A Rocha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Rocha is an international conservation organization with a Christian ethos. Its members believe that God loves the Earth and all its people, so credible environmental stewardship and working within local communities to restore degraded habitats is a way of serving God. A Rocha, which means "the rock" in Portuguese (see entry Rocha), was founded in Portugal in 1983 by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda. It is completely interdenominational, governed by a Board of Trustees with wide qualifications in life sciences, relief and development, and financial and risk management. Since 1993 it has expanded its work to 18 countries.

A Rocha aims to protect the environment through local, community-based conservation, scientific research, and environmental education. It is based on 5 guiding principles: Christian, Conservation, Community, Cooperation, and Cross-Cultural.[1]

A Rocha works in partnership with a wide range of organizations, such as the World Conservation Union[2], Conservation International and the European Commission's DG Environment through the European Habitats Forum.[3]

Contents

[edit] Work

As of 2008, A Rocha is working in 18 countries: Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Netherlands, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and USA.[4] Local networks are being built up with a view of creating a national A Rocha in another seven countries.[5]

[edit] Centers and sites

A Rocha operates field study centers in Canada, France, India, Kenya, Portugal and the UK. These may serve as a base for other organizations' field studies.[6]

There are also long-term study sites in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon (the Aammiq Wetland) and other major watersheds and bird migration corridors. Studies in progress include wetland ecosystems, avoided deforestation, and collection of long-term census data on birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, freshwater invertebrates and fish, and plants.

[edit] Carbon mitigation

A Rocha operates the climatestewards.net web site, which accepts donations for community-based tree planting projects,[7] as well as offering practical tips for reducing carbon emissions.

Current carbon-quantified tree planting projects are located in Damongo, Ghana, and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, with other tree-planting projects, e.g. in South America, awaiting research to start quantifying carbon sequestration.

All projects are designed according to international standards for benefits to biodiversity and the local community.

[edit] References

  1. ^ A Rocha. A Rocha's five commitments.
  2. ^ IUCN. IUCN Membership List – June 2007 Retrieved from Membership List and Directory.
  3. ^ IUCN. The European Habitats Forum (EHF).
  4. ^ A Rocha. arocha.org home page.
  5. ^ A Rocha. Future national A Rocha organisations
  6. ^ See: Earthwatch. Kenya's Forest Monkeys.
  7. ^ Climate Stewards, Our projects.

[edit] External links

Languages