U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the

manage biodiversity. The program has supported building the capacity of future conservation leaders through training programs, fostering networks to facilitate learning and collaboration across sites, and motivating conservation actions by raising awareness of and support for biodiversity conservation.

In the coming years, the WWB-LAC program will build upon its long and successful track record and its commitment to work with people to achieve solid conservation results in the . The three focal areas for support will be: threatened landscapes of high conservation value, threatened species whose conservation benefits additional species and their habitats, and regional training programs for early conservation professionals that strengthen the capacity of local A jaguar (Panthera onca) in . people and organizations to manage Credit: Emmanuel Rondeau and conserve species, habitats, and ecological processes for generations to come. Spanning Central region at risk. At the root of most America, South of these threats are social, political, America and the and economic factors including Caribbean , human poverty, population growth, the Latin America inadequate policy planning, and and Caribbean implementation. region comprises some of the planet’s richest land-scapes The Wildlife Without Borders and supports an astounding forty Program for Latin America and percent of the ’s biodiversity. the Caribbean (WWB-LAC) From tropical rainforests to arid recognizes that while people are deserts, the towering to the the primary threat to the region’s coral reefs of the West Indies, this biodiversity, they also represent the region is home to an array of species greatest resource and opportunity including jaguars, maned wolves, for conservation. The conservation macaws, manatees and giant anteaters. of biodiversity is fundamentally a The diversity of wild places and wildlife human issue and requires a strong makes Latin America and the focus on working with people to Caribbean one of the most ecologically conserve nature for the benefit of important on . both. The question is no longer whether to involve key actors at the Unfortunately, the landscapes and individual, organizational or group wildlife of Latin America and the level, but how. Caribbean are under severe threat. Habitat loss and degradation, invasive Over the past 30 years, WWB-LAC Community recycling competition in species, pollution, over-exploitation, has provided critical funding to the . and increasingly, climate change region’s efforts to conserve and Credit: ORCONDECO are placing the biodiversity of the The Wildlife Without Borders – Latin America & the Caribbean program has supported conservation projects since 1983. In 2013, the program leveraged over $1,365,690 and funded over $849,156 towards 13 projects in countries throughout the region. Projects include:

• Increasing sustainable economic • Conducting community activities for rural communities consultations and educational and reducing dependence on workshops with indigenous forests critical to cotton-top communities in Northwestern Alta tamarin conservation in . Verapaz, Guatemala on locally- suited wildlife conservation and In partnership with Fundación sustainable subsistence hunting. Proyecto Tití. The project will also strengthen Ecological Monitoring program for • Expanding My -My Laguna Lachuá National Park. In Community Climate Change partnership with Organización Awareness and Adaption program para la Conservación de la to produce innovative radio Naturaleza y Desarrollo communications and implement Comunitario (ORCONDECO). local community action campaigns for climate change resilience and • Implementing an executive study biodiversity conservation across tour in Costa Rica to familiarize and educate senior professional staff of five Caribbean islands. The project U.S. Members of Congress about A Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) conducted training on effective international conservation in a field in Colombia. communications and entertainment based setting. Participants visited Credit: Chase Pickering education for the Caribbean conservation projects and met Emerging Wildlife Conservation with key stakeholders to discuss Leaders program. In partnership conservation strategies, challenges, with PCI Media Impact. and solutions. In partnership with the International Conservation • Supporting institutional Caucus. Foundation. strengthening of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds to achieve Latin America & the Caribbean Program Funding 2006 to 2013 long-term sustainability through the development of a strategic Total Number of Grants Awarded 265 plan, fundraising strategies, Total Funds Distributed Through Grants $6,263,000 and information sharing. In partnership with the Society for Total Partner Contributions Leveraged by Grants $114,468,000 the Conservation and Study of Total Number of Countries that Received Program Support 22 Caribbean Birds.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service International Affairs Division of International Conservation 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: IA Falls Church, VA 22041 703/358-1754 703/358-2115 fax [email protected] http://www.fws.gov/international Twitter @USFWSInternatl Facebook@USFWSInternationalAffairs

August 2013

School visits for conservation action in St. Lucia. Credit: PCI Media Impact