International Conservation Fund of Canada

Support this project:

Emergency land acquisition: Sierra Caral Cloud Forest, Guatemala

How your money will be used

Your donation will go toward the US$1-million purchase of 2298 hectares (5678 acres) of Sierra Caral cloud forest to be held in perpetuity exclusively for conservation purposes. This represents an outstanding conservation opportunity:

The site is one of the most biodiverse forest remnants in Central America;
It protects ten endangered and seven endemic amphibian species and is a critical refuge for 120 Neotropical migratory bird species, including 33 priority species with declining populations;
It has been identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as a global priority for conservation;
It provides key ecosystem services, safeguarding clean water on which downstream communities depend, and preventing erosion, sedimentation, landslides and flooding;
It is a vital component of biological corridors at the regional scale, including the Caribbean Biological Corridor of Guatemala and the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor;
Protected forests are a key mitigating factor in climate change, by providing a store of carbon.

The land will be owned and managed by FUNDAECO, an experienced and capable Guatemalan NGO. FUNDAECO has secured the support for the reserve from the Guatemala and municipal governments and from local communities. It is also carrying out intensive rural development activities in the area, in order to reduce pressures on the community that lead to deforestation. These include: organic coffee production, community forest protection incentives, reproductive health clinics, community land titling and agroforestry.

ICFC will have some legal interest in the land, and maintain a continuing role overseeing management of the reserve.

As of April 2012, there is only $70,000 left to raise! Donations very welcome to help complete this vital land acquisition.

Three ways to donate:

By cheque (to ICFC, P.O. Box 40, Chester, NS B0J 1J0)
Donation of securities
(About donating securities)
By credit card

Please use the form below.

Donaton form

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[ First time donor]
[ Existing donor]

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Donating:

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Notes

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Please specify how much of your donation you would like to go to this (and any other) project and how much is unspecified.
Donations are tax deductible in Canada (Charitable Registration # 85247 8189 RR0001).
We'll send you an annual update on the project.

Thank you!

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International Conservation Fund of Canada