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DEAR FRIENDS, WHY ISLANDS Every day we do our best to make the right choices for our planet. Yet, it’s easy to wonder if our choices are having a measurable impact. Will our eorts really make the world a better place for generations to come? Islands are biodiversity hotspots well known for and trampling sensitive habitat. Fortunately, on their species richness. Island ecosystems are many islands, populations of invasive species If there is one conservation action we can depend on for tangible change, it’s also among the more vulnerable environments can be completely removed. After the last island restoration. Removing invasive species from islands works. It results in on Earth and host 75% of all known animal invasive individual has been removed from an healthy ecosystems, reinvigorated livelihoods, and thriving native plants and IMPACT REPORT extinctions. The primary driver of these island, many plants and animals will begin to animals. Cover photo: 2016 / 2017 extinctions? Invasive species. recover, and other key restoration activities can Polynesian Ground-dove on Acteon & Gambier archipelagos French Polynesia. Credit: Maddy Pott take place. Island restoration is one of those rare This gives me hope. Invasive species are non-native and cause and refreshing conservation undertakings that Acteon & Gambier photo: environmental, social, or economic harm when can be declared successful with finality and Tuamotu Sandpiper on Vahanga Atoll Our 2016-2017 Impact Report highlights the tangible results achieved by our French Polynesia. Credit: Maddy Pott introduced to a region. On islands, the presence clarity. most recent island restoration projects. In 2017, we announced the successful of invasive species is particularly problematic restoration of seven islands in three dierent regions of the world. Desecheo Desecheo photo: because the native plants and wildlife have By working together, we can achieve remarkable Island, Puerto Rico is now ideally positioned to once again host large colonies Desecheo Island Puerto Rico. Credit: Claudio Uribe often evolved without defenses against invasive conservation breakthroughs that prevent of seabirds and native lizard species. Habitat for the Critically Endangered impacts. extinctions and allow native island plants and Polynesian Ground-dove and Endangered Tuamotu Sandpiper has doubled Cabritos photo: wildlife to thrive again. Since Island thanks to the restoration of five islands in the Acteon and Gambier archipelagos Ricord's Iguana on Cabritos Island Dominican Republic. Credit: Wes Jolley Because islands are small and surrounded by Conservation’s inception over 20 years ago, in French Polynesia. Critically Endangered juvenile Ricord’s Iguanas and water, invasive species can quickly overwhelm we’ve worked for this transformation on 59 Vulnerable Rhinoceros Iguanas are now scurrying about on Cabritos Island, Back photo: and alter an island ecosystem. Invasive islands. Thanks to your support, that number Dominican Republic—a sight rarely seen when invasive species were present. Rhinoceros Iguana on Cabritos Island, predators easily raid nests and prey on juvenile continues to climb. With each passing year, we’re Dominican Republic. Credit: Tommy Hall birds and reptiles, while invasive herbivores picking up speed in the race against extinction. As we celebrate our successes, we continue to look forward and advance our cause damage by overgrazing native vegetation work on Alejandro Selkirk Island in Chile, Floreana Island in the Galápagos, and more for 2018 and beyond. Thank you to our donors, partners, and friends. You make our work possible. May you face each day hopeful for a future even brighter than imagined, ISLANDS REPRESENT knowing that you are a part of real change. Best, INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES 5.3% 75 % 41 % 19% 86 % Karen Poiani Angus Parker Of the Earth's landmass Of bird, amphibian, mammal, Of all CR and EN Of avian biodiversity Of recorded extinctions linked to and reptile extinctions terrestrial vertebrates invasives occurred on islands Island Conservation CEO Island Conservation Chair UNEP-WCMC 2015 Tershy et al. 2015 Spatz et al. 2017 Tershy et al. 2015 Bellard et al. 2015 © Island Conservation 2017 www.islandconservation.org 2016 FINANCIAL INFORMATION RESTORATION ON THE RISE DELIVERING REAL RESULTS 2016/2017 DONORS SELECT SITES OF OUR CONSERVATION INTERVENTION PARTNERSHIPS ACTEON & GAMBIER ARCHIPELAGOS DESECHEO ISLAND CABRITOS ISLAND Aaron and Marina Killick Govert van Drimmelen National Park Service French Polynesia Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Acacia Conservation Fund Graham Mannion NEDO/Equilibrio Films Alan and Ashley Dabbiere Harrods Creek Fund on behalf of Hal Candee and Eliza Neil Estep GRANTS CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM SERVICES Alan and Ruth Keitt Brown Nick and Emmalie Hall-Skank 3,300,121 1,617,821 Amber Duncan Heath Packard Open Door Foundation North American Region (including US territories) 775,184 Andrew Luk Ian Pirie Pacific Development and Conservation Trust South American Region 1,550,209 MIDWAY HAWADAX LEHUA KAHO’OLAWE ANACAPA SAN NICOLAS Anne Scholten Ingrid Parker and Gregory Gilbert Peter and Carroll McCallum Caribbean Region 1,336,923 US Territory United States United States United States United States United States Anonymous Donors International Galapagos Tour Operators Association Phillip Erven Southwest Pacific Region 561,032 Anthony Brake and Yvonne McHugh Foote Trust - Invasive Species Council of Australia Quinn Rennerfeldt Aspen Helicopters Iris Soltra Rebecca Grady % % Other Global Priorities 21,090 Association of Retired Safeway Employees Irving Decatur & Cecile Derouin Reed and Sunshine Duus 49 23 Conservation Science 228,686 Atherton Family Foundation J. Royden Saah Repass-Rodgers Fund for the Environment at Innovation 283,092 Audrey Newman Jack and Rikki Swenson Community Foundation Santa Cruz Bailey Smith Fund Janet Eyre RJM Foundation Baldo Marinovic & Kristen Tibbitts Janning Kennedy Roman Bodinek Total Program Services 4,756,216 Bell Laboratories Jason Weinstein Salesforce Foundation CONTRACTS OTHER INCOME Bellevue Foundation Jennifer Rycenga Sally Esposito 1,851,362 15,938 Beth Summers Joe Beek Sandler Foundation Birdlife International John and Evelyn Readdie Sara Kaiser SUPPORTING SERVICES Bruce Posthumus Jon Hoekstra and Jennifer Steele Schmitz-Fromherz Family Fund Bruce Weissgold Jonathan Franzen and Kathy Chetkovich Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Cathy Granholm Joyce and Brian Bender Programme Development 575,938 Chris Dunn and Michele McKinley Julio and Michelle Ramirez Shanbrom Family Foundation % % Management & General 1,136,520 Chris Moser Justine Willeford, The Pelican House Shawn Zack 27 1 Total Supporting Services 1,712,458 Christine Sculati Kathryn Tosney Solon and Diane Finkelstein Christine Sodt Kathryn Waldman Stanford Alumni Group Total Expenses 6,468,674 In June 2017, just two years after ambitious Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge, Puerto Rare iguanas of Cabritos Island are poised to Christopher Martin Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund Stephanie Clark-Poveda TOGETHER, WE PREVENT EXTINCTIONS Clark Mitchel Kevin and Sabrina McDonald Family Fund Stephen and Evelyn Knaebel restoration eorts, Island Conservation, Rico, is returning to life following intensive recover and thrive in their newly restored Coastal Conservation Kingfisher Foundation Stephen and Sheryl Johnson Birdlife International, and SOP Manu restoration eorts. In June 2017, home. Cabritos, an island in a lake on the Corporación Nacional Forestal Kirk Elwell Steven Reneau TOTAL REVENUE declared five islands in French Polynesia’s conservation biologists confirmed that the island of the Dominican Republic, is home to Cristina Mittermeier Photography Kirsten Liske Susan Scott and Craig Thomas 6,785,242 Acteon and Gambier archipelagos safe island is once again safe for seabirds, the Critically Endangered Ricord’s Iguana Dan Simberlo and Mary Tebo Lara Kilpatrick Sydney Arkowitz havens for some of our world’s rarest birds. endemic lizards, three endemic arachnids, and the Vulnerable Rhinoceros Iguana. Over Darwin Initiative, UK Government Larisa Stephan Tanya Atwater Islands within the Acteon and Gambier and the native, federally Threatened Higo the years, invasive species, including feral Dave Kwinter Leo Model Foundation Teresa Beck archipelagos provide critical habitat for Chumbo cactus. Since early in the 20th cats and burros, have driven these iguana David and Carol Finkelstein Lesley Franz Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation David Hartley Leslie Larson and Michael Bennett The Baltoro Trust the Critically Endangered Polynesian century, invasive mammals on Desecheo populations down to near extinction by Dawson Family Fund Libra Foundation The Betty Millard Foundation Ground-dove, locally known as Tutururu, and have caused extensive damage to the eating their young, destroying nests, and Dean and Makayla Counselman Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic Society The Bobolink Foundation the Endangered Tuamotu Sandpiper, locally island’s native plants and wildlife. By the turn damaging critical habitat. Deborah Dunn Lydia Garvey The Charitable Gift Trust of R. James Macaleer known as Titi. Fewer than 200 Tutururu and of the millennium, virtually no seabirds were North Carolina State University MacKinnon Family Charitable Foundation The David and Lucile Packard Foundation about 900 Titi remain in existence. Predation present on the refuge. In response, the US To save Cabritos Island’s iguanas, Island Dennis and Jan Iocco Malcolm Roberts The Fenton Family