Conservation

Conservation

Everland and the Alto Mayo REDD+ Project

Changing the economics of deforestation

In 2019, I visited northern Peru to travel to an area of rainforest that had, at one time, seemed destined to disappear. I was part of a team supporting a successful conservation project in the Amazon, known as the Alto Mayo REDD+ Project, set up in 2008 by Conservation International and Peru’s National Parks Agency. And it is thanks to the REDD+ project that the forest I visited survives today. The project was on the site of a historic nature reserve established by the government in the 1980s. Unfortunately, this so-called “protected area” had been left unprotected for decades in all but name.

DEFORESTATION IS DRIVEN BY ECONOMICSOver time, people moved into the reserve from far away and began clearing trees to grow coffee, which was done quickly and unsustainably to meet the huge global demand for the drink. The situation was bad. This site was losing forest faster than any other protected area in Peru, but safeguarding it seemed impossible because the economics favoured deforestation. Which is why the Alto Mayo REDD+ Project had begun in 2008.

But first, some context: according…

Conservation

Second Lives

Creating circularity and ‘second life’ products

As we are seeing such severe changes in climates across the globe, it is time for us to question our consumer and shopping habits. We should look for brands that are creative, sustainable and committed to be positive agents of change in what concerns the future of our planet. Circularity, commonly known as a lifecycle […]

Conservation

A Buzzing Network

Eco-conscious companies turn to beekeeping

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article on the plight of bees, and one of the questions I asked was what people in metropolitan areas such as London could do to promote this cause, so following a chat with our Editor-in-Chief, we decided to do a follow-up piece focusing on urban and corporate […]

Conservation

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022

Natural History Museum, London

Launched in 1965, Wildlife Photographer of the Year was a competition held by the BBC’s Animals Magazine, with the hope of providing an incentive for the field of wildlife photography. The Natural History Museum joined forces in 1984 to create the event as it is known today, and they now fully own and run the […]

Conservation, Gourmet

Château Galoupet

Sustainability from Ground to Glass

When someone embarks on choosing a rosé, possibly not much thought is given to the actual making of the wine. Many decisions are based purely on taste; for some, the country of origin is the key; and for others, a historical or perhaps “fashion” element is the deciding factor. Two newly launched rosé wines this […]

Conservation

Jake Fiennes

Making space for nature

With a career in land management that covers three and a half decades, you’d struggle to find a man who knows and cares more about working with nature than Jake Fiennes. As Director of Conservation at the Holkham Estate in Norfolk, Jake is working with farmers, gamekeepers, gardeners and even visitors to safeguard the integrity […]

Conservation

Into the Cold

Understanding the changing nature of ice

In August 2021, our Adventure Correspondent Hugh Francis Anderson embarked on an audacious journey to recreate a Polar expedition on its centenary, alongside discovering more about the changing Arctic. While researching in the Royal Geographical Society in early 2020, I stumbled across the March 1922 issue of The Geographical Journal, where I found the original […]

Conservation, Travel

Sara Gardiner: Homecoming

By Hugh Francis Anderson

In the north-western tip of Zimbabwe, along a 15km private stretch of the Zambezi River, lies Matetsi Victoria Falls, a luxury safari lodge nestled within the 136,000-acre Matetsi Private Game Reserve. Founded by Sara Gardiner and her family in 2016, the award-winning lodge rests just 40km from Victoria Falls and has become renowned for championing […]

Conservation, Philanthropy

Head Of An Orangutan

A Masterpiece to Save the King of the Trees

Art for Preventable Extinction (APE) is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and expanding the natural environment by supporting conservation programs that will help prevent the extinction of the world’s animal species. APE works with globally recognised artists who allow their art to be used for this purpose. On this occasion, APE and the […]

Conservation

Conservationists On The Prowl

by Julia Pasarón

Not all heroes wear a cape and most prefer to keep their identity anonymous. This is the case of the Alycats, a team of award-winning photographers that regularly donate their time and the fruits of their work to fight illegal hunting and poaching in Africa in support of Singita’s 100-year conservation purpose Uncontrolled hunting and […]

Conservation

Back Where You Belong

For a very long time, the idea of reintroducing endangered species in captivity back into their wild natural habitats was very often thought an impossible task. Many attempts were made with disappointing and heart-breaking results. The task at hand was, and is, immense. But for John Aspinall, the founder of The Aspinall Foundation and his […]

Conservation

May The Wild Remain Wild

by Rafael Zuñiga

Wilderness Safaris have been working for almost four decades to protect millions of hectares across seven countries in Africa. They create unforgettable journeys for guests, who enjoy a front row seat in Africa’s awe-inspiring sights as well as encounters with the most majestic animals in the continent. Wilderness Safaris had its origins in Botswana in […]