Conserving the Khata Corridor: A Transboundary Triumph for Tigers

The Khata Corridor, a critical 15-mile wildlife passage along the shared border of Nepal’s Bardia National Park and India’s Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, is a beacon of hope for tiger conservation in South Asia. This vital link, facilitating safe movement for tigers and other wildlife between Nepal and India, underscores the importance of transboundary conservation efforts in preserving biodiversity and enhancing genetic diversity.

Restoration & Adaptation in the Khata Corridor

Two decades ago, the Khata Forest was a degraded landscape ravaged by human encroachment, deforestation, and poaching. The situation was dire, with local communities heavily dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods. The 1950s saw a surge in settlement due to Nepal’s resettlement programs and malaria eradication, further straining the fragile ecosystem. By the 1990s and early 2000s, the forest’s condition had worsened due to widespread encroachment, livestock grazing, and the spread of invasive species.

In response to this crisis, WWF, local communities and the Nepalese government embarked on an ambitious project to restore the Khata Forest. The initiative aimed not only to rehabilitate the ecosystem but also to secure a safe passage for tigers and other wildlife and engage the local community in conservation efforts.

© Surya Ramachandran

Community-Led Conservation: A Blueprint for Success

The cornerstone of this effort was community engagement, transforming the local attitude toward conservation.

WWF’s strategy involved extensive community consultations, awareness programs, and the introduction of sustainable livelihood schemes. These initiatives were designed to reduce the community’s dependence on forest resources, thereby alleviating pressure on the ecosystem.

One of the key components of the Khata Corridor project was the establishment of community forests. Today, a network of 74 community forests covering 78 square miles plays a crucial role in the corridor’s success. These community forests are managed by over 9,000 households, who benefit from sustainable income opportunities and access to irrigation and safe drinking water.

Alternative energy programs were introduced to replace household reliance on firewood, further reducing deforestation. Restoration activities have included the establishment of nurseries, planting native tree species, and allowing forests to regenerate naturally by regulating cattle grazing.

Hear from a local community organizer, homestay host, and a young member of a community anti-poaching unit in WWF-Nepal’s video, Life in Nepal’s Khata Wildlife Corridor.

The transformation of the Khata Corridor has had a profound impact on both wildlife and local communities. The once-degraded forest is now a lush habitat teeming with life. Camera traps have captured images of a wide array of wildlife, including leopards, spotted deer, gray langurs, greater one-horned rhinos, and the critically important Bengal tigers.

Recent data shows an increase in wildlife activity within the Khata Corridor, highlighting its success. This indicates a thriving ecosystem and the effectiveness of the corridor in providing a safe passage for wildlife.​​

Tigers, a keystone species, play a pivotal role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem. They require large territories to roam and hunt, with an adult male tiger in Nepal needing about 7 to 58 square miles. The Khata Corridor ensures wildlife can move safely between habitats, which is essential for genetic diversity and the overall health of the ecosystem.

© Aditya Panda

The corridor has also been instrumental in the recovery of other species, such as the greater one-horned rhino. Once near extinction, the population has rebounded significantly, thanks to concerted conservation efforts in both India and Nepal. The Khata Corridor’s success in facilitating wildlife movement and supporting biodiversity has earned it recognition as one of the most successful local community initiatives in the larger Terai Arc Landscape.

The resurgence of wildlife in the Khata Corridor has had a positive ripple effect on local conservation travel. Increased wildlife sightings have attracted travelers, providing a sustainable source of income for local communities.

Awareness and securing livelihoods were critical steps in motivating communities for stewardship in conservation.

Celebrating Transborder Conservation Achievements

The Khata Corridor has garnered international acclaim for its conservation achievements. WWF’s efforts have been pivotal in nearly tripling Nepal’s tiger population from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022. The corridor’s success in facilitating tiger movement between Bardia National Park and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary exemplifies the positive impact of well-planned and managed wildlife corridors.

In India, similar conservation efforts have yielded impressive results. The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, for instance, was recognized for doubling its tiger population since 2010. These achievements underscore the effectiveness of dedicated conservation initiatives in reversing the decline of tiger populations and enhancing biodiversity.

The Khata Corridor is a shining example of how transboundary cooperation can lead to significant conservation successes.

© Conan Dumenil

The Broader Terai Arc Landscape (TAL)

Located in the shadows of the Himalayas, the transboundary Terai Arc belt stretches from Nepal’s Bagmati River in the east to India’s Yamuna River in the west, connecting 16 protected areas across both countries. In Nepal, the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) covers a vast area of 9,540 square miles with a network of six protected areas, forests, agricultural lands and wetlands, with over six million people depending on its forests for food, fuel, and medicine. 

A key characteristic of TAL is the presence of eight corridors and two bottlenecks; a landscape conservation approach that facilitates wildlife dispersal between protected areas on either side of this transboundary landscape while also engaging local communities in forest restoration and management.  

The Khata Corridor is a crucial component of the larger Terai Arc Landscape, home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna, including tigers, rhinos, leopards, and giant hornbills. This landscape-based approach to conservation aims to protect and connect fragmented habitats, ensuring the long-term survival of wildlife.

Tigers, in particular, benefit from this interconnected landscape. As apex predators, tigers help regulate the populations of prey species, which in turn affects the composition and health of vegetation. By maintaining a balanced ecosystem, tigers contribute to the overall biodiversity and resilience of the region.

© Aditya Panda

Challenges and Future Directions

Despite the successes, the Khata Corridor and the broader TAL face ongoing challenges. Human-wildlife conflict, habitat fragmentation, and climate change continue to threaten the delicate balance of the ecosystem. To address these issues, ongoing efforts are needed to strengthen community engagement, enhance habitat connectivity, and implement adaptive management strategies.

One of the critical areas for future focus is mitigating human-wildlife conflict. As tiger populations recover, interactions between tigers and local communities are likely to increase. Effective conflict mitigation strategies, such as livestock compensation schemes and community-based monitoring, are essential to ensure the continued coexistence of humans and wildlife.

Additionally, climate change poses a significant threat to the region’s biodiversity. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can alter habitats and disrupt the availability of resources for wildlife. Adaptive management strategies that incorporate climate resilience into conservation planning are crucial for the long-term sustainability of the Khata Corridor and the TAL.

© Surya Ramachandran

Ensuring the Future of Tiger Conservation in Nepal and India

The Khata Corridor stands as an example of how collaborative conservation efforts can restore degraded landscapes, protect wildlife, and benefit local communities. The success of this transboundary corridor highlights the importance of community engagement, sustainable livelihood programs, and innovative conservation strategies in achieving long-term conservation goals.

As we look to the future, continued support for initiatives like the Khata Corridor is essential. By fostering cooperation between governments, conservation organizations, and local communities, we can ensure that wildlife corridors continue to thrive and provide safe passage for tigers and other species. Together, we can create a world where humans and wildlife coexist in harmony, and the majestic roar of the tiger echoes through the forests of Nepal and India for generations to come.

Explore More: India Tiger Quest + Nepal & Bhutan

Nat Hab continues to support these conservation efforts through their specially curated travel experiences. Our most tiger-intensive itinerary is the India Tiger Quest, which provides participants with the best opportunities to spot and photograph Bengal tigers in their natural habitat.

Nat Hab’s Wild & Ancient Himalaya: Nepal & Bhutan expedition includes rhino tracking in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, offering a unique glimpse into Nepal’s rich biodiversity. Ideally situated on the edge of the Rapti River, our Chitwan base is in the largest area of undisturbed wilderness along the base of the Himalayas. The surrounding area has a high sighting rate for one-horned rhinoceros, crocodiles and gharial.

Chitwan National Park, established in 1973, is Nepal’s first national park and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. It covers 360 square miles of subtropical lowlands and is home to about 50 mammal species and more than 500 species of birds. While sightings are never guaranteed, we have good chances to observe rhinoceros, Asian elephants, crocodiles, leopards, sloth bears, sambar deer, wild boar, monkeys and jungle fowl in their natural habitat. This is not a tiger-focused itinerary, but fingers crossed, and conditions permitting, a chance to track tigers might be a special highlight as we join our Expedition Leader and a local guide to search for footprints and pugmarks that mark the tigers’ hidden presence in the park.

Since 2003, Nat Hab has partnered with WWF, the world’s leading environmental organization, to promote this mission. To date, Nat Hab has provided more than $6 million to support WWF’s global conservation efforts and will continue to give 1% of gross sales plus $175,000 annually through 2028 in support of WWF’s mission to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Our travelers have donated an additional $40 million in support of WWF priorities in some of the most precious yet imperiled places on the planet. WWF currently has more than 2,000 conservation projects in progress around the world. Take a look at some of the important work that’s happening in these destinations. 

By participating in conservation travel, you not only embark on an unforgettable adventure but also play a vital role in supporting the ongoing efforts to protect our planet’s most vulnerable species. Each journey helps raise awareness and funds essential for the continued success of projects like the Khata Corridor, ensuring that the legacy of conservation endures for future generations.

© Yaju Upadhyaya

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The Unprecedented Presence of People Weighs on Wildlife

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies lions as vulnerable and estimates that only 23,000 remain in the wild. World Wildlife Fund states that while lions are not currently endangered, population numbers will continue to decrease without proper conservation efforts.

In our human-dominated world, Earth’s most iconic and imperiled wildlife are facing tough decisions. Two lion brothers recently illustrated that fact when they undertook a long, record-breaking swim across a predator-infested African river in search of homes and mates. Although there was a small bridge over the river, it’s thought the lions avoided it because of the presence of people.

Around the world, runaway human population growth is collapsing the role of wildlife in the world’s ecosystems. From deforestation to disease, from habitat fragmentation to lead poisonings, and from vehicle collisions to the wildlife trade, the human impact on wild animals is formidable.

What can we do to lessen our dominance and damage? Scientists say that conserving about half of the global land area could maintain nearly all of nature’s contributions to people (NCPs) and still meet biodiversity targets for tens of thousands of species. There’s work to do, however: most of the lands prioritized for NCPs are at risk of conflict with human development, with only 18% of that land area currently protected.

Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda is backed by the Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the “Mountains of the Moon” because of their snowcapped peaks. The park also provides visitors with stunning, panoramic views of crater lakes (such as the one above) carved into the green, rolling hills.

The literal lengths African lions will go to in order to avoid us

On February 1, 2024, a drone equipped with high-definition, heat-detection cameras captured some incredible footage. Two male lions were filmed in Uganda at night swimming across the Kazinga Channel, a waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel is a popular feature of the country’s Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The pair of big cats had previously been seen attempting to cross the channel three times before, but on each occasion, they were turned back to shore shortly after entering the water due to what appeared to be an animal trailing them—possibly a hippopotamus or a Nile crocodile. On the fourth attempt, the lions’ 0.62-mile crossing was successful.

Locally, the lions are known as “Jacob” and “Tibu.” Jacob has a harrowing history: some members of his family were poisoned for the lion body-part trade, he has been gored by a buffalo, he was caught in a poacher’s snare, and he lost one leg when it was caught in a second poacher’s steel trap. The population of lions that Jacob and Tibu belong to has nearly halved in just five years.

The fact that the two brothers have managed to survive as long as they have in a national park that has experienced significant human pressures and high poaching rates is a feat of resiliency, say the researchers who filmed the epic swim. Their paper on the topic was published in the science journal Ecology and Evolution on July 10, 2024.

Within Queen Elizabeth National Park is the Kazinga Channel. Its shores draw large numbers of wildlife, such as antelope, buffalo, crocodiles, elephants, hippos, waterbuck—and two daring lions.

But why did Jacob and Tibu risk the dangerous night crossing in the first place? Scientists theorize that the brothers were looking for females. Competition for lionesses in the park is fierce, and they had lost a fight for female affection in the hours leading up to the swim. So, it’s likely the duo mounted the risky journey to get to the females on the other side of the channel. There is a small connecting bridge to the other side, but the presence of people, say the researchers, was probably a deterrent.

The worst threat to wildlife across North America and Canada is us

Africa’s Jacob and Tibu aren’t the only animals floundering under the preponderance of people. Here, on the North American side of the planet, wildlife is feeling our weight, too.

In wildlife rehabilitation centers across Canada and the United States, licensed individuals and organizations take in hundreds of thousands of injured and sick wild animals every year. In fact, such centers see the highest number and greatest range of species of any government or nonprofit organization in the U.S., giving them unique insights into animal health—and making them great bellwethers of what’s happening in the broader environment.

Wildlife rehabilitation centers see the highest number and greatest range of species of any government or nonprofit organization in the U.S. This gives them a unique insight into animal health in the broader environment.

A few years ago, a biologist named Tara Miller, who was then working with Defenders of Wildlife, met Wendy Hall, cofounder of the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington, New York. Hall mentioned some weird occurrences she had noticed in her job over the last few years: black vultures in the Adirondacks, which was unusual since they are typically a southern species; and earlier “baby seasons” in many species, which researchers have linked to climate change. Miller was intrigued by the idea of using animals’ presence in rehab centers to study the impact of climate change and people on North America’s wildlife.

Miller is the lead author of a first-of-its-kind study, published in Biological Conservation in October 2023. The study compiled hundreds of thousands of records from 94 wildlife rehab centers across Canada and the United States to investigate the threats facing more than a thousand wildlife species by region, including which threats affect which animals and how effective these centers are at treating their patients.

In summer 2019, Miller began contacting employees of wildlife rehab centers, which varied in size from those rescuing a few hundred animals a year to groups helping tens of thousands. She asked what trends they had noticed and what questions they would like answered through a report.

Black vultures have been making their way north due to milder weather caused by climate change. Ornithologists in New York have recorded more than 300 sightings in the last year. That number would have been unheard of 30 years ago, say researchers.

Until recently, most wildlife rehab records existed only in binders and file cabinets, which made them inaccessible to researchers. But slowly, over the last decade or so, centers have started to digitize their documents, thanks in part to software such as the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s WILD-ONe patient database for wildlife rehabilitators. This gigantic dataset has more than 600,000 observations. The big question for Miller was, what are the major threats to wildlife?

The data revealed that 40% of animals were sent to rehab centers because of injuries classified under the “human disturbances” category. These included bald eagles sickened by lead poisoning, big brown bats colliding with buildings and sea turtles entangled in fishing gear.

Seasonally speaking, the researchers found vehicle collisions were highest from May to July and disproportionately affected reptiles. Pesticide poisonings increased in the spring, summer and early fall, a time of more agricultural and construction activity. Lead poisonings tended to be seen in the winter, after hunting season. Many hunters still use lead ammunition when deer hunting, which will then poison scavengers like bald eagles and vultures when they go in to snack on a carcass.

In addition, the investigation showed that more animals were admitted to wildlife rehab centers the week after extreme weather events than the week before—following floods and hurricanes in southern Florida, for example. More animals were also taken in after big storms in recent years, possibly due to the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

Scientists say pelicans do well after rehabilitation; 68% of injured pelicans are later released back into the wild.

About one-third of the animals brought into wildlife rehab centers are eventually released back into the wild, though this number varies significantly among species. For example, about 68% of injured pelicans are later released, whereas only about 20% of bald eagles have that option.

These findings tie together what rehabbers across the country are seeing: the big picture of how humans are impacting wildlife. Miller says that we should be thinking about the issue in terms of disaster and response plans. Do we need to boost state funding to animal rehabilitation centers to be able to care for wildlife after catastrophic events? How can we change our behaviors and policies to impact animals less?

In the meantime, the results of this study can hopefully convince communities to make some fairly easy changes to protect animals. Wildlife underpasses and overpasses across roads can help deer, turtles and other animals cross highways safely (and reduce car accidents). Adding decals and other patterns to windows can save birds. And educating the public on how to phase out lead fishing gear and hunting ammunition can cut down on poisoning in scavengers. Some states have lead ammunition buyback programs, and more could establish them.

These changes will help humans, too: for example, car-deer collisions are not only expensive to fix but can be deadly for all parties.

Only about 20% of injured bald eagles that recover at rehabilitation centers, however, can be released. Scientists wonder why the full recovery chances are so different between bald eagles and pelicans.

The “Humpty-Dumpty effect” of us

Some of the world’s most spectacular and unheralded mammals are now slipping away, such as Bhutan’s takins, Patagonia’s huemuls, Tibet’s wild yaks and Vietnam’s saolas. Even Africa’s wildebeests and three species of zebras have suffered massive reductions over the last several decades.

The reasons for these losses are more than deforestation, disease, habitat fragmentation or the wildlife trade, according to researchers at Colorado State University and their colleagues around the world. Ultimately, the cause is rampant human population growth. And unless human behavior changes in unprecedented ways, states the research team, future communities of these mammals will never resemble those of the recent past or even today.

In 1830 when Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy captained his ship, the HMS Beagle, through the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America, fewer than 1.2 billion people inhabited Earth. By Earth Day in 1970, there were more than 3.5 billion. Today, slightly more than 50 years later, the world’s population exceeds 8 billion. Livestock and humans now constitute a staggering 97% of the planet’s mammal biomass.

Legend has it that Drukpa Kunley, a Bhutanese poet and yogi popularly known as “the Divine Madman,” combined the head of a goat with the body of a cow to create the takin, now Bhutan’s national animal. The takin’s conservation status is vulnerable.

In a report published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution in June 2020, the Colorado State University scientists described how they analyzed direct and indirect disruptions that lead to changing roles of mammals in global ecosystems. They noted how the nature of ecological interactions has changed and will continue to do so—on an even larger scale—in coming decades.

More specifically, the researchers looked at what has transpired with coyotes and wolves in North America, huemuls in Patagonia, takins in Bhutan, wild horses in deserts, and the inevitability of change in big ecosystems as humans extirpate large carnivores and increase their footprints on the land.

For example, humans have only recently colonized parts of the Himalayas, areas where ice has receded due to warming temperatures. But the scientists’ findings showed that even in the remote reaches of the Himalayas, feral and stray dogs—a direct result of human intrusions—wreak havoc on wild species that have high cultural importance and economic value.

Patagonian huemuls live in the rugged regions of the southern Andes. They are diurnal and have well-developed senses of hearing, smell and vision. When alarmed, huemuls snort and stamp their front legs. With less than 1,500 individuals left, they are listed as endangered.

Worldwide, food webs have become irretrievably altered by humans, with little hope to reconstitute even recent past conditions or to put back the ecological functions once created by native species. Feral pigs, for instance, exist today on every continent except Antarctica and in 70% of the states in the U.S. These animals disrupt birds, fish, reptiles other small mammals, plants and soils. In addition, human-caused climate change warms the oceans, which in turn foments marine algal blooms, reducing fishery catches. With less fish, a consequent uptick in wildlife poaching on land occurs.

The scientists also documented how an appetite for fashion like cashmere increases imports to the West from China, India and Mongolia, resulting in economic incentives for desert pastoralists to produce more domestic goats in central Asia. These goats compete with native species for food. And domestic dogs that pastoralists introduce are not only predators but also carriers of diseases that jeopardize endangered species, such as kiang (a large horse of the Tibetan Plateau), Przewalski’s gazelles and snow leopards.

Despite these grim findings, the study’s authors suggest that all is not yet lost. While for many assemblages of animals, we are nearing a moment in time when—like Humpty-Dumpty—we will not be able to put things back together again, the world still has some remarkable protected areas, including Kruger National Park and Serengeti National Park in Africa, the Patagonia Ice Fields of Argentina and Chile, Madidi National Park in Bolivia, Chang Tang Nature Reserve in China, Northeast Greenland National Park (the world’s largest national park), and Yellowstone National Park and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in North America.

We’re fortunate that the world still has some remarkable protected areas, such as Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

And although food webs with large mammals will be different from those of the past, there are options to shape the future. We need to use our ecological grief, say the authors, to implement action and honor the exceptional biodiversity that remains. This can be done by protecting large tracts of the planet’s wild places.

Only 18% of lands prioritized for nature’s contributions to us are protected

That brings me back to E. O. Wilson’s theory on conserving half of global land area in order to maintain nearly all of nature’s contributions to people (NCPs) and still meet biodiversity targets for tens of thousands of species. Even 30 x 30 would be a good start. Unfortunately, a new study, published in the journal Nature Communications in January 2024, shows that only 18% of lands prioritized for NCPs are protected.

This study, led by researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is based on a global-scale optimization of land uses to identify joint priorities for biodiversity and NCPs. Focusing on regions of high conservation value that are also under high development pressure reveals some unlikely areas that don’t always garner global conservation attention; these include working landscapes in southeastern Australia, southern Brazil and Uruguay, Eurasia and the southeastern United States.

In the areas of commercial agriculture and renewable energy, more multifunctional landscape planning would be highly beneficial. One example of this is to allow livestock grazing on wind farms.

Findings showed that roughly half (44% to 49%) of global land area, excluding Antarctica, provides nearly all (90%) current levels of nature’s services to people while also conserving biodiversity for 27,000 species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles. But the results also point to potential conflict, because 37% of the land areas are highly suitable for development by agriculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, mining or urban expansion. Such high development potential, coupled with the fact that few priority areas are currently protected, means that successful conservation will require creative solutions.

Such solutions will carefully accommodate human activities through sustainable use and multifunctional landscape planning, particularly in the growing areas of renewable energy and commercial agriculture. Examples of this include livestock grazing under the turbines of wind farms or cultivating native pollinator gardens under solar panels.

But there’s a real risk that achieving renewable energy goals could conflict with nature conservation goals. We now know that biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development cannot be considered in isolation. Nature’s many contributions to human well-being—including carbon storage, clean water, coastal protection, crop pollination and flood mitigation—must also be factored in.

Solar panels and pollinator gardens do mix! We can generate renewable energy while nurturing and protecting the natural world around us.

For as English writer Alan Watts wrote, “Just as there is an interdependence of flowers and bees, where there are no flowers there are no bees, and where there are no bees there are no flowers. They’re really one organism … . The essential point is obvious: that each one of us, not only human beings but every leaf, every weed, exists in the way it does, only because everything else around it does. The individual and the universe are inseparable.”

Here’s to finding your true places and natural habitats,

Candy

The post The Unprecedented Presence of People Weighs on Wildlife first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Marc Quinn’s Monumental Flowers Invite Us to Reflect Upon Our Evolving Relationship with Nature

“Light into Life (The Evolution of Forms)” (2024). All images © Marc Quinn and RBG Kew, shared with permission

From bronze, chrome, and silicone, Marc Quinn’s larger-than-life botanicals emerge with delicate precision. The exhibition Light into Life at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London continues the artist’s exploration of the boundaries between the natural and artificial, the living and non-living, sexuality, and the passage of time.

Quinn often uses a mirrored effect to literally reflect humanity in nature while blurring the lines between the work and its surroundings. In others, he emphasizes the heft, history, and scale possible with bronze. For example, “Held by Desire (The Dimensions of Freedom)” and “Burning Desire” tap into the metaphorical association of flowers to human biology and anatomy, their titles emphasizing emotional parallels, like the precise tension of a carefully-tended bonsai or the supple petals of a red, sensual orchid with yearning.

Orchids, bonsai, and tropical flowers provide the starting point for Quinn’s remarkable sculptures that emphasize permanence and in a realm that relies on the opposite: changing seasons, weather patterns, and visiting pollinators. He confronts the ephemerality of blossoms and leaves by casting their likenesses at a monumental scale in metal, freezing blooms to preserve the zenith of their beauty, or immersing entire bouquets in silicone oil to indefinitely sustain their vibrancy.

Light into Life continues through September 29. Explore more of the artist’s work on his website.

“Held by Desire (The Dimensions of Freedom)” (2017-2018). Photo by Ines Stuart-Davidson

“Light into Life (Photosynthetic Form)” (2023)

“Burning Desire” (2011)

“Eternal Spring (Cultural Evolution)”

“Light into Life (The Release of Oxygen)” (2023)

“Human Nature” (2024)

“Event Horizon (Sabal)” (2024). Photo by Ines Stuart- Davidson

“Our Botanic Selves, Himalayan Mayapple”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Marc Quinn’s Monumental Flowers Invite Us to Reflect Upon Our Evolving Relationship with Nature appeared first on Colossal.

From Australia to the Arctic: Nat Hab Philanthropy Projects Inspire Conservation Action

In addition to our conservation travel partnership with World Wildlife Fund established in 2003, Natural Habitat Adventures also supports various philanthropic initiatives in the destinations we visit. Our commitment to conservation and sustainable development inspires our leadership role in boosting grassroots efforts in places our guests have come to know and love. We actively pursue innovative efforts to protect the environment and promote the welfare of local communities. 

FortWhyte Alive’s Arctic Science Day

$2,500

FortWhyte Alive, an extraordinary educational institution, creates fantastic opportunities for science learning in Winnipeg. Their Arctic Science Day program in early March 2024 brought in researchers and graduate students from the University of Manitoba’s Center for Earth Observation Science to share up-to-date findings on Arctic ecology and climate change research with middle and high school students. Thanks to sponsorship from Nat Hab and others, the Arctic Science Day workshop was free of charge, hosted nearly 500 students and was considered a resounding success. “There’s a bunch of jobs and careers related to Arctic science and it is a very meaningful career for this generation,” said one participant.

See and save polar bears with Nat Hab & WWF on a trip to Churchill! © Lianne Thompson

Wildlife Madagascar

$2,500

Wildlife Madagascar aims to strengthen law enforcement and biological monitoring throughout remote regions of Madagascar—one of the planet’s biodiversity hotspots. The current project focused on the Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve (ASSR). It was chosen because of its still unknown and relatively unresearched flora and fauna, with dozens of undiscovered species likely found here and nowhere else on Earth. The close proximity of villages to park boundaries and the heavily traveled national road that bisects the protected area make ASSR susceptible to illegal activities, including logging, artisanal mining and hunting. Thus, a collaborative patrol system was set up between Wildlife Madagascar Forest Rangers, Madagascar National Park agents, and various community liaisons. Nat Hab Philanthropy funding provided special gear necessary for extensive patrols, including boots, tents and rain gear.

Indris lemur

Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife

$2,500

Kangaroo Island is flourishing once again after devasting bushfires ran rampant in 2020. The Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife program performs biodiversity monitoring using wildlife cameras deployed along drift lines within habitats of interest or significance. Every 8-10 weeks, Land for Wildlife field ecologists and private conservation landholders visit monitoring sites to maintain drift lines, check cameras, change batteries and download SD cards. Scientists have collected four years of post-wildfire data and wildlife images, increasing our understanding of animal behavior and helping conservationists identify and strategically control threats to native species. Nat Hab Philanthropy funds went directly to supporting monitoring efforts through the purchase of trail cameras, SD cards and other equipment needed to protect Kangaroo Island’s endangered endemic wildlife as natural habitats recover.

Kangaroo Island © Craig Wickham

Cerro Guido Foundation

$2,385

As pumas continue their fantastic rebound in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, human-wildlife conflict is rising. Ensuring pumas’ long-term viability relies primarily on minimizing contact between these wild cats and livestock. A major goal of the Cerro Guido Foundation is to provide technical and management solutions to local farmers to minimize the deaths of domestic livestock and thus avoid puma hunting. Nat Hab Philanthropy funding to purchase ten deterrent lights and three camera traps.

A curious puma checks out our Expedition Leader Zapa © Cassiano Zaparoli

Library for Galapagos

$2,500

The Library for Galapagos (Biblioteca para Galapagos) is the first communal library open to the public in the Galapagos Islands. Located in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, it serves as a vibrant community space and has earned recognition in Ecuador as an example of library best practices under the umbrella of the Programa Iberbibliotecas. The library is run by the Association of Interpreter Guides of the Galapagos National Park (AGIPA), a legally constituted nonprofit organization ascribed to the Environment and Water Ministry. Collaborators include the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos Conservancy. A public library is essential to Santa Cruz Island, which has approximately 20,000 inhabitants and 11 schools. It provides the space and information to develop cultural, educational and leisure activities, including Internet access and recreation for all ages and groups. With 3,521 visitors in 2023, community members of all ages benefited from 94 workshops, while 2,214 locals made use of the reading and consultation rooms. 

Galapagos school Library

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Women in Conservation: 5 Primatologists You Should Know

In honor of World Chimpanzee Day on July 14, here are five trailblazing women who evolved the field of primatology and have played a critical role in the conservation of great apes.

Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall’s long-term study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania led her to worldwide acclaim. Beginning in July of 1960, at the age of 26, she traveled from England to live among the Kasakela chimpanzee troop in the rainforests of Gombe Stream National Park. With little more than a notebook and binoculars in hand, her observations led to many notable discoveries, including that chimpanzees make and use tools, considered one of the greatest achievements of twentieth-century scholarship. The famed primatologist and anthropologist has dedicated her life to the conservation of these great apes, advocating for ecological preservation through The Jane Goodall Institute. Through nearly 60 years of inspiring work and advocacy, she serves as a conservation heroine for millions and has empowered young girls across the globe to become a voice for wildlife, including this author. Nat Hab travelers visit Greystoke Mahale in Tanzania, a permanent research center established in 1965 on the shores of sapphire-blue Lake Tanganyika as an extension of Jane Goodall’s work with chimpanzees just north at Gombe Stream.

Birute Galdikas

Dr. Birute Galdikas is the world’s foremost authority on orangutans. Her pioneering fieldwork in Borneo’s rainforests began in the early 1970s and has lasted for over 40 years, making it one of the lengthiest continuous studies of a mammal ever conducted. Galdikas transformed our understanding of these enigmatic primates, the least understood of the great apes at the time, revealing not just their social structures and ecological roles, but also their emotional depth. Growing up, she was inspired by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, and would later join their ranks as one of the “Trimates,” the founding mothers of contemporary field primatology. As he had done for Goodall and Fossey, paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey helped Galdikas set up her research camp with funding from the National Geographic Society. At the age of 25, amid the iridescent greens of Tanjung Puting Reserve near the edge of the Java Sea, she began her field studies, gaining valuable insights into orangutan behavior and diet.

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Galdikas’s conservation efforts extend beyond advocacy, largely focusing on the rehabilitation of orangutans orphaned by deforestation and the illegal pet trade. In 1986, she founded Orangutan Foundation International to help save orangutans and preserve rainforests around the world. Travelers on Nat Hab’s Borneo adventure seek out orangutans and learn about their conservation at Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and Danum Valley Conservation Area.

Patricia Wright

Dr. Patricia Wright’s work with lemurs has illuminated the intricate world of these unique primates and their critical role in the ecosystems of Madagascar. With a career spanning decades, Wright has gone beyond mere observation to actively champion the conservation of these at-risk species and their rapidly diminishing habitats. Her initiatives have not only advanced scientific understanding but have catalyzed real-world conservation efforts, including the establishment of Ranomafana National Park in 1991, following her discovery of the critically endangered golden bamboo lemur in 1986. During a primatology course in college, this author had the opportunity to meet Wright, who spoke about her life’s work studying the social interactions of wild lemurs and her commitment to conservation in Madagascar.

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Nat Hab travelers visit Ranomafana during their Madagascar Wildlife Adventure, taking guided hikes in search of the 12 species of lemurs that reside there. Near the entrance of the national park is Center ValBio, Madagascar’s leading field research center run by Wright. Her work serves as a poignant reminder that the fate of lemurs is a bellwether for the health of our planet, linking the well-being of a single species to the broader tapestry of global biodiversity.

Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey’s groundbreaking work with mountain gorillas redefined our perception of these majestic creatures. Surrounded by the misty jungle-draped volcanoes of Rwanda, Fossey shattered barriers to form an unbreakable bond with the largest of the great apes, unraveling the intricacies of their social dynamics and shedding light on their vulnerability to human activities such as deforestation and poaching. Although Fossey’s life was cut short, her work continues through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the world’s leading conservation organization dedicated to the protection of mountain gorillas.

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Travelers on Nat Hab’s Ultimate Gorilla Safari trek to see mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, where Dian Fossey made her discoveries. Several habituated gorilla families live in the park, and we learn how vital our ecotourism presence is to their survival before trekking in search of them.

Claudine André

Claudine André’s revolutionary work with bonobos has reshaped our understanding of these endangered primates who share 98.7% of our DNA. André’s extraordinary efforts include establishing Friends of Bonobos, the world’s only bonobo sanctuary and rewilding program, providing a safe haven to young bonobos orphaned by bushmeat hunting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her compassionate bond with these intelligent beings has unveiled the depths of their emotional complexity, showcasing their capacity for empathy and cooperation. Claudine’s message for today’s young conservationists? “You must never lose hope, because there is always a solution.”

Conservation Travel & Women in the Wild

As World Wildlife Fund’s conservation travel partner, Natural Habitat Adventures offers nature expeditions to observe endangered primates around the world, including orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and lemurs. Conservation travel imbues value to these natural habitats, bringing economic resources to local communities and inspiring them to protect wild places and the wildlife that thrives within them.

Interested in a nature encounter exclusively in the company of women and led by outstanding women naturalist guides? Our Women in the Wild series offers the chance to learn about intrepid women who have long been leaders in science, global exploration and environmental protection. Empowering women begins with sharing their stories. And there’s no better context in which to show and tell those stories than by taking inquisitive women travelers into settings where they can learn about women’s accomplishments and conservation achievements in the nature destinations we visit.

The post Women in Conservation: 5 Primatologists You Should Know first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Reviving the Northern White Rhino: An African Safari with Conservation Purpose

Northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu © Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The last two living northern white rhinos in the world, females named Najin and Fatu, live under armed guard at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. They are the final survivors of a subspecies driven to the brink of extinction due primarily to what WWF refers to as rampant poaching for rhino horn.

However, scientists and conservationists have not stopped efforts to revive northern white rhinos.

On the contrary, on April 9, 2024, New Scientist published an article about scientists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance who are using frozen skin cells from 12 northern white rhinos to potentially save the subspecies from extinction.

There is enough genetic material to generate sperm and egg cells from these skin cells, which could then be turned into embryos. The embryos could be carried by closely related southern white rhino females. A simulated model suggests that this could result in a healthy, genetically diverse population of northern white rhinos within ten generations.

Can conservationists revive the northern white rhino when only two living individuals remain?

2000-4000 year-old rock painting of a rhino, Spikzkoppe, Namibia.

Rhinoceros from Prehistoric to Present

Rhinos are some of the most unique herbivores on the planet, with their story dating back around 50 million years. Their predecessors first appeared shortly after the dinosaurs and long before humans. Prehistoric rhinos also walked the Earth long before elephants, meaning they were once the largest land mammals on the planet.

Rhinos belong to a group of animals called perissodactyls, or odd-toed ungulates, which also include horses, zebras and tapirs. Rhinos as we know them today first appeared in the fossil record about 40 million years ago. Their ancestors emerged in what is now known as India. 

Today, rhinos are the world’s second-largest land mammal, after elephants, and can weigh more than two tons. They are also among the oldest mammals on Earth.

Rock painting by the Indigenous San people depicting rhinos, Drakensberg mountains, South Africa.

Yet this mighty, enduring beast is threatened with extinction as poaching has decimated its numbers in the past century. 

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that for World Rhino Day on September 22, 2023, African authorities estimated that there were 23,290 rhinos across the continent at the end of 2022, 5.2% more than in 2021. Poaching continues though, with at least 561 rhinos illegally killed across the continent during 2022.

The IUCN Species Survival Commission’s African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) reported that there are now an estimated 16,803 white rhinos—marking the first increase for the species in over a decade. All but two—Najin and Fatu—are southern white rhinos.

According to WWF, the overwhelming majority (98.8%) of the southern white rhinos occur in just four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. southern white rhinos were thought to be extinct in the late 19th century, but in 1895 a small population of fewer than 100 individuals was discovered in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

The southern white rhino population has rebounded from as few as 50 individuals in the early 20th century and is now relatively strong, thanks to conservation efforts. After more than a century of protection and management, they are now classified as Near Threatened. Most live in protected areas and private game reserves. This is proof that conservation can revive species. 

Could science save the northern white rhino now?

Close-up of horn and head of white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya © Anup Shah, WWF

The Plight of the Northern White Rhino

As recently as the 1960s, northern white rhinoceroses were even more abundant than their southern white counterparts, with over 2,000 rhinos ranging in the wild.

The northern white rhino once roamed over parts of northwestern Uganda, southern South Sudan, the eastern part of the Central African Republic, and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their range possibly extended as far west as Lake Chad into Chad and Cameroon. 

However, rampant poaching led to a drastic decline in their numbers. Within a decade, the number of northern white rhinos dropped to just 700, and by 1984, only 15 individuals had remained in the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Intervention by conservationists brought the numbers up to around 30, but an outbreak of civil war once again led to a significant decline in their numbers.

Today, the subspecies is functionally extinct. The story of the northern white rhino is a reminder of the devastating impact of human activities on wildlife and the urgent need for innovative conservation efforts.

This memorial at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy honors the lives of all the Ol Pejeta rhinos that have been killed in the poaching epidemic. The marker stones stand underneath a tree; a stark reminder of the devastation of the illegal wildlife trade, but also an inspiration for those who visit to continue supporting rhino conservation. © Ray in Manila, flickr

Conservation Science and Species Survival

Groundbreaking efforts are being made to save the northern white rhino from extinction, pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible in wildlife conservation. The story of the northern white rhino is now intertwined with cutting-edge science and a global commitment to biodiversity.

There are several innovative conservation efforts underway to save the northern white rhino from extinction.

Scientists are working on techniques to create new northern white rhino embryos. This involves harvesting viable eggs from the remaining females, Najin and Fatu, and fertilizing them with sperm previously collected from male northern white rhinos.

Since December 2019, scientists have successfully extracted immature egg cells from northern white rhinos Najin and Fatu in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy. This process led to 29 viable embryos, all of which are stored in liquid nitrogen at a laboratory in Italy.

Neither Najin nor Fatu can carry a pregnancy, so the fertilized embryos will be implanted into a surrogate southern white rhino.

This process, in addition to the scientific advances in San Diego, could mark not just the fight to save the northern white rhino, but an advancement for conservation of other species as well. 

WWF highlights that the protection of rhinos helps protect other species, too. Rhinos contribute to economic growth and sustainable development through the tourism industry, which creates job opportunities and provides tangible benefits to local communities living alongside rhinos.

Nat Hab Expedition Leader Paul Kirui (right) with Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhino © Paul Kirui

The Role of African Safaris in Conservation

Safaris, particularly those focused on rhinos, play a significant role in conservation efforts. Here’s how they contribute:

• Direct Financial Support: A portion of proceeds may go directly to conservation efforts. This financial support aids in various initiatives, including anti-poaching measures, habitat conservation, and community outreach programs.
• Anti-Poaching Initiatives: Revenue generated from safaris often funds anti-poaching efforts. These initiatives are crucial in protecting rhinos from illegal hunting.
• Wildlife Population Management: Some safaris contribute to population management measures, such as moving selected rhinos from established populations to new locations to keep populations productive and increase the species’ range.
• Conservation Education and Awareness: Safaris offer an incredible opportunity for tourists to learn about rhinos, the threats they face, and the conservation efforts in place to protect them. This education and awareness can lead to increased support for conservation efforts.
• Encouraging Local Community Engagement: Safaris often engage local communities in conservation efforts. This not only helps protect rhinos but also provides economic incentives for the communities, such as jobs and revenue from tourism. Local communities value their land and wildlife differently as a result of the opportunities they generate.

Focusing on the African safari, these trips not only offer an unforgettable experience of witnessing the continent’s stunning wildlife and landscapes, but they also contribute to the preservation of precious wildlife and ecosystems. By choosing to engage in these adventures, tourists directly contribute to the protection of ecosystems and the survival of endangered species.

Nat Hab guests often meet the brave wildlife rangers who protect rhinos and other endangered species. Check out our Ultimate East Africa itinerary to learn more! © Richard de Gouveia

Experiencing Kenya’s Conservation Safaris

Across the region, the conservancy model and ecotourism have been boons to the region’s wildlife, creating buffer zones and protecting migration corridors while providing economic benefits to local landowners through responsible safari tourism.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Ol Pejeta Conservancy, located on the Laikipia Plateau, was a working cattle ranch established in the 1940s. Ol Pejeta set aside land for rhino conservation in 1988 and has become a highly regarded trailblazer for conservation innovation. Today it is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. The conservancy is also home to the endangered Grevy’s zebra and has some of Kenya’s highest predator densities, yet it still manages a very successful livestock program.

Ol Pejeta seeks to preserve the exceptional biodiversity within its 90,000 acres while supporting the people living in local communities on its borders, to ensure that wildlife conservation translates to better education, healthcare and infrastructure for the next generation.

In 2014, Ol Pejeta achieved IUCN Green List status, one of only two conservancies in Africa to be so recognized. The Green List aims to define excellence in managing valuable natural areas.

Nat Hab guests encounter a rhino on safari in Kenya © Andrew Morgan

Ol Derekesi Conservancy

Ol Derekesi Conservancy is an important corridor between the Loita/Ngurman hills and the Maasai Mara National Reserve for over 3,000 elephants and thousands of other transient plains herbivores, such as wildebeest, zebra, eland and gazelles. The land also supports a permanent population of around 110 Maasai giraffes. In the southeast Mara, the Ol Derekesi Conservancy is managed by two trusts; its area spans approximately 30 square miles.

With the establishment of the Conservancy, local Maasai elders agreed to keep smaller herds and protect the land from overgrazing. This allows local wildlife to flourish in unfenced lands and gives the land a chance to regenerate and rewild, which is especially important in light of increasingly devastating droughts in the Maasai Mara. In exchange for less intense use of the lands by the Maasai, the local community receives financial benefits from ecotourism, plus a number of community social amenities and educational opportunities. By agreeing to lease their land, Maasai landowners keep important land corridors open for the Great Migration across the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. 

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, located in north-central Kenya in the shadow of snowcapped Mt. Kenya, was a cattle ranch known as Lewa Downs. Today, it may be the most famous private wildlife reserve in Africa, gaining a worldwide reputation for its pioneering efforts in restoring endangered species. In the 1980s, the process began to transform the ranchland into a heavily guarded black rhinoceros sanctuary.

In the 1960s, Kenya boasted an estimated population of 20,000 black rhinos, but within two decades, poaching reduced that number to fewer than 300. The Lewa Conservancy has played an instrumental role in returning rhinos from the brink of extinction, and Kenya’s rhino population today numbers over a thousand, though the species remains critically endangered.

 In 2014, Lewa and the neighboring Borana Conservancy made a bold move to remove the fence separating the two reserves to create one conservation landscape for the benefit of the rhino. With the fence now gone, this landscape now tops 93,000 acres and is one of the biggest private rhino reserves in Kenya. Today, 244 black and white rhinos roam the joint-protected area.

Lewa is also a leader in anti-poaching efforts on behalf of Kenya’s imperiled elephants, participating in regional action to protect more than 6,500 migratory elephants as they move seasonally across the area. The conservancy is also home to a variety of other species ranging from wild dogs, giraffes, antelopes, buffalo, hippos and lions.

Nat Hab’s Kenya Rhino Conservation Safari offers exclusive, behind-the-scenes talks with conservationists on the front lines in all three of these leading private conservancies. Guests learn about struggles and successes with rhino restoration and relish encounters with an array of Kenyan animals on game drives and guided walks from secluded private camps. This hands-on experience not only educates about the importance of conservation but also directly contributes to local communities and the survival of the rhinos.

Nat Hab’s Rhino Camp at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya © Andrew Morgan

Inspired to Support Rhinoceros Conservation?

The northern white rhino’s story is not just about survival but also about the incredible scientific and conservation efforts being made to secure their future. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports a positive trend in the overall white rhino population, with an estimated 16,803 white rhinos now present—the first increase for the species in over a decade.

The plight of the northern white rhino is a call to action for all of us. Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Embark on a Conservation Safari: Consider going on a conservation safari like the Kenya Rhino Conservation Safari. It’s more than just an adventure; it’s a chance to contribute directly to the survival of the northern white rhino. Every booking supports vital conservation efforts.
• Donate to Conservation Efforts: If you can’t make the trip, consider donating to rhino conservation organizations. Your contributions can help fund critical initiatives such as anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, and scientific research aimed at reviving the northern white rhino population.
• Spread Conservation Awareness: Use your voice to make a difference. Talk about the northern white rhino’s plight with your friends, family and social media networks. The more people know about this issue, the more support we can garner for these magnificent creatures. If you are a teacher, parent, grandparent, or a kid at heart—you might use our Rhino quiz!

Southern white rhinoceros © Martin Harvey, WWF

Remember, every action counts. Whether it’s embarking on a safari, making a donation or simply spreading the word, you can play a part in saving the northern white rhino. Let’s join hands to ensure that future generations also get to witness the majesty of these incredible creatures.

Rhino conservation efforts are of paramount importance as they play a crucial role in preserving one of the world’s most iconic species. Conservation efforts, including anti-poaching initiatives, habitat restoration, community engagement and innovative scientific methods such as in-vitro fertilization are vital to ensure the survival of these majestic creatures.

A rhino safari adventure like the Kenya Rhino Conservation Safari provides a unique opportunity to contribute directly to these conservation efforts. Participating in these safaris, travelers not only get to experience the thrill of witnessing these magnificent creatures but also contribute financially to their survival by supporting various conservation initiatives and local communities devoted to them.

Nat Hab guests with a rhino at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya © Andrew Morgan

The post Reviving the Northern White Rhino: An African Safari with Conservation Purpose first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

The Galapagos Islands: A Case Study in Hope, Passion and Action

By Lorin Hancock, Lead Specialist of Media and External Affairs at WWF

As a communications professional at WWF, my primary purpose is to motivate and inspire people to act to make the world a better place. But I have a confession: sometimes, it’s difficult to stay positive. You’ve seen the news. The crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic waste are overwhelming, and the impacts are everywhere. Progress is slow-moving and plagued by setbacks. Some days, hope can be hard to come by.

With all the chaos in the world, the opportunity to travel to the Galapagos with Natural Habitat Adventures was one I couldn’t refuse. I was ready to get away and do something entirely disconnected from my day-to-day work. What I did not expect was how much the journey would inspire and refocus me, and just how relevant it is to the work I do. It gave me hope.

I love to travel, and I’ve had the privilege to see many wonderful and unique places across the globe. But there is nothing like the Galapagos Islands. People have asked me what the best part was and I’m at a loss. Visiting these islands is like stepping out of the TARDIS—you can’t tell if you’re back in time before colonization of the Americas, in an alternate universe where humanity never really got a foothold, or on a completely different planet altogether.

© Lorin Hancock / WWF-US

The landscape is breathtaking: pristine beaches of fine white or jet-black sand; barren lava fields dotted with oases so vivid green they can’t be real; crystal-clear ocean waters (just look down from the boat to see a nature documentary unfolding beneath you); plentiful wildlife that’s curious, like they aren’t accustomed to people but don’t necessarily have any instinct to fear us.

But here’s the big reveal—this isn’t a land untouched by humans. It’s a land well-managed by humans. This is the ultimate argument that conservation and restoration programs work.

Here’s a little history lesson, all of which I learned from our incredible guides (shoutout to Andres and Leandro who felt like family by the end of the trip). The uninhabited Galapagos islands were first discovered in 1535… and were basically ignored. They had one great thing going for them: nothing! At least as far as the Spanish empire was concerned. No gold, no silver, nothing worth the pain of settling on remote islands where fresh water and building materials were hard to come by. So, for a while, the Galapagos were spared colonization. But that didn’t last long.

Pirates started using the islands as hideouts during the golden age of piracy, and in the centuries following, parts of the islands were formally settled, and communities established. The United States even opened an Air Force base on Balta Island in the 1930s, bringing in 30,000 soldiers.

With people, came the invasive plant and animal species that started taking over: goats, rats, cats, wasps, blackberries, and Spanish cedar. Whalers found giant tortoises to be a convenient source of food and water—and they even became the must-have curio for Western upper classes. The islands, the delicate ecosystem so perfectly evolved, and all the incredible endemic wildlife were at risk of disappearing forever.

© Lorin Hancock / WWF-US

So, what happened? People intervened, this time for better rather than for worse. Galapagos National Park was established in 1959, and with it came native species rehabilitation efforts and invasive species eradication. But they didn’t just shut the islands away from all human traffic. Four of the islands are inhabited and home to more than 30,000 people. Anyone can explore and enjoy the protected areas—if they are led by an authorized guide and observe strict rules to prevent damage.

Even on the inhabited islands, there is a clear respect for nature. In Santa Cruz for example, we stayed overnight at the majestic Tortoise Camp (in a literal treehouse, which was a dream come true). In addition to some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, there were giant tortoises scattered all over, roaming free and living their best lives.

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We also visited the nearby Montemar coffee farm which exemplifies the mutually beneficial relationship people can have with nature. The tortoises must migrate across the island to breed, but invasive cedar and blackberries have impeded that process. By clearing this land of invasive species and maintaining it as a sustainable coffee farm, the tortoises can now migrate freely. And the coffee sales ensure the owners can make a living and keep this relationship thriving long-term.

This is what success looks like: some areas primarily for people, some areas primarily for nature, and we all benefit from the presence of the other. WWF’s vision statement is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature—and this is what we’re talking about.

© Lorin Hancock / WWF-US

What I learned from this trip is it’s not too late to realize this vision globally. Yes, there are many, many reasons to be worried about the health of our planet. But we are in no way fighting a lost cause.

WWF works on restoration projects around the globe. These projects can’t be rushed, and they can’t be successful without the buy-in and active participation from local communities. We won’t see major progress overnight, which is even more reason to get started now for the sake of future generations. And we have the Galapagos Islands as our guiding light—a shining example of how people can come together to heal nature.

Experience the wonders of the Galapagos with Nat Hab and WWF!

The post The Galapagos Islands: A Case Study in Hope, Passion and Action first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.