Conservation International: Update: Japan | Wild for Water | Amazing Cocos Island & more...

  

Conservation International

Best Wishes to All in Japan Conservation International wishes to extend our deepest condolences, sympathy and support to the people of Japan — particularly those directly affected by the events of March 11 and subsequent days. We stand with you, and we send our best wishes to all. We can report with gratitude that all CI-Japan staff are accounted for and safe. Rest assured that CI’s engagement with the people and government of Japan will carry on. READ: Success in Nagoya, Japan | VISIT: CI-Japan (site in Japanese) Visit our Wild for Water campaign page. Join Us — And Get Wild for Water Imagine a world with an unlimited supply of clean, safe, fresh water. This world would provide for everybody’s basic needs. It would be more just and prosperous. And it would be a better place to live. Of course, in real life, water is scarce, and our supplies are threatened. But this vision of healthy people supported by clean, fresh water is possible — if we protect the ecosystems that make it possible. To spread the word about the healthy future we envision, CI is inviting all — supporters and non-supporters alike — to get Wild for Water. What can you do? Join the community of CI supporters who have already started to share our message: CREATE: A video for CI’s YouTube page | SHARE: Your River Story A waterfall surrounded by the forest, Atlantic Forest, Brazil © CI/photo by Haroldo Castro Getting Our Feet Wet: Brazil’s Atlantic Forest When Portuguese sailors first landed in the 1500s on the coast of what is present-day Brazil, they were greeted by the lush Atlantic Forest — a vast region of forest exceeding 1.3 million square kilometers. Today, this forest is the second-largest rainforest block in the Americas, home to approximately 70 percent of Brazil's 190 million people. But it has also been reduced to just 16 percent of its original extent. As human populations grow and urban areas expand, the Atlantic Forest's ability to provide fresh water – for humans and wildlife alike – is a major concern. That’s why CI’s work in the Atlantic Forest is one of eight “flagship” projects for our Freshwater Initiative — one of six such initiatives across our organization. By helping to showcase the vital role of healthy forest ecosystems in ensuring the region's freshwater security, we expect to benefit nearly 10 million people. READ: Sculpting a Future for the Atlantic Forest | IN DEPTH: CI’s Freshwater Strategy  © CI/photo by Sterling Zumbrunn A Sanctuary for Endangered Species Endangered sharks and sea turtles — not to mention the human beings who rely on local fish stocks — are all being given a boost thanks to a massive, newly established marine protected area near Costa Rica. Larger than Yellowstone National Park, the protected area extends nearly 1 million hectares from Cocos Island, a small (20 km/12 miles in circumference) isle located about 550 kilometers (340 miles) off the coast of Costa Rica in the Pacific Ocean. It will offer shelter to endangered marine species such as hammerhead sharks and leatherback turtles, and it will help protect fish stocks that are important to local communities. Cocos Island has been recognized as a core site within CI’s Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape program since 2005. We’ve been working with partners for six years to make this decree a reality. READ: Cocos Island press release | IN DEPTH: Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape