Newsletter 26 Volume 5, #1 Spring 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainforest Biodiversity Group

Protecting the Great Green Macaw to Protect Biodiversity

 

In this issue:   

Bird Route funding

Own A Rainforest

Festivals 2006

Supplemental Issue

 

Welcome Back Everyone!

It has been a long time since you have heard from us, but it will be worth your wait. In the long journey that has been the Rainforest Biodiversity Group there have been many ups and downs as you are all well aware of.  We have just had one of our highest moments to date.  On May 13^th, 2006, International Migratory Bird Day the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced the winners of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant.  Rainforest Biodiversity Group, Inc was one of those winners.

We will be receiving $50,000 to implement the protect entitled “Protecting Bird Habitat through the implementation of The Costa Rican Bird Route: Section San Juan – La Selva.” Funding will be provided for the following:

1.     Secure staff and operational needs

2.     Enroll six new reserves into the Costa Rican Private Reserve Network

3.     Production of Costa Rica Bird Route Guide and promotion/educational materials

4.      Development and maintenance of Costa Rica Bird Route Website

The Costa Rican Birding Trail will create six new private reserves that will protect more than 1200 acres of rainforest, and incorporate at least 7 other existing reserves.  Additionally, the project will bring economic benefit to local communities, and will be an integral part of a biological corridor that will connect chunks of rainforest from southern Nicaragua to central Costa Rica to protect the great diversity of plant and animal life in the Costa Rican rainforests. 

The Rainforest Biodiversity Group hopes to have the bird route open and operational by January 1, 2008. The local marketing firm Russell Bensman Marketing, Inc will be donating an additional $24,000 in work for the development of the marketing plan, and the development of the bird route information guide and map.

The specific objectives that will be completed with the funding are:

• Establish the Costa Rican Bird Route Code of Ethics and Requirements

• Provide information to communities within the CBSS about the Costa Rican Bird Route

• Identify and map all current nature tourism options and businesses within the CBSS

• Identify and map pool of 10 - 20 properties with new reserve potential

• Select 13 reserves (7 existing, 6 new) to be included within the Costa Rican Bird Route

• Identify a minimum of two transportation routes to each of the 13 reserves of the Costa Rican Bird Route

• Inscribe six properties in to the Private Reserve Network of Costa Rica

• Develop Land Management Plans for the six new reserves for future leverage for obtaining property conservation easements.

• Produce and distribute 1000 copies + of the “Guide to the Costa Rican Bird Route: Section San Juan-La Selva” including the transportation map

• Develop Costa Rican Bird Route: Section San Juan – La Selva Website

It is with sincere gratitude that we thank all of our members for their continued support over the years.  You all should feel a sense of well being and achievement for helping Rainforest Biodiversity Group now be able to implement and create the Costa Rican Bird Route.  We hope you will share in our joy. 

There is however not too much time for celebration as we a lot of work to do. This includes getting a Project Director and Assistant Project hired and their base of operations in Costa Rica established.

We will keep you informed on our advances. Again thank you for your support.  We are still taking donations and members are encouraged to renew their memberships for 2006.  Your dues are what keeps the organization functioning, and further donations will ensure project success. If you have any questions please contact us.  Thank you again,

                                                                                      Andrew Rothman

                                                                                      Founder / US Director

OWN –A-RAINFOREST PROJECT UPDATE

The own-A-Rainforest Fundraiser drew little fan fair.  We raised only $190, of the $1250 we had hoped to raise. We would like to thank Jack and Holly Bartholmai, Marc and Marcia Williamson, Jim and Linda Enders, and Steph and Maureen Bielke for their donations.  We will attempt to use this money to secure a share and an Acre of the Own- A- Rainforest Project.

 

This year was the 5^th Annual Great Green Macaw Festival.  Rainforest Biodiversity Group was able to donate $200 to the festival and this money went to the ADOPT-A-TREE project and was given to landowners that protect the Great Green Macaw nest trees. A full report from Olivier Chassot of the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor on the event will be in our supplemental issue.

With all of the recent excitement and events, we will be putting out a supplemental issue of our newsletter in the coming weeks. We did not put out a Winter edition of the newsletter and instead will put out a second spring newsletter. The Supplemental Issue will introduce you to the selected Project Director and Assistant Project Director of the Bird Route Project, will update you on the latest information, provide you with the 2005 Annual Report, announce the 2006 Board of Directors and will remind you to update your membership dues.  Look for this second RBG installment in the coming weeks!

 Thanks for your help!!!

2984 Triverton Pike Drive

Madison, WI 53711

www.greatgreenmacaw.org

amigosdelallapa@yahoo.com