Saving species by connecting habitats

Small grants for the Purchase of Nature Connect forest fragments Photo credits

Page 7 Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina Page 7 Jan Vermeer Page 7 Laurens Gomes Page 9 Luciano Candisani Page 11 Sabuh Jahas Protect habitats Page 12 Iranian Cheetah Society Page 13 Ciro Albano, NE Brazil Birding Page 14 Manuk Manukyan Page 17 Andinobates cassidyhorni Luis Mazariegos Page 17 Pristimantis sp Luis Mazariegos Page 19 Misad Dreamstime Page 19 Manuk Manukyan Page 22 Pleprakaymas Dreamstime Page 23 worldswildlifewonders/Shutterstock Save species Page 25 GreenEmpowerment/ATDER Page 27 Diego J. Lizcano, IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group (TSG) Page 27 Natura y Cultura Ecuador Page 34 Manuk Manukyan Page 39 Ciro Albano, NE Brazil Birding

ColoPHon

Editors: Marc Hoogeslag, Gemma Span, Marijn van der Pas Thanks to: Viv Burton, Christina Ballinger, Juan David Guevara Design: Margo Vlamings Printing: Straatsma Printmanagement Services our projects Latin America • Mexico • Guatemala • Honduras • Nicaragua • Dominican Republic • Panama • Costa Rica • Peru • Ecuador • Bolivia • Chile • Argentina • Brazil • Paraguay • Colombia • Africa • Kenya • Uganda • Tanzania • Madagascar • Asia • Vietnam • Myanmar • Malaysia • India • Indonesia • Iran • Armenia Table of contents

Saving species by connecting habitats 2 Facts & figures 4 Connecting habitats 6 Case study Brazil 8 Case study India 10 Creating safe reserves 12 Case study Colombia 16 Case study Armenia 18 Capturing wildlife on camera 20 Signs of conservation 21 Safeguarding ecosystem services 22 Case study Nicaragua 24 Case study Ecuador 26 From project proposal to protected area 28 Snowball effect of small grants 30 Sharing and inspiring 32 Voices from the field 36 Ingredients for success 38 Looking forward 39 Dutch Postcode Lottery 40

1 Saving species by The strategic acquisition of nature offers a threefold gain: connecting habitats (1) connecting habitats, (2) creating safe reserves, and (3) safeguarding ecosystem services

Acquire nature Local ownership The strategic acquisition of small The SPN approach places the patches of land is an extremely ownership and management targeted and cost effective tool responsibility of natural to protect nature. It takes only a resources in the hands of local, few hectares of land to create a in-country organizations with 1 2 3 corridor between two isolated a clear conservation objective connecting creating safeguarding forests, thereby greatly increasing and eye for the needs of local habitats safe reserves ecosystem the living space for wide ranging communities. Empowering these services species such as parrots, dedicated professionals working elephants, monkeys and jaguars. in the frontline is the best way of achieving long-term sustainable All over the world, large scale conservation. SPN’s open window logging of forests and conversion for funding applications from Purchase or lease of the natural environment for NGOs all over the world makes our Land acquisition includes the actual purchase agriculture results in fragmentation grants unique in the conservation of habitats. Age-old animal sector. of ownership rights from private landowners, migration routes are obstructed, as well as long term lease agreements with making it hard for species to Benefits for humans local communities or authorities. find food and a mate. With the The acquisition and protection of help and expertise of our global natural areas not only provides network, the Small grants for the a lifeline to highly endangered Purchase of Nature (SPN) program species, it also benefits humans. provides funds for specialist NGOs Ecosystems such as forests “We’re talking just fifty acres, hundred acres, to acquire threatened patches of are the lifeblood of sustainable twenty acres. But this patch of land connects wilderness to create or expand development and human well- thousands and thousands of square kilometers safe reserves and connect wildlife being, providing communities of forest, and therefore it is critical to the habitats. with food, fresh water, clean air, wellbeing of several key biodiversity species.” and many other assets that are generally referred to as ecosystem Vivek Menon, Wildlife Trust of India services.

2 3 Facts & figures

E9787 highest price per hectare 106 32.000 hectares hectares secured smallest p r o j ects f u nded 8 acquisisition

hectares average size project

27 415 area countries E19 5200 62 NGOs supported lowest hectares price per largest hectare acquisition

4 5 Connecting habitats How a few hectares make a huge difference

The Urugua-í and Foerster Provincial Parks With support from IUCN NL, the Peruvian Even a relatively small piece of A land acquisition of a few were on the verge of becoming cut off NGO Ucumari created a corridor between land can be enough to maintain hundred hectares on its own, from one another because of agricultural larger forest fragments that are crucial for the landscape ‘connectivity’, or the isolated in the middle of an expansion. With SPN support, the 300 survival of the critically endangered yellow- hectare Urugua-í Foerster Biodiversity tailed woolly monkey. extent to which species are able agriculture area for instance, Corridor was secured, enabling species like to move from one area to another. cannot sustain populations of jaguars to roam freely between these two This is the case if the piece of land large predators such as jaguars parks in Argentina. forms a bridge between two or or large herbivores such as more larger fragments of forests or elephants. If however, the few if it functions as a stepping stone hundred hectares provides a for species to move from one corridor between two large, but forest to another. isolated protected areas, such as a national park or a forest reserve, Targeted, strategic acquisitions the impact is significantly higher. “It’s all about location, that maintain or enhance location, location. connectivity have a significantly greater impact than the acquisition Acquiring a strategically of the same sized area if it is chosen forest patch isolated. can very well mean the difference between survival and extinction.”

Marc Hoogeslag, coordinator SPN program at IUCN NL

IUCN NL has supported Malaysian partner Hutan to secure contiguous areas of forest to create wildlife corridors in a landscape dominated by oil palm plantations. Safeguarding connectivity is crucial for the survival of Bornean pygmy elephant and the orang-utan.

6 7 CASE study • BRAZIL i NGO: Associação Mico-Leão Dourado Country: Brazil Hectares: Acquisition of 113 Golden lion tamarin ha of land to create a corridor makes a comeback Partnership created: 2007

In the 1990s, golden lion tamarins were barely hanging on to a thread of survival with only 150 remaining in Brazil’s Atlantic coastal rainforest. Thanks to the purchase and protection of their natural habitat, fuelling a tenfold increase in the population, the golden lion tamarin is now on the comeback trail.

Problem Approach Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest in the For the past 20 years, our local state of Rio de Janeiro is home to partner Associação Mico-Leão- numerous exceptional species of Dourado (AMLD) has led efforts animals and plants. But the area to conserve endangered golden is under enormous pressure due lion tamarins. Supported by IUCN to the rise in human population, NL’s land purchase programme urban sprawl and expanding and SavingSpecies, AMLD agricultural areas. As a result, takes action towards restoring the rainforest has been reduced degraded forests and creating and Result IUCN Red List of Threatened to 7.3 percent of its original protecting corridors between the Thanks to the efforts of AMLD, the Species changed from ‘critically forest cover. One of the most remaining forest fragments. protected forest areas currently endangered’ to ‘endangered’. charismatic forest inhabitants is cover a connected area of over The long-term goal for 2025 is the golden lion tamarin. Population 13,000 hectares. The expansion to establish a nature reserve of density and deforestation have of the golden lion tamarin’s 25,000 hectares where 2,000 led to enormous fragmentation habitat has allowed the primate golden lion tamarins live freely. of the primate’s original habitat: to thrive. The wild population has The SPN contribution added a staggering 80 percent of risen to 1,500, a tenfold increase another 113 protected hectares to the remaining forest consists compared to the historic low of the golden lion tamarin’s habitat of tiny fragments of less than the 1990s. The first milestone and more importantly, created an 50 hectares, which is too small was achieved in 2003: the status important corridor between larger to support a healthy tamarin of the golden lion tamarin on the forest fragments. population. 8 9 CASE STUDY • INDIA i NGO: Wildlife Trust of India Country: India Hectares: Acquisition of 8 hectares of land to secure an Making way for elephant migration corridor elephants in India Partnership created: 2006

For generations, elephants in India have been using the same routes as they migrate. Yet more and more people are making settlements or creating farmland within these traditional migration paths. This is causing increased conflict between people and elephants. IUCN NL is working with the Wildlife Trust of India so that the “IUCN NL was elephants can once again move freely between the absolutely critical, because it came in at protected areas. the right moment with the right amount of money to ensure that this corridor is free of human pressure and can be rewarded back to elephants.” Problem Approach The huge rise in India’s population The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has Vivek Menon, Wildlife Trust is causing more and more people identified 88 elephant corridors of India to move to areas that were across the country where human formerly the exclusive domain of settlements block the passage the elephant, leopard and tiger. between the protected elephant This is causing increased conflict habitats. With support from between people and animals. WTI, the villagers are voluntarily Because the traditional migration relocated to an area with better Result paths of the elephant are no amenities, better housing and As early as two weeks after the The corridor has also improved the longer accessible, the animals are better farmland where they can Kerala villagers were relocated the livelihoods of rural communities: forced to move through residential live without fear, away from elephants returned to the area. the relocated villagers now live areas, trampling crops and elephants. The areas that become Other wild animals such as the under better circumstances, causing havoc and panic. Each available are reforested with tiger, leopard and primates also without fear, and no longer have to year, people and elephants die as indigenous strains of trees which make use of the corridor to move worry about nuisance caused by a result. are grown, planted and maintained from one forest area to another. the elephants. by the local people. 10 11 Creating safe reserves How purchasing land gives endangered species a boost

2

Habitat destruction and havens for endangered species fragmentation are prominent can be created. Especially for causes of the growing list of species like frogs and birds, threatened species worldwide. protecting small areas can The IUCN Red List of Threatened provide a lifeline. What’s more: Species shows that out of a total saving one single species of 73,686 species that have been usually means saving many, assessed, 22,103 are threatened since they all benefit from the with extinction. By acquiring improved habitat. pieces of land strategically, safe

IUCN NL enabled Brazilian NGO Instituto UIRAÇU to extend their Serra Bonita reserve in southern Bahia with an extra 210 hectares. This reserve is a safe haven for many species like the colourful banded cotinga. The global population of this magnificent bird is estimated to number 250-1000 mature individuals.

IUCN NL is supporting the Iranian Cheetah Society in the creation of a livestock-free national park for the benefit of the last 40-70 Asiatic cheetahs in the world. By providing shepherds with alternative grazing areas outside Turan National Park, potential conflicts for cheetahs are seriously reduced.

12 13 The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. The Red List shows where urgent conservation action needs to be taken and thus guides the selection of SPN projects. Many species have found a safe haven in SPN- funded reserves.

14 15 2 CASE STUDY • COLOMBIA i NGO: Hummingbird Conservancy Country: Colombia Hectares: 720 hectares to Refuge for newly extend the Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve discovered species Partnership created: 2011 in the Andes

The northwest Andes Mountains are one of the most biodiverse places on earth. To protect the abundance of species in this region against logging and mining, the Hummingbird Conservancy created the Mesenia- Paramillo Nature Reserve. Recent expeditions in this Reserve have resulted in many new discoveries, further underlining the need to secure these areas.

Recent discoveries at Mesenia-Paramillo

Problem Situated in the northwest Andes of logging and mining companies, Colombia, the Mesenia-Paramillo responsible for clearing trees and Nature Reserve shelters one of the polluting the area. most biodiverse habitats on the planet. Within the 2,500 hectare Approach reserve, consisting of cloud To prevent the deterioration forest and alpine tundra, no less of these important habitats, Results Recently several research projects than 302 bird species have been extension of the Mesenia-Paramillo The land purchase added extra have revealed new species of registered. Among these are 15 Nature Reserve was urgently areas of cloud forest, humid reptiles, amphibians, insects and threatened species, including the needed. In 2011, IUCN NL granted montane forest and alpine tundra orchids that are currently under dusky starfrontlet which is listed 85,000 euros to the Hummingbird to the reserve, increasing the odds study and description. These new as critically endangered on the Conservancy which was used of survival for many species, both discoveries have further confirmed IUCN Red List. This makes this to purchase 720 hectares of known and yet to be discovered. the biodiversity value of the area area one of the most important threatened forest on the fringes As it turned out, the reserve is an and attracted the attention of more habitats for birds in all of the of the reserve and thus expand even richer biodiversity paradise research groups that have chosen Americas. However, these plants Mesenia–Paramillo substantially. than previously thought. the reserve as a base to carry out and animals are threatened by their scientific research.

16 17 2 CASE study • ARMENIA i NGO: Foundation for the Protection of Wildlife and Cultural Assets Country: Armenia Safe haven for unique Hectares: 5 year lease on 839 hectares to create Caucasus Wildlife Refuge Armenian flora and Partnership created: 2010 fauna

Leasing a unique nature area in the Caucasus allows vulnerable species to be protected from hunters. With support from IUCN NL, the leopard and bear have a chance at survival.

Problem The unique Khosrov Reserve Protection of Wildlife and Cultural in Armenia is home to all kinds Assets) received a grant to lease of waterfowl, birds of prey such 839 hectares of land in the as eagles and vultures, and no vulnerable boundary areas of the less than 40 mammal species, reserve. Some of the money has some of which can only be found gone towards building a facility for in this part of the Caucasus. the park rangers. The park rangers Unfortunately, many of these are in charge of enforcing park animals, including the Caucasian regulations. The work of FPWC leopard, lynx, mouflon (wild is also supported by the British sheep), bear and bezoar goat are World Land Trust. faced with extinction. The greatest danger comes from hunters, but Result also from farmers in the area who The Caucasus Wildlife Refuge the vicinity of the park. Other inside the reserve. In addition, the let their cattle graze in the reserve, is increasingly becoming a animal populations are restoring people living in the area benefit disrupting the habitat of the safe haven for flora and fauna, themselves as well. The number of from the reserve, so it receives species that live there. as became incontrovertably bezoar goats has increased and a lot of local support. Four park clear when in the end of 2013 a the animals are also less timid, rangers have been hired, and in Approach Caucasian leopard was captured which is a sign that they feel at the future ecotourism is expected Armenian partner organization on camera. It was eight years ease there. Herds numbering up to create jobs for the people in the FPWC (Foundation for the since one had been seen in to 30 goats are now regularly seen nearby village of Urtsadzor.

18 19 Capturing wildlife Signs of conservation on camera

Cameras that snap automatically provide an excellent opportunity to monitor animals without disturbing them. Tamandua, Bolivia

Syrian brown bear, Armenia Red shanked douc langur, Vietnam

Striped hyena, Iran Maned wolf, Bolivia 20 21 Safeguarding ecosystem services

How protecting nature benefits people IUCN NL helped local NGO AESMO to secure crucial parts of the mountainous Güisayote reserve in Honduras. This reserve 3 contains dozens of springs that supply water to many nearby communities. By acquiring 348 extra hectares, the home of the quetzal is safeguarded and water The overwhelming majority of land of the acquired areas. After all, supply is protected. acquisitions funded by SPN have protecting these forests also the primary objective to preserve means protecting the services habitats that are important for they provide, such as a wildlife. Many of the projects constant supply of clean water. however have the parallel objective This way, our projects create to secure ecosystem services for a win-win for biodiversity and communities that live in the vicinity human well-being. Food Fresh water

ecosystem services

Creating a protected area in the 20,000 hectare Khe Nuoc Trong forest in Vietnam is essential if many, very rare species such as the red shanked douc langur are to survive. It also secures important hydrological functions. IUCN NL enabled local NGO VietNature Conservation Center to negotiate a 30 year lease on a 781 hectare area. Clean air Pollination Carbon storage

22 23 3 CASE STUDY • NICARAGUA i NGO: Association of Rural Development Workers & Green Empowerment Country: Nicaragua More trees for more Hectares: Extension of the El Bote Forest Reserve with a land purchase of another 581 water and more hectares electricity Partnership created: 2006

By protecting the forests around El Bote in Nicaragua, valuable biodiversity is protected and a steady supply “The SPN program was of water is ensured. This enables the local villagers to critical for us in order to establish and expand operate a small hydropower plant. the El Bote Forest Reserve, protecting the area’s tremendous biodiversity and conserving critical water and soil resources.”

Anna Garwood, Problem deforestation. This has led to Green Empowerment El Bote is located in a remote the destruction of wildlife habitat. mountainous area of Central Moreover, the loss of forest has Northern Nicaragua. The area disrupted water supply in the harbors unique flora and fauna, region. including several endangered species like jaguar, resplendent Approach quetzal and the harpy eagle. The A strategy was needed to tackle tropical mountain forests capture the threats to biodiversity, but Result rainwater and consequently also to secure the hydrological clinics and companies. To keep The El Bote community realized ensure clean drinking water and functions of this important this hydropower plant in operation, that conserving the water basin irrigation water for the farmland in water basin. Local NGOs Green sufficient water must be available. not only guarantees the long-term the lower lying valleys. Empowerment and ATDER This was ensured by creating a protection of the area’s exceptional The region is under increasing worked together to implement a 245 hectare reserve protecting natural resources, but also threat from commercial logging community-based hydroelectric the trees up in the mountains. supplies power to approximately and population growth. Road water basin conservation project in Between 2006 and 2013, IUCN 7,000 people. Local residents y construction has enabled the community of El Bote. NL supported the extension of the now actively manage and protect settlers and logging companies A 900kW hydroelectric plant reserve by another 581 hectares. their 956 hectare reserve. This is a to penetrate further into the was constructed to bring reliable win-win for biodiversity and human forest and accelerate the rate of electricity to homes, schools, well-being. 24 25 3 CASE STUDY • ECUADOR i NGO: Natura y Cultura Ecuador Country: Ecuador Hectares: Acquisition of 250 hectares of cloud forest in high Saving tapirs and biodiversity watershed securing water through Partnership created: 2008 forest protection

Protection of the forests on the western slope of Podocarpus National Park in Ecuador simultaneously achieves two important goals: conserving vital habitat for tapirs and securing the reliable supply of clean drinking water to the city of Loja.

Problem affected by human activity The Podocarpus-El Condor such as cutting down trees for National Park provides the wood and clearance of land to last ecological connection make way for cattle grazing and between three of the world’s other agriculture. Forest fires most important forest areas: the intentionally set during the dry Tumbesian Dry Forest, the Andean season have damaged the forest Forest, and the Upper Amazonian severely. As the trees are lost so Forest in Ecuador. The park is the soil is unable to retain water, Results one of the world’s biodiversity which affects Loja’s water supply signing an agreement with Natura Acquiring these forests served two hotspots, with an estimated 800 and water quality. y Cultura Ecuador (NCE) to important goals. First it protects species, half of Ecuador’s total. It stop further deforestation. With some of the last remaining forest is one of the last places on earth Approach support from IUCN NL, NCE has in a biodiversity hotspot, crucial where the threatened bearded The municipality of Loja realized purchased 250 hectares of forest for the survival of many unique guan still occurs. The area is also that the lack of forest protection on the slopes of the Podocarpus species. Secondly, protecting the home to the endangered Andean was costing them an estimated National Park. Additionally, forest also benefits the 160,000 tapir, a large herbivore, and the one million dollars every year, together with the municipality, inhabitants of Loja. Preserving the spectacled bear. through increased costs in they agreed to spend part of the trees means that the hydrology in water treatment, damage money from water taxes on the the region will improve, securing Over the past few decades, to infrastructure and costs management of these forests. their supply of drinking water for the area surrounding the city associated with forest fires. This the future. of Loja has been seriously has resulted in the municipality 26 27 From project NGOs

STEP proposal 1 Submit pre-proposal May 1st

±100 proposals STEP to protected area First selection 2 30-40 proposals

STEP Second selection 3 Funding priority is given to: 20 proposals

STEP • Areas with endangered species 4 • Ecosystems under represented in the public Third selection after consulting protected areas system international network • Areas with a strategic importance for 12-15 proposals STEP the protection of the hinterland (buffer 5 zones) or which connect important areas Submit full proposal (corridors) August 15th 12-15 proposals STEP Assessment by 6 IUCN NL and international network 10 proposals

STEP Final selection by 7 International Review Committee 5-10* proposals STEP 8 Sign contract and acquire threatened nature October

* Depending on available budget

28 29 Snowball effect of “The SPN grant was crucial to catalyze the collaboration with other donors. Once small grants we received SPN support, American Bird Conservancy was willing to offer a match of funds for the purchase price, whereby four How SPN support creates leverage other institutions then felt the project would succeed and offered their support.”

Fundación Armonia, Bolivia

The impact of land acquisition The backing from IUCN NL projects is not restricted to the provides added value on an purchase of pristine nature. institutional level. For many of “[The grant] has been Becoming a landowner enables our beneficiaries, having been very important as it gave local NGOs to establish a solid selected to receive a grant from “For FPWC the relevance and visibility foothold in their region. It provides an international donor allows SPN grant was a to Fundaexpresión both them a chance to show their them to participate more actively starting point for the competence and their long-term in the debates concerning at a national level, implementation of vision, which earns them the environmental issues. It improves where we are advising a totally new model trust and respect of both local their reputation and they gain in national programs for of protected areas communities and authorities. credibility with authorities and community sanitation, and management in This support, in turn, creates decision makers. international level, where opportunities for developing joint Armenia. This had a we are participating in projects with the local people, In addition, the international tremendous impact Rio+20 People’s Summit.” involving them closely in the support from IUCN NL is seen on the development of creation of a sustainable future for by many other donors as a our organization and Fundaexpresión, Colombia their region. ‘quality stamp’, which helps its strategic position our partners to raise additional funding from other local and and perception in the international donors contributing country as well as in its to the long term sustainability international relations.” of the reserves. FPWC, Armenia

“The support of IUCN NL has given greater visibility to our work and helped us get more donors to purchase areas.”

Instituto Rã-bugio para Conservação da Biodiversidade, Brazil

30 31 Sharing and inspiring “The visit showed us that conservation is something that many different people How exchanging knowledge drives are working toward, in many different places, and that we, two park rangers projects forward from the Jama-Coaque Reserve, are part of this more universal project to preserve tropical forests before they are lost.” The exchange of information is a By visiting peer projects, our crucial aspect in conservation. The partners compare and share Third Millenium Alliance park rangers Edilberto partners of SPN harbor a wealth experiences for mutual benefit. Marquez and Dany Murillo after visiting three SPN of experience and know-how as During exchange visits, networks funded reserves in other parts of Ecuador well as a great willingness to share are created, ideas evolve and their knowledge. Looking for ways inspiration is found in observing to exploit this, IUCN NL regularly and questioning the work of organizes seminars and exchange dedicated fellow-conservationists. visits for and between partner Often, a visit turns out to be an organizations. eye-opening experience that “Our trip was highly educating not only for fosters a feeling of camaraderie the ideas, but also for the methodologies and companionship between that Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda is using. fellow park rangers. Using models learnt from them, we are now beginning to design our own conservation

Symposium Symposium methodologies adapted to our conditions.” LOCATION: The Netherlands LOCATION: Brazil CREA Panama director Michael Roy after visiting GESG TITLE: Land purchase as TITLE: Payments for Exchange visit in Mexico an intervention ecological services LOCATION: Ecuador strategy for biodiversity and strengthening TITLE: Forest rangers conservation memberships sharing experiences

“I greatly value the diversity of the participating organizations and 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 the real life experience of several organizations which are already very successful in securing land. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me.” Symposium Symposium Exchange visit LOCATION: Belize LOCATION: Singapore LOCATION: Peru Pham Tuan Ahn from VietNature Conservation TITLE: Financial TITLE: Securing land for TITLE: Exploring Center after visiting the 2010 symposium sustainability of private conservation in Asia: different governance protected areas Opportunities, pitfalls models and alternatives

32 33 34 35 Voices from the field

“It’s more than just an “To me these mountains are area for conservation, it’s so precious, so beautiful, so emotionally in my heart.” wise that I have dedicated Ruben Khachatryan, FPWC my life to their conservation.” Pati Ruiz Corzo, GESG

Ruben and his team at FPWC are committed to safeguarding Armenia’s Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda, founded by unique natural heritage with the help of Pati, protects a precious area in the heart IUCN NL. • vimeo.com/iucnnl/armenia of Mexico. • vimeo.com/iucnnl/mexico

Watch and share our “We are securing the intro video This short animation explains future of this animal for how IUCN NL helps to save perhaps another hundred species by connecting habitats years at least. It gives me vimeo.com/iucnnl/spn great peace.” Vivek Menon, WTI

In India, IUCN NL supports Vivek and his team at WTI in securing elephant corridors. • vimeo.com/iucnnl/india

36 37 Ingredients for success Looking forward

Making an acquisition project a success is a joint effort. The SPN program has Our fourteen year track record of From the NGO’s end, the crucial factor is the capacity, undoubtedly accomplished successful projects proves that its mission of connecting and our concept of strategic nature passion, commitment and permanent presence of local protecting key nature reserves. acquisition works. Even the staff. Without this, projects will fail. From IUCN NL’s Thanks to support from IUCN acquisition of a small patch of land end, three ingredients are key: NL, these valuable habitats are can deliver visible and long-lasting preserved, not just for now, but results. You can help make a also for future generations. In difference. Expertise frustrating future acquisition addition, we can rely on capable Local intelligence is key in the projects, and not too low, making NGOs who have taken on the selection process, to verify NGO sellers feel they are ‘squeezed responsibility of caring for their capacities, land prices and how out’ and giving them a negative land – a task they take extremely the proposed land purchase attitude to conservation. That’s seriously. These people, with intervention ‘fits’ in with other why IUCN NL doesn’t rush. their amazing passion and Take action today conservation strategies. IUCN NL commitment, are the foundation and contact us to explore opportunities. therefore invests time in expanding Trust for our work and it is these and maintaining its network of IUCN NL’s role is to facilitate dedicated people who guarantee [email protected] local experts and NGOs. partner NGOs to work as the long-term sustainability of our www.iucn.nl efficiently as possible. This means projects. Patience first of all being flexible, accepting Land acquisition can be a very that for the most part the NGO has time-consuming process. NGOs superior knowledge about what is need time to negotiate the right best in a given situation. price: not too high, to prevent

“Though we have funded a wide variety of organizations, in many parts of the world, they all share one thing in common: they all feel a strong connection to the project area and truly care about its future.”

Maas Goote, Director IUCN NL

38 39 Dutch Postcode Lottery The Small grants for the Purchase of Nature program could not exist without the support of the Dutch Postcode Lottery. The Dutch Postcode Lottery has been raising funds for organizations that work for a greener and fairer world since 1989. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the lottery tickets are distributed to charitable organizations. Over 2013, the lottery donated a record €302 million to 90 good causes. IUCN NL has been beneficiary of the Dutch Postcode Lottery since 2001 and receives a yearly contribution of €900,000. www.postcodeloterij.nl

40 Creating wildlife corridors is an extremely targeted and cost effective tool to protect nature. With the financial support of the IUCN NL program Small grants for the Purchase of Nature (SPN), local NGOs are able to acquire strategically important parcels of land to connect isolated forests, thereby greatly increasing the living space for wild animals such as birds, jaguars and monkeys. The pioneering approach by SPN can make all the difference to the chances of survival of many unique and endangered species.

IUCN NL (National Committee of The Netherlands) Plantage Middenlaan 2K 1018 DD Amsterdam T + 31 (0) 20 626 17 32 [email protected] www.iucn.nl