AIDS Orphan Program Succeeds and Expands! The Umzi Wethu Training Academy for orphans and vulnerable youth impacted by HIV/AIDS in South Africa graduated a class of 18 students on April 3 – all graduates are guaranteed jobs within the conservation field.  This exciting milestone comes in conjunction with the opening of the second Academy, located in Somerset East (Eastern Cape).  The second academy offers the same training as the first, using the healing power of nature along with real-life job skills to support vulnerable youth to prosperous employment.  Umzi Wethu is a collaborative project of The Wilderness Network and others.  Its multidisciplinary approach and focus on conservation training is one of the first of its kind, and the success of the graduates proves that the program is changing lives.  Support Umzi today!

The WILD partnership with Edupeg in Southern Africa is extending its impact dramatically.  Over 7, 000 students in Botswana and Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa are now using the hands-on, engaging Edupeg learning tools.   In schools using the Edupeg program, learners are engaged and active in their learning – and hopefully having a bit of fun too!  As a result, teachers have more control over the large classes and discipline issues are less frequent.  “Empowered teachers create empowered learners,” the motto of the Edupeg program, is clearly in action for these classrooms!  WILD supports this education program with the understanding that primary education is key to enhancing environmental stewardship, thus building a healthy society.  Read more about Edupeg>>

                                                                                    Looking for the travel experience of a lifetime?  Want to see what lies “off the beaten track” while enjoying five-star accommodations?  Longing to see the rich and diverse cultures, landscapes and wildlife of South Africa?  If so, then this trip is for you!  This November, WILD will take a small group of travelers on a customized, luxury tour of South Africa and Botswana.  The trip promises to be leisurely while educational, adventurous while luxurious – and surely the trip of a lifetime! 

 Read the full trip description >>

Subscribe Today!
	The April 2008 issue of the IJW has now gone out to subscribers – be sure to renew your subscription (or become a new subscriber)!  This issue features an article on the El Triunfo RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) and the continued work of our partners and colleagues in Europe, working tirelessly to expand the wilderness concept in this region of the world.  The issue is also full of great feature articles, editorials, book reviews and announcements, as is each and every issue of the IJW.   Subscribe Today!

New Books! WILD is brimming with new books!   A Handbook on International Wilderness Law and Policy, released in late March, is already an international success.  It is the first ever comprehensive guide to wilderness laws internationally and provides the most current information and best practices for conservation professionals around the world.  Also, now available are the plenary proceedings from the 8th World Wilderness Congress - Wilderness Wildlands and People: A Partnership for the Planet.  A special publication from the first Native Lands and Wilderness Council, Protecting Wild Nature on Native Land: Case Studies by Native Peoples from Around the World, is due out within the next few months.  Keep an eye on our online store for this release! Order now >>

The daily headlines tell the story with increasing ferocity: climate change is possibly the largest challenge human-kind has ever faced.  It surely demands our attention.  In the coming year, climate change will not only affect us personally in how we live from day-to-day, but will affect all facets of our world: governments, businesses, organizations, communities, nations and the earth as a whole.  The Wilderness Foundation, South Africa is part of a collaborative effort to face this challenge in Southern Africa – creating a powerful alliance of non-government organizations working together to mitigate climate change and help South Africa adapt to its effects. Read more about this strategic, timely and strong partnership>>

The International League of Conservation Photographers, an initiative of WILD, will hold their third educational and business meeting in conjunction with the Photography at the Summit, bringing a focus of conservation to the prestigious photography event.  Many members of the ILCP will participate, highlighting their work in the fields of photography and conservation.  The goals of the summit are for participants to interact with world-class photographers, spend time shooting in field and attend workshops and seminars on photography – and this year, especially, focus on how photography can further conservation efforts.

WILD Associates are hard at work, protecting wilderness, tackling conservation issues and winning awards throughout the world.  We’d like to recognize a few of these recent accomplishments.

Ø       Award wining photographer and member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Gary Braasch recently released his latest book Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World.  The book documents Braasch’s extraordinary journey around the world – capturing changes in the environment due to global warming. It is a photographic wake-up call to the immediacy of global climate change, with an overlying message of necessity of action.

Ø       Tarun Chhabra, long-time friend of WILD and avid conservationist, is honored as the 2008 Research Fellow by the Dancing Star Foundation of California.  The fellowship recognizes Chhabra’s outstanding work with the Toda people of the globally unique, montane forest region in Sri Lanka and his associated work with the Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge.

Ø       Executive Director of The Wilderness Foundation South Africa, Andrew Muir was recently appointed Chairman of the Eastern Cape Parks Board.  This position represents both the unstinting work by Andrew for conservation within South Africa, and the close network of organizations working with The Wilderness Foundation, SA on conservation projects and programs.

Ø      James Balog, founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and director of the Extreme Ice Survey, is honored with the 2007 Rowell Award for the Art of Adventure.  This honor adds to the international accolades for Balog, whose work has been published in numerous magazines, exhibited around the world and the center-piece of the numerous books he has authored. 

                                                                                                                              That's right, WILD has joined the "Web 2.0" movement, and you're invited to join too!  Web 2.0, the new trend in internet usage that includes social-networking, information sharing and a more creative and collaborative use of the web, is a great way for WILD to connect with you - our valued supporters!  Here are a few ways you can join us:

Read our Blog

Join our Facebook Group

Check out our Wiki Page

Have other ideas about how WILD can move into the future with Web 2.0?  Send us an email!

 

Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe from this newsletter