20 Jun Austin Conservation Group Makes Global Change

by Karen Hood

Whether it is from drilling, ranching, logging, farming, or a mismanagement of resources, deforestation is happening at the staggering rate of 150 acres per minute. A hundred years ago, twelve percent of the earth’s surface was covered by lush rainforests. Today, in a world where we are more aware, more educated, and more connected than ever before, that number is down significantly–to less than five percent. If things continue at this rate, the world’s rainforests could dwindle down to next to nothing over the next hundred years, severely impacting the earth’s climate, biodiversity, and air quality.

Tropical rainforests are the primary source of clean air on this planet, dutifully converting tons of carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen each year. Since forty percent of the world’s oxygen is produced by rainforests, the ecological consequences of diminished rainforest lands would be significant and serious, directly affecting every person on the planet. That loss would encompasses more than trees. When rainforest land is cleared, the earth loses complex ecosystems, plant and animal species, and so much more. Besides the air we breath, rainforests also produce medicinal plants and food products used around the world.

It seems clear that conserving what is left of the world’s rainforests is critical. Establishing multi-national partnerships and encouraging polices toward preventing deforestation is a good first step.  The Austin-based conservation group, Rainforest Partnership, is making strides toward this goal.

Rainforest Partnership is a global non-profit committed to protecting tropical rainforests. In just five years–and with an extraordinary amount of help from their partners–Rainforest Partnership has made measurable progress toward conserving parts of the Amazon rainforest. They connect with organizations and businesses both domestically and internationally to develop and support sustainable economic alternatives to deforestation. The group has a presence at global summits like the United Nations Climate Change Conference and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

Rainforest Partnership Executive Director Niyanta Spelman said, “We work with communities that want an alternative to deforestation. This allows them to earn an income while protecting their forests and their way of life.”

Their projects protecting the people’s livelihoods and the rainforest ecosystem. Rainforest Partnership staff provide training and business planning in areas such as sustainable farming, harvesting, ecotourism, artisan crafts, accounting, and marketing. They work directly with indigenous groups, helping them create innovative and sustainable business models that make it more advantageous for them to keep their forests standing than merely clearing the land for grazing cattle or producing fast-growing cash crops that disrupt the delicate, irreplaceable ecosystem of tropical forest lands. Through these efforts, Rainforest Partnership has already saved over 9000 acres of rainforest land and created sustainable income sources for forty indigenous families in Ecuador and Peru.  

Spelman said they have seen real change in the communities with which they have become involved. A case in point is the village of Sani Isla in eastern Ecuador. Rainforest Partnership helped them design and implement an artisan crafts business, where residents can sell traditionally-inspired, hand-made items to eco-tourists. A newly-built artists’ lodge has given the villagers a dedicated space to operate the business. Securing the right market for these products supports their local economy and provides an economic solution and alternative to cutting down the forest just for the value of its fibers. The sale of these goods give residents a financial stake in protecting their forests.

The challenge they face now is protecting their land from the threat of oil extraction, a problem that has plagued the Amazon region for decades. The artisan craft business has helped the women in the village find their voices. They realize they have the right to vote, for instance, in an attempt to keep foreign industry out of their backyard.
Spelman said the change in their confidence was drastic, “The women were not used to dealing with outsiders. They wouldn’t look you in the eye a few years ago, and now they are at the forefront trying to protect their forest.”
Oil extraction has a destructive impact on communities living in harmony with the rainforest. Ecuadorian law allows rainforest residents to refuse consent for oil extraction, however, that refusal is not always supported or enforced. Global awareness of the long-term impact of deforestation is drawing more global attention to oil prospecting in Sani Isla and other pristine parts of the Amazon rainforest.
Spelman emphasized that rainforest communities aren’t just helping themselves. “When rainforest communities protect their forests, they do it for themselves and for the rest of us on this planet.  And, it is for us to help them do what is in their, and our, best interest,” she said.
To maximize their results, the organization relies heavily on volunteers and donations, including in-kind donations. Spelman said they are always looking for new partners. “The kinds of partnerships we like are integrated, which involves both donations and in-kind services and products. With IBM, for example, not only have they given us a community impact grant for equipment we needed, but they also worked with us on our long-term technology road map,” she said. “And as part of their Smarter Planet Initiative, they brought in a consultant to work with us and donated a server as well; so it is a very integrated relationship.”

The group has a similar relationship with SXSW, which has been a sponsor for events and supported their representation at United Nations conferences. Rainforest Partnership holds an annual film competition called Films for the Forest that is part of the SXSW community screenings. The annual event has succeeded with support from local filmmakers Richard Linklater and Elizabeth Avellán joined by competition judges like conservationists Phillippe Cousteau Jr and Ed Bagley Jr. They have attracted films submitted from around the world. In return, Spelman has served as an advisor for the SXSW Eco Conference.

Through their collaborations, Rainforest Partnership aims to give people living in rainforest communities, indirectly, the ability and the empowerment to stand up for their own livelihood and forest lands. Spelman said, “It’s about creating long-term sustainability so that we can go away and they can continue doing this.” Through their sustainable business initiatives, Rainforest Partnership is working toward a goal of saving five percent of the world’s endangered rainforests by 2020.
There are many ways to contribute to Rainforest Partnership. To volunteer, donate, or learn more, visit their website at www.rainforestpartnership.org.