CEPF E-News, June 2008

June 2008
MacArthur Pledges New Support for CEPF The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recently committed $12 million in new funds for the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to help conserve biodiversity hotspots, the most threatened and biologically rich areas on Earth. The Foundation's latest commitment expands its support to CEPF to $37 million since the global program's first year of providing grants in 2001. It also brings the total new funds raised for consolidation and expansion of the program to $82 million to date. The MacArthur Foundation, an independent grant-making institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition, has long embraced the hotspots strategy. "Our support for CEPF has expanded the reach of our conservation efforts across the globe's hotspots," said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. "CEPF has successfully identified and supported smaller organizations, which are essential to creating effective local solutions to the challenges of conserving biodiversity and meeting the needs of communities." Biodiversity hotspots contain exceptional concentrations of unique species and are home to more than half of all terrestrial plants and animals. Hotspots also are home to more than 1.8 billion people, many of whom depend directly on healthy lands for their livelihoods and well-being. The new funding will enable CEPF to provide support for partners whose work will consolidate gains already made and expand its innovative approach to other critical areas. Fundamental to the CEPF strategy is for nongovernmental partners to participate in, as well as benefit from, conservation efforts in the hotspots. CEPF has supported more than 1,250 civil society groups in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. "MacArthur's support through CEPF has enabled these partners to pioneer approaches and alliances giving a greater voice to civil society and influencing policies in favor of both people and nature in dozens of countries," said Jorgen Thomsen, CEPF Executive Director and Senior Vice President at Conservation International (CI). New hotspots where CEPF will support civil society include fragile island ecosystems in the Pacific island nations of Micronesia, Polynesia and Fiji, and the diverse landscapes of the Caribbean Islands and Mediterranean Basin, among others. In addition to the MacArthur Foundation and CI, the other CEPF donor partners are l'Agence Française de Développement, the Government of Japan, the Global Environment Facility, and the World Bank. CI administers the program. More top stories		About CEPF The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. CEPF provides grants to nongovernmental and private sector organizations to conserve vital ecosystems. Visit www.cepf.net to learn more. Send this issue of our newsletter to a friend. Share your comments or ideas for future issues. Partner News & Updates Bird Reserves Provide Permanent Protection The last remaining habitats of some of the world's most threatened birds are now ensured permanent protection on eight nature reserves throughout the fragile ecosystems of the Colombian Andes. New Initiative Sets Out to Reverse Decline in Tigers A worldwide alliance of tiger conservationists, scientists and celebrities have joined forces with the World Bank Group and the Global Environment Facility to help save wild tigers. Stories From the Field The Rainforest Alliance's Eco-Index recently talked with Guisselle Monge, Mauricio Salas and Olivier Chassot from the Tropical Science Center about their work, motivation and experiences in Costa Rica's Maquenque Mixed National Wildlife Refuge.
In Focus: Training Journalists in the Caucasus If the term "hotspot" comes up in the context of the former Soviet republics, many would likely associate it with their location on the geopolitical, not biological map. But journalists here are learning the art of telling a different story with help from the International Center for Journalists. Read the story Feature archive
Latest Newsletters C.A.P.E. E-news, June 6, 2008 Cape Environment newsletter, Vol. 2, 2008 (PDF, 248 KB) Eastern Himalayas Bulletin, Issue 5, May 2008 (PDF, 399 KB) Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme E-news, May 2008 WWF Caucasus and CEPF Mutual Effort for Biodiversity Conservation in the Caucasus newsletter, March-April 2008 (PDF, 544 KB) Visit the Publications section of the CEPF Web site for more grantee publications, including newsletters, annual reports, and all final project reports available to date, organized by region. ** Photography: (Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot forest) © Patricio Robles Gil/Agrupacion Sierra Madre; (Fuertes parrot) © Fundación ProAves; (Georgian journalist interviewing ranger) © Rob Taylor/ICFJ
© 2008 Conservation International Conservation International (CI) administers the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. CI is a leader and catalyst in biodiversity conservation, engaging partners in more than 40 countries on four continents to preserve threatened ecosystems. Learn more about the CEPF donor partners.

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