Diana Swidler’s Post

Ahead of #WorldRainforestDay tomorrow, we reflect on our efforts to take care of rainforests worldwide 🌍🌳  When we responsibly manage forests, we can help to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, a task that we have been committed to for the past 30 years.  Our efforts have translated into successful biodiversity conservation stories in FSC-certified forests. For example:  🐆 Mayan Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala – There are up to 11.28 jaguars per 100 km²: the highest reported values of the species in the country.  https://lnkd.in/gBcMpKfV 🌿 Madre de Dios reserve in Perú - There are 135 recorded species in the FSC-certified area, including 17 key species tracked for their importance to this ecosystem.  https://lnkd.in/gW4VAZea 🐘 Congo Basin – FSC-certified concessions harbor 2.7 times more large mammals than non-certified areas.  https://lnkd.in/eRWG_x4J Find out how responsible forest management benefits biodiversity: https://lnkd.in/eQAUyYMw World Rainforest Day Rainforest Partnership #30YearsOfFSC #ForestsForAllForever

We're always talking about biodiversity on this page and in our work, but we don't often define it. If you would like a primer on what biodiversity is and how to protect it, check out this amazing primer from The Nature Conservancy! https://lnkd.in/gmC3bvqk

Our Biodiversity Report describes 13 habitats, identifying their extent, the key species and the most important sites. The impact of land use change, both climate and human induced, means these habitats are under pressure like never before. If we don't protect and enhance them now, they will be lost forever. A National Park has a responsibility to care for nature - it's our best chance Many of these habitats can be found close together. In a single 20-mile walk from Ravenshall Point to Cairnsmore of Fleet it is possible to pass through them all: • Beaches and dunes • Saltmarshes • Coastal cliffs • Rivers • Lochs and ponds • Reedbeds, marshes and swamps • Bogs and fens • Semi-natural grassland • Mountain and moorland • Native woodland • Plantations and forests • Farmland • Built habitats. #greatforgalloway #gallowaynationalpark #biodiversity https://bit.ly/3Or4n5J

Thank you for sharing these powerful reflections. As we approach COP16 in Cali, I stand by my words: when we lose biodiversity, we lose essential parts of ourselves, our history, and our connection to the Earth. Whether in Oxfordshire’s chalk grasslands or my home region’s landscapes, biodiversity is the lifeblood of thriving ecosystems and communities. The crisis is not confined to one place—this is a global call to action to protect the species and ecosystems that sustain us all. #COP16 #BiodiversityCrisis #NatureRestoration #Sustainability

Most of us recognize that safeguarding nature and biodiversity is crucial for sustaining life on Earth. However, our actions towards this goal vary. While some actively contribute, others simply go with the flow without taking consequential steps. A portion prioritizes short-term economic gains, exploiting Earth's resources with little regard for the long-term implications on life. Years ago, my family acquired a magnificent forest in Costa Rica with the intention of preserving its natural state. Recently, we took a step further by establishing the Forest Guardians Foundation to expand our conservation efforts concentrically and positively influence our neighbors to join this mission. Witness the wonders we aim to protect: 2,000-year-old Podocarpaceae trees, 700-year-old Oak trees, hundreds of bird species, including the endangered Resplendent Quetzal with its vibrant and plush tail feathers, and a diverse array of mammals, to name a few. Truly a pristine and beautiful forest ecosystem.

Startling news this week from the UN - The State of the World’s Migratory Species Report sounds the alarm that migratory animals are being lost at an alarming rate and one of the key drivers is the loss of habitat - the wetlands, grasslands, forests and waters where migratory birds, mammals and fish including many at-risk species take rest and refuge on their international journeys. The Nature Trust of BC has protected 180,000+ acres of vital habitat in B.C. and we are committed to buying, restoring and conserving more vulnerable habitats and biodiversity across the province. Right now we have 5+ Priority Projects underway, like Nighthawk Hill Grasslands. You can help Nighthawks and other magnificent migratory species by buying their habitat before its gone.

☀ Teeming with nearly 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity, the Osa Peninsula of #CostaRica is one of the #Hawksbill sea turtle’s most important nesting sites in the #Pacific region of Central America. Hawksbill #seaturtles play an important role in maintaining healthy marine and coastal #ecosystems. Unfortunately, illegal human activities and #climatechange are damaging the Hawksbills’ #habitat, compromising their ability to eat and reproduce. Currently, the @iucnssc classifies the Hawksbill sea #turtle as critically #endangered. 🐢 🐚 Our initiative, Ancestral Tides, seeks to conserve coastal ecosystems and endangered species such as the Hawksbill #seaturtle, while revitalizing associated biocultural traditions. By linking community-led conservation efforts across Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico, we are working to build regional solidarity in coastal conservation and facilitate cultural dialogues. 🌴 💚 We are grateful for the #indigenous and local communities with whom we have the privilege of working. Their knowledge is key to #conservation, and to a brighter future for our planet. 🏝 ⏩ To learn more, check out our Ancestral Tides page on our website: https://lnkd.in/ePPAGHJB 📸: Manuel Sánchez Mendoza #RecoverKeySpecies #rainforest #savetheamazon #amazonia #indigenousrights #indigenousland #indigenousrights #traditionalknowledge #climatechange #sustainability #hawksbillseaturle #savetheturtles #endangeredspecies

Happy World Environment Day! 🌎 Today and every day, we dedicate ourselves to protecting our shared, diverse environment. Why? Because species within an ecosystem are connected—a threat to any one species could have widespread effects and become a threat to many. Sea otters represent a classic example of the dangers of disregarding biodiversity. During the 18th and 19th centuries, hunters and fur traders nearly drove sea otters to extinction. The decline in sea otters led to an explosion of their prey, sea urchins. Urchins, in turn, overgrazed kelp beds, which are vital habitats for many marine species, including rockfish and salmon. Sea otter populations are on the rebound thanks to conservation efforts, but recovery of these ecosystems is a lengthy process. Join us in celebrating our connected environment and dedicating yourself to its protection. Start here, by learning more about biodiversity and its importance: https://lnkd.in/g-5gqWEG

"At the end of the day, it comes back to life. As we lose biodiversity, it’s essentially losing parts of ourselves as human beings as well.” “[if we don't act] it will be a planet where we have lost our history, because our nature is our history. We’ve lost not just key species – we’ve lost our connectivity to the Earth.” Incredibly moving words by Tonthoza Uganja, land restoration expert and PhD Bangor University, in the Guardian today. She writes of disappearing flora in central Malawi - an essential food source for forest-dependent communities - but these words are so relatable to everywhere. In #Oxfordshire, think the chalk grasslands, the Lodden lily, the Curlew, Skylark and yellowhammer, dwindling ancient orchards, hedgehogs, the otter, watervole and hazel dormouse.. the stuff of childhood stories as much as life-sustaining and at the heart of rural communities and culture. In my home state Western Australia, species of cockatoo, the ring tail possum, rock wallabies, various species of acacia and eucalyptus… disappearing… I think of indigenous people out in the communities and the plant and animal species they won't be able to connect their children to in years to come. This is one of the many ways we can make biodiversity loss feel so very real - to *feel* the loss. #COP16, #BiodversityLoss Camilla Burrow, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) , WILD OXFORDSHIRE

Today The Morton Arboretum is participating in the World Species Congress, hosted by Reverse the Red and IUCN. This global online event is amplifying conservation efforts and facilitating critical connections to accelerate collective impact for species. There is an urgent need to prioritize tree conservation, as trees support much of the world’s biodiversity. Of the known 60,000 tree species, nearly 30% are threatened with extinction—more than double the combined number of threatened mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The Morton Arboretum Center for Species Survival for Trees is collaborating with local partners in Malaysia, Singapore, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and other biodiversity hot spots to save threatened trees and their ecosystems while supporting sustainable livelihoods. Through this global movement and continued partnership, we can save species and foster optimism and hope for generations to come. #ReverseTheRed #WorldSpeciesCongress #WorldSpeciesCongress24