| Earlier this year the Conservation Collective formally established itself as a charity in order to be able to increase the support it provides to affiliated funds, to offer a channel for UK tax payers to access the locally registered funds and to roll out our model far and wide. Get in touch to find out more.
We thought we would take the opportunity of being house-bound to share some of our extensive archives of video footage. Whilst writing this I was so impressed by the sheer volume of beautiful, positive and interesting content generated by our projects and partners.
Below are some of our favourite examples, but there are many many more brilliant stories which you can read about by clicking the logos below.
With the generous support of private individuals, businesses and other charitable organisations the Conservation Collective charities have funded and enabled the projects and successes outlined below. |
|
| The LEF, founded in 2019, is supporting a terrestrial ecosystem conservation project being run by The Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT). This project identifies and establishes forest corridors in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, using the leopard as an umbrella species. The key outcome of this project is the identification of important connections and on the ground protection – and potentially restoration – to ensure that they remain viable corridors for leopard and wildlife movement. |
|
 |
| Video about the recently launched Lanka Environment Fund, including an interview with Anjali Watson (WWCT). |
|
| IbizaPreservation, founded in 2008, supported the development of an app that allows yachts to see where Posidonia is, in order to prevent anchoring on it. Recent official data showed that the proportion of boats anchoring in the sea grass meadows around Ibiza fell from 25% to 7.4% in 2019. Posidonia is a precious Mediterannean carbon capturing seagrass and crucial habitat for marine biodiversity, which is gravely threatened by marine pollution and boating. |
|
| The AIPF, founded in 2015, collected over ten tons of ‘ghost nets’ from the Tyhrennian Sea over two years, in partnership with Healthy Seas. The nets were then reclaimed and transformed into Econyl yarn, an infinitely recyclable nylon used in the fashion industry. Ghost nets – lost or abandoned fishing gear – are a major cause of marine pollution. |
|
 |
| The AIPF supported Sea Shepherd’s two year mission in the Aeolian Islands which resulted in six km of illegal driftnets, 197 FADs (Fishing Aggregating Devices), and 280 km of polypropylene lines being confiscated and removed from the sea. |
|
| The BECT, founded in 2019, has awarded a grant to the Inter American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) for the creation of a Future Farmers database. This will promote youth farmers trained to date under IICA’s projects, and feature their skills, business profiles, success stories, as well as climate smart agriculture innovations and technologies, and networking opportunities. The BECT aims to support projects working towards the mainstreaming of sustainable agricultural practices, stronger farm to table connections and public education promoting local produce. |
|
| The MEPF, founded 2017, supported a pilot scheme run by LEADER (local action group of fisheries in Menorca) in which over 80,000 biodegradable bags and single-use plastic alternatives were handed out to twelve local fishmongers last year. Since then the Ciutadella fish market made biodegradable materials a requirement to having a stand. Mahon, the island’s capital, is now considering doing the same in their fish market. |
|
 |
| Menorca Beach Cleanup 2019 – 52 Super Series |
|
| The CPF, founded in 2017, supports Enaleia in partnership with the Costas M. Lemos Foundation, to help to create an alternative source of income for fishermen, and, simultaneously to fight against overfishing. The ‘Fish Smarter’ initiative is an educational programme highlighting the importance of sustainable fishing and fishing tourism to 92 professional fishermen in 10 Greek islands |
|
 |
| ENALEIA: A School to Save Greece’s Dying Fishing Sector |
|
| The IEF, founded December 2019, is supporting the campaign to ‘Save Erimitis’, one of the last two remaining pristine areas on the whole east coast of Corfu island, from illegal development. Erimitis comprises 500 km2 of coastal nature that include two formally protected lakes, a landscape of immense natural beauty that together with the marine part of the area, form a whole ecosystem of unique richness in Mediterranean biodiversity. |
|
 |
| Watch a video about the pristine yet greatly vulnerable Erimitis, north east Corfu. |
|
| The MAPF, founded in 2017, supported local organic farmers assocation APAEMA in a project to reducing the use of plastics in agriculture. This project involved the joint purchase of bioplastic (made from potato starch) for farmers to use instead of mulching plastic. In 2019 this saved 1550kg (62 linear km) of mulching plastic. We have approved to support phase two of this project to expand the programme to more farmers. |
|
 |
| In the very heart of the western Mediterranean, a well known archipelago hides a world that not even the growing human pressure has been able to repress. The MAPF supported the Untamed Archipelago Documentary, directed by Ruben Casas. |
|
| The SVGEF, founded in 2015, worked together with the Government and were able to give the support necessary to enable a total ban on the killing of all sea turtles. It also lobbied and advised on a ban on the killing of parrot fish; and funded research and collaborated with local stakeholders protect the endangered Union Island gecko and Pink Rhino Iguana. Thanks to these efforts in 2019 the gecko gained CITES protection. |
|
 |
| Swarovski x Catherine Prevost collaboration of Sea Life Jewellery collection to raise awareness and funds for the St Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund |
|
COVID 19
Our global family is doing its best to navigate the unchartered waters and massive disruption created by the COVID 19 outbreak. Our deepest sympathies go out to our tourism based partners who will inevitably be hardest hit.
We’re very grateful to our supporters for continuing to support, and we will do our best to communicate with you regularly vis-a-vis how the crisis is affecting ongoing projects in each fund.
Sadly, after much preparation, we have had to postpone a number of planned events. We are looking into bringing you the opportunity to participate via webinars and other digital communication tools. Watch this space! |
|
Thank you for your support
|
|
|
|
