities of America..

World Land Trust - US 2806 P Street, NW

Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 800 456-4930

www.worldlandtrust-us.org

World Land Trust - US 2806 P Street, NW

Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 800 456-4930

info@worldlandtrust-us.org www.worldlandtrust-us.org