Living Planet MAGAZINE SPRING 2011 exclusive magazine for wwf supporters / ISSUE 20 Our turtles need your help REEF CRISIS! Turtles dying on the Great Barrier Reef. LOVE YOUR FORESTS You can save the world s great forests everyday. BABY BAIM The story of a rescued baby orang-utan. MEET A TIGER FINDER Searching for the Sumatran tiger.
The green economy: pandas and pepper By Dermot O Gorman CEO, WWF-Australia This story is a marvellous illustration of the changes you are bringing to our world through your support of WWF. Mr Youxing He is a local Sichuan pepper farmer in Mao County in southwest China. WWF has been working to put in place sustainable harvesting practices for pepper farming. We helped his crop become organically certified and were part of the process to establish a co-operative. We then linked Mr Youxing directly to a global supermarket chain. Can you imagine what your support has meant to Mr Youxing and the other villagers? And to the environment As part of our involvement, we enabled the villagers to switch to biogas stoves that turn animal manure into gas for cooking and lighting, breaking their dependence on fire wood. Mr Youxing and the farmers in Mao County have reduced as much as six tonnes of firewood harvested by each household each year, and that is a fantastic win for giant pandas, as their forest habitat is preserved. And, the villagers have gained up to a 25 per cent For pandas, the benefits of sustainable pepper farming are less destruction of the forests and a valuing of the environment by farmers. increase in cash income as a result of selling direct to a supermarket with a premium product. This is such a great example of the way in which WWF supporters are impacting the world. Everything improves - the villagers lives, the forest habitats and the multitude of species that call the forests home. At a big picture level, it reinforces that the economy and the environment are not separate spheres that operate independently. They are linked in the closest possible ways. There is no economy without a healthy and productive environment to underpin it. Our future is a green economy. Thanks so much for being part of shaping a healthier, greener world and improving the lives of those who depend upon its resources. We couldn t do it without you. Dermot O Gorman CEO, WWF-Australia Chinese chili pepper FARMERS - Sichuan Province wwf-china You keep them safe... so they can survive Millions of people have bought bestselling books and watched film and television programmes about the world s endangered wildlife. Many of these have felt: If only I could do something to help. That s what WWF s founders wrote in 1961, and together with you - and our other wonderful supporters - we have been fighting the battle ever since. The current rate of extinction is not natural; by this time tomorrow as many as 200 more species will be extinct. People are the cause - and the threats to wildlife continue. By helping priority species, WWF supports countless other species that share their habitats and face the same threats. Today, WWF focuses on 35 priority species including: Flagship species like tigers and rhinos - iconic animals that inspire people to support conservation. Economically important species - such as tuna and teak. Ecologically important species - those that play a crucial role in supporting other species or ecosystems, such as corals, cacti and elephants. Identifying these priority species is relatively easy - the hard and most important part is achieving concrete results. But with our partners - you - we can do it! It is your victory that there are now about 1,600 pandas in the wild and 62 reserves in China. naturepl.com / Juan carlos munoz / WWF 2 DONATE NOW AT WWF.ORG.AU Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 3
BRIAN J SKERRY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCK / WWF Overfishing and destructive fishing practices are seriously depleting fish stock in the Coral Triangle. WWF is working at every level to get smarter fishing gear in the water and to get more sustainable seafood in your sandwich. BORNEan PYGMY ELEPHANT NATUREPL.COM / JUAN CARLOS MUNEZ / WWF Buy FSC and you can help save forests When you buy FSC products you are taking a big step to ensure the survival of species like the Bornean pygmy elephant. WANT TO LOVE YOUR FORESTS THIS CHRISTMAS? This holiday season spread the Love Your Forests message with this range of 100% sustainable FSC wood and paper puzzles and games. Available at Australian Geographic stores, a contribution from the sale of each game will be made to support WWF s conservation efforts. The sustainable sandwich You can help protect the Coral Triangle every time you shop. Saving some of the world s most precious places is not just about what we give, but about how we shop. Of the millions of tonnes of tuna taken from the Coral Triangle, far too much is caught in ways that impact other species: turtles, dolphins and other marine creatures are entangled in nets and left to die. Thanks to you, WWF is working to protect the Coral Triangle - from a sustainable tuna and reef fish industry, through to the development of marine protected areas. Now you can also do your bit - every day! WWF helped form the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC label on a can of tuna or other seafood means that the product has been caught sustainably: no illegal overfishing. When you say Yes to a can of seafood with the MSC label, you are saying to the other brands, No thank you! They will soon get the message, and the Coral Triangle will begin to get its life back. By supporting WWF and buying sustainable seafood, you are keeping this amazing nursery of the seas alive and thriving, and helping two million local fishers maintain their traditional lifestyles and income. Bring on the sustainable sandwich! The Coral Triangle COOK, EAT, ENJOY MSC SEAFOOD WWF helped set up the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to promote sustainable seafood. Visit msc.org to find out where to shop and where to buy. You can help save the world s great forests - every day! It is a simple matter of buying responsibly managed forest products when you shop in your supermarket or hardware store. But, how can you know which products to support? WWF have officially launched the Love your Forests campaign, to promote forest sustainability. When you see products that bear the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo, you are guaranteed they have been sourced from well-managed forests, and not illegally logged. Every purchase you make, makes a statement, and over time, will drive more and more companies to source their products from sustainable forestry. Right across Australia and New Zealand, Love your Forests aims to raise awareness of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo and to give all Australian consumers easier ways to make responsible product choices. Over the coming year, WWF s campaign partners - Bunnings and Kimberly-Clark Australia - will be helping WWF to spread the message about sustainable forest products and where you can find them. Look for the FSC logo on the range of timber products in Bunnings. And, when next in the supermarket, you ll find the FSC and Love your Forests logo on the range of Kleenex Cottonelle toilet paper and tissues, and Kleenex Viva paper towels. Then, the choice is easy. You ll leave your local store knowing you are helping to reduce the impact on forests and the animals we all care about. To find out more, visit loveyourforests.org 4 Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 5
Baim: the story of a rescued baby orang-utan Baim is just one of the tiny orang-utan babies you have helped to rescue from starvation and certain death. He is tiny - less than two feet stretched end to end - and weighs scarcely more than the cardboard box that he clutches at with desperation. LIA SYAFITRIA / WWF-INDONESIA Logging, landclearing and conversion to palm oil plantations are the biggest threats for the remaining rainforests in Borneo and the species that inhabit them. The Heart of Borneo is a refuge to orang-utans, elephants and rhinos, and lesser-known species such as the Sunda clouded leopard and the sun bear. ALAIN COMPOST / WWF-CANON His face has traces of dried baby formula and his wrinkled frame is surrounded by a nimbus of soft rust red hair. His eyes hold the gaze of the humans peering down at him while he keens, terrified to find himself separated from his mother. Baim will live! Thanks to you. Because an orang-utan mother would never willingly give up her baby, there is almost no other conclusion than that she may have been poached. If little Baim had not hidden, or been able to get away, he would have been sold as a pet or trophy to someone who cares little for the species, and everything for their own vanity. That s the way it can be in these forests. But because you care enough about the forest home of the orang-utan, deep in the Heart of Borneo, we are on the way to creating a giant conservation area covering approximately 220,000 km 2 so that orang-utans like Baim are spared the wrath of bulldozers ripping out trees to establish palm oil plantations. DID YOU KNOW? In Malay orang means person and utan is derived from Hutan which means forest. So orang-utan literally means person of the forest. We will also create a network of protected areas, in which poaching is rendered all but impossible. Poaching and unsustainable palm oil plantations, the twin scourges of the forest, will eventually succumb to your consistent and compassionate support. Together, we will win the battle for the future - for Baim! The power of one Holding Baim is such a powerful, emotional experience. He is too young to know about the disappearing forest habitat. He cannot know that his subspecies is now considered to be endangered according to the IUCN Red List of mammals. But we know. And, as we make contact with those doleful eyes, Baim becomes for us a powerful symbol of our commitment to never stop - ever - until these forests and these creatures are safe. We can do this because you care. Thank you. How you are helping ORANG-UTANS Your donation helps to: Create a giant 220,000 km 2 conservation area in the Heart of Borneo Provide the people of Borneo with real alternatives to illegal poaching and logging Protect the remaining natural habitat of orang-utans, rhinos and elephants within the Heart of Borneo Monitor timber and paper supplies through the Forest and Trade Network. FREE BAIM PHOTO Download a printable poster photo of Baim to keep as a reminder of the wonderful work you are helping us to do. Visit wwf.org.au/baim 6 DONATE NOW AT WWF.ORG.AU Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 7
Reef crisis! Queensland floods, cyclones and now a deadly virus - marine turtles on the Great Barrier Reef are dying daily of starvation and the agony of disease. JÜrgen Freund / WWF-Canon Their seagrass feeding grounds are decimated. The deadly fibropapilloma virus has come. Turtles cannot withstand the onslaught. They are dying in their hundreds. Your gift is urgently needed to: 1. Increase the capacity of turtle emergency care hospitals 2. Enable us to research and fight the virus at its source, and prevent unnecessary turtle deaths 3. Help to remove toxic chemical and pesticide run-off into the Reef. 1800 032 551 wwf.org.au/turtle WWF, PO Box 528, Sydney, NSW 2001 8 Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 9
SUMATRAN TIGER DAVID LAWSON / WWF-UK Meet WWF s tiger finder This is Mila s story: What inspired you to work for WWF? Wildlife has always been my passion. So, if I wanted to make a contribution to species work, I knew I had to come and work for WWF. What got you interested in tigers? FLETCHER & BAYLISS/ WWF INDONESIA My grandfather used to tell me bedtime stories about wild animals, so when I was in university, I used to spend my vacation days doing voluntary work. What are the most challenging aspects of your work? The thick forests of Central Indonesia are one of the last refuges of the Sumatran tiger, which today numbers only around 400 individuals. This area is under increasing threat, from habitat destruction mainly from pulp, paper and palm oil companies, as well as poaching. Wildlife is my passion and Sumatran tigers are just beyond awesome. Karmila (Mila) Parakkasi Mila is a young Indonesian woman who learnt about the plight of the tigers at an early age and dreamt of doing something about it. After graduating from university, she joined WWF as a tiger conservationist. Mila heads a Tiger Research Team which works in Central Sumatra, Indonesia, setting up camera traps that photograph or film tigers. This material is used to help calculate the number of tigers and their movement patterns, gathering data that aids in tiger and habitat conservation. Fieldwork is always challenging, especially as there are very few Sumatran tigers over a large area. We have to cover extensive forest areas and spend days in search of tiger signs. How do camera traps help with the conservation of tigers? Before camera traps were available, the study of Sumatran tigers relied mainly on footprints, or scratch marks on a tree, [and] you might confuse their size, especially when the footprints are old. But, with the camera traps, you ll reduce this error by having pictures of tigers and you can identify the individuals from their stripes. So distribution data and population data are more actual. How can other people help you in your work? There are many ways to help tiger conservation. People can easily get the information about tigers, and learn about why they are important in our ecosystem. Another way is to make sure that every product that we use in our daily lives, such as the paper we use for writing, toilet paper or even our cooking oil and the snacks that we consume come from the certified, sustainable plantations. WWF s Tigers Alive Initiative supports Mila and her team, and teams throughout Asia in 11 countries, to protect the last 3,200 remaining wild tigers, boost political commitment and engage communities. How you are helping to save tigers Your support is helping WWF to work relentlessly to see the tiger survive by: Reconnecting fragmented areas of habitat so tigers can move between them Strengthening anti-poaching patrols around nature reserves Establishing programs to increase prey numbers Reducing poaching and trade of live tigers and tiger parts Ensuring conservation laws are enforced. THANKS TO YOU WWF works from local to global levels to help double tiger numbers by 2022, and ensure this magnificent creature has a future in our increasingly small world. FOLLOW MILA ON TWITTER. Don t miss any updates from Mila. Sign up today @MilaRedkani 10 DONATE NOW AT WWF.ORG.AU Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 11
WWF-Russia / ISUNR A curious panda is snapped by an infrared camera trap in the Wolong Nature Reserve, China. WWF JÜRGEN FREUND / WWF-Canon WWF Lacie is from the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in Queensland, who play an invaluable role in the fight to protect the marine turtle. The leopard named Barabashevskii photographed by a camera trap in south-eastern Russia. After a short inspection this rare Javan rhino tossed the camera. Tapping traditional wisdom Smile you re on candid camera USING THE PHOTOS AND VIDEO TAKEN, WWF IS ABLE TO UNCOVER VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT RARE SPECIES AND THEIR HABITAT WHICH WE CAN USE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY PROTECTED They are the wildlife version of candid camera - taking intimate snapshots of creatures in the wild. A camera trap is one way your support is enabling research never before possible. Hidden in some of the world s remote and inaccessible locations, day and night these cameras provide a glimpse into a previously unseen world of some of the most endangered species on Earth. What are camera traps? While not elaborate devices, these everyday still or video cameras, armed with infrared sensors, take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest. In this way we actually see the animals as they are, without them fearing our presence or having their habitat disturbed. To see rare and endangered animals in their natural habitat and to plot their activity in this way is imperative if we are to manage those habitats for the preservation of the species. While the device itself is not complicated, retrieving the film for developing is. As one field worker put it, A good day of checking camera traps takes about 10 hours. Get up early, get back late. Some trips are seven days long, and others are three. Every day is different. SEE MORE SNAPS Visit panda.org Search camera trap. One of the most significant lessons of the last 50 years is that conservation works best when local communities actively participate; and especially, the Traditional Owners. The wisdom and insight the Traditional Owners bring is not found in science textbooks! It adds enormously to our own understanding of both the land and native wildlife. It is a genuine pooling of knowledge and collaboration. Your passion for the natural heritage of our wide and diverse country is channelled through the traditional and spiritual connection of the first inhabitants. You are bridging our two cultures in a common love for this great land. In Queensland, for example, WWF s partnership with the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Gudjuda Aboriginal Reference Group is invaluable in the fight to protect and save marine turtles. You will know from pages 8 and 9 of this Living Planet, just how important this collaboration has become! In the Kimberley, the Walmajarri people and the communities of Mulan, Billiluna and Balgo are helping to manage the spectacular Paruku wetlands and the Paruku Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). The land, the culture, and the future An IPA is an area of Indigenousowned land or sea where Traditional Owners have entered into an agreement with the Australian Government to promote the conservation of biodiversity and cultural resources. It recognises their heritage as well as their local knowledge and skill. Managing IPAs also helps Indigenous communities protect their significant cultural values for future generations and to receive health, education, economic and social benefits. So, you are achieving far more than the conservation of our shared habitats and species. Through your support of WWF, you are making a contribution to the well being of Indigenous communities, helping to provide for them a more secure, self-managed future on the lands they have long called home. find out more WWF respects and recognises the relationship that the Australian Indigenous peoples have with their lands and seas. We are committed to their right to be involved in all aspects of decisions that may impact on their traditional lands and seas. You can read more about Traditional Partnerships at wwf.org.au/indigenous 12 DONATE NOW AT WWF.ORG.AU Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 13
DOUG MCLEAN / WWF Dick and Ann Wallace WWF supporters. I have a short story that I would like to tell Ann Wallace is a WWF supporter and the short story she went on to tell in her handwritten letter is a wonderful cameo that may otherwise have been lost to history. Once upon a time - during the early 1900s, in southern England s beautiful Devon, lived two children - a small girl and a small boy. They were neighbours and they shared a deep love and an understanding of animals. The two children really respected animals and cared about their welfare. Sometimes, in their efforts to prevent cruelty and suffering, they would search together in the fields and lanes and, using sticks, would dislodge and spring the hideously cruel, iron rabbit traps set by the local farmers. When the little girl was leaving the area she had to part with her most loved pet - a Belgian hare. She gave it to the little boy who promised to take great care of it. The little girl was my mother, Barbara Pearson. The little boy was Peter Scott. WWF supporters will know that Peter Scott went on to become the founder of WWF. Was it the simple love of animals shared between two childhood friends that fanned the love of nature into a life-long passion? Ann Wallace continued, Many years later, here in Australia, my mother would tell me of their early friendship, as she taught me to care for and to respect all animals. She always said that someday, somehow - if only she could afford it - she would buy land to provide a better life for nature s creatures. Sadly, she died far too young to achieve her dream. I have been a WWF supporter for many years and I support where I can - and I congratulate WWF on its efforts and achievements. Ann is continuing her mother s lifelong love of nature by making a bequest to WWF in her Will. And so the ripples continue to spread from two children, to touch the world. A gift in your Will is one of the most powerful ways possible to ensure that each new generation inherits the wonderful landscapes, wildlife and natural resources that you treasure today. We shan t save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried. Sir Peter Scott (1909-89), WWF Founder. Leave a gift in your Will and you will help to ensure that the world remains a place where all life can flourish. A magnificent world where the mighty rainforests of the Amazon still stands tall and endangered animals are protected, not poached A fair world where Indigenous communities can live in harmony with their environments and where precious resources are used in a sustainable way A world where WWF is always working to conserve our living planet. For more information about leaving a bequest to WWF, please call Doug McLean on (02) 8202 1238, or email dmclean@wwf.org.au or you can find out more at wwf.org.au/bequests. Natural wonder Southwest Australia From apricot-coloured cowries to truffle-eating potoroos there is a corner of southwest Australia that, hectare for hectare, is richer and more varied than the Amazon. Covering just 9% of the total area of Australia, its spectacular flowers, parasitic trees, disappearing tortoises and unique marsupials form just part of a biological richness that make southwest Australia one of the natural wonders of the world. But its beauty has not protected it from the problems that threaten its future. The southwest is in danger from overdevelopment as urban zones sprawl into the countryside, uncontrolled fires wipe out large areas of vegetation and invasive species crowd out native plants. WWF is leading conservation planning in the region, bringing together government and local communities in partnerships dedicated to the protection, restoration and management of critically important areas of the southwest. Together, with your support, we are working to find practical conservation solutions that benefit plants, animals and the people who call the region home. For more spectacular images from the southwest Australia region go to wwf.org.au/southwest wildflowers southwest australia ANDREW GREGORY 14 DONATE NOW AT WWF.ORG.AU Living Planet Magazine - SPRING 2011 15
100% RECYCLED LIVING PLANET - spring 2011 Cover photos: Hawksbill turtle Jürgen Freund / WWF-Canon. All photos from the WWF-Canon photographic library have been kindly donated by photographers for WWF use, and cannot be reproduced or provided to external parties. 1986 Panda symbol WWF WWF is a registered trademark Printed on FSC Mega Recycled Silk FSC 100% from well-managed forests. Cert on XXX-XXX-XXXX www.fsc.org 1996 Forest Stewardship Council