NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009† VOLUME 31, NUMBER 6 …

focusNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 • VOLUME 31, NUMBER 6 WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG

Photo Essay:Protecting theAmazon P4

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IN THIS ISSUE: Species Spotlight 2 Conservation News 3 Science 6 Mixed SourcesCert no. SGS-COC-003683©1996 FSCcontains recycled fiber

Historically, WWF has rarelyengaged in the political fightson Capitol Hill. But the stakesin the climate debate are sim-ply too high for us to remain onthe sidelines. “More than 50years of conservation effortscould be unraveled if we don’tsolve climate change,” saysCarter Roberts. “The places wevalue are literally changingbefore our eyes.”

Earlier this year, a ground-breaking report prepared by 13federal science agencies wasreleased by the White House.The report, Global ClimateChange Impacts in the UnitedStates, details climate impactsthat are being felt today inevery region of the country.These changes—such asstronger storms, more floods,larger wildfires, and outbreaksof disease—will become muchmore dangerous and far cost-lier, the report says, if action isnot taken soon.

The timing of Senate actionis critical: Reaching agreementon a global climate deal thisDecember in Copenhagen willbe difficult if Congress doesn’tfirst pass a U.S. climate bill.Additionally, with mid-termcongressional elections comingup in 2010, there is a narrowing

Your voice matters. Please call your senators now and askthem to vote “yes” on climate legislation. The Senate’s toll-free number is 1-800-217-7379. Tell your senators you sup-port strong action on climate change and want them to dothe same. It’s easy and takes just a minute or two.

Visit our website, ActForOurFuture.org, to join our cam-paign, view TV spots, and learn how you can help us buildmomentum by reaching out to your friends and family. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

For two weeks in December, governments from around the worldwill gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, to reach a new global climate agreement. The meeting,the 15th United Nations Global Climate Change Conference, will culminate an intense

negotiation process that was begun in Bali, Indonesia, at the end of 2007.

Climate change has been a priority for WWF going back morethan 20 years, a period in which scientists, policy experts andconservationists have increasingly worked together to understandthe causes and impacts of climate change and determine how tosteer a path to both climate stability and protection of the world’snatural resources. Through our global network, we have beenclosely engaged in the negotiation process and have had consid-erable influence in the process of reaching a global solution to thisglobal problem. For example, a WWF delegation representing

many key countries has participated in each of the negotiating sessions and succeeded ingetting various treaty provisions included in the official text to be negotiated at theDecember meeting.

Whether the countries involved are able to reach an agreement or not could hinge onwhether Congress passes a climate bill. Other countries are already taking significantaction on climate change and will be looking for signs of U.S. commitment before agreeingto further efforts.

For more information, visit worldwildlife.org/climate.

Countdown to Copenhagen

window of opportunity for passing major legislationbefore Congress swings intoreelection mode.

WWF’s Campaign

Highlighting the themes of“legacy for our kids” and “thecosts of inaction,” WWF is takingour message about the urgencyof action to the public via TV,print and online advertisements,and through social media. Thecampaign draws heavily fromthe U.S. climate impacts report,with one series of TV spotsdetailing changes in top targetstates for the campaign.

Additional details on thecampaign, including these TVspots and other advertise-ments, are available on ourcampaign’s website atActForOurFuture.org.

WWF’s Act for Our Future campaignincludes TV, online and print adver-tisements that highlight the impactsof climate change and the kind ofworld that will be inherited by thenext generation.

SPECIAL REPORT: WWF ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The Stakes Demand Bold Action

Late this summer, WWFlaunched a major public engage-ment campaign to help push cli-mate change legislation throughCongress this year. The cam-paign is specifically targeted atthe U.S. Senate, which is, as ofthis writing, considering climatelegislation, following passageof the American Clean Energyand Security Act by the Houseof Representatives in June.

With the tagline, “Act for OurFuture,” WWF’s campaign high-lights the costs of not takingaction and portrays the worldthat will be left to future genera-tions if action is not taken toslow climate change. The goalis to galvanize WWF supportersand others concerned about theissue so they will contact theirsenators and ask them to vote“yes” on climate legislation.

“Every phone call matters,”says WWF President and CEOCarter Roberts. “Members ofCongress pay close attention tothe views of their constituents,and on this issue in particularthey are tracking calls to theiroffices very closely. Well-fundedopponents are making their voic-es heard loud and clear. I urgeall of our supporters, and themajority of Americans who in pollafter poll say they want action onclimate change, to get involvedand pick up the phone. Everycall can make a difference.”

Americans are hearing a lot about climate change. But we only have to look around to realize that everyregion of the United States is alreadyfeeling the impacts of climatechange. And they will only get worse:more heat waves, intense droughts, larger wildfires, flooding rains andstronger storms.

WWF Launches Major Campaign to Secure Climate Legislation

Take Action Now: You Can Make a Difference

A MOVING TARGETThe legislative cycle on Capitol Hill is notoriously difficult to predict. Asyou’re reading this, events may havechanged since the time this issue ofFOCUS went to print. For the latest on Senate action on the climate bill,visit ActForOurFuture.org.

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100890_Newsletter:100890_Newsletter 10/9/09 9:06 AM Page 1

2 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 FOCUS

PresidentCarter S. Roberts

Editorial DirectorSheila Donoghue

ContributorsKaty Conroy, Trishna Gurung, Jennifer Hanna, Michael Kite,

Elissa Poma, Joe Pouliot, Laura Spellings

Copy EditorAlice Taylor

ProductionLee Freedman, Michael Jones

DesignDave Pfeiffer

PrintingSmith Litho

Member ServicesPhone: 1-800-960-0993

Email: [email protected]

World Wildlife Fund is the leading U.S.organization working worldwide topreserve the abundance and diversityof life on Earth. WWF is affiliated withthe international WWF Network, whichhas representatives in more than 50countries and an international office in Gland, Switzerland. All contributionsare tax-deductible.

Unless otherwise noted, materialappearing in FOCUS is copyrighted andmay be reproduced with permission.

Cover photo: © Juan Pratginestos/WWF-Canon

Volume 31, Number 6(ISSN 0774-3315)

FOCUS is published bimonthly byWorld Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street,NW, Washington, D.C. 20037. Annualmembership dues are $15.00.Nonprofit postage paid at Washington,D.C. and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changesto: FOCUS, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street, NW, P.O. Box 97180,Washington, DC 20090-7180.

Rarely sighted by humans as it prowls and leaps across rugged,mountainous landscapes, the snow leopard is a species caught inpolitical lines of fire like few others. Up to one-third of the endan-gered big cat’s range falls along politically sensitive internation-al borders in Asia where military conflict is widespread.Though legally protected in all of its range countriesexcept Afghanistan, the snow leopard population is estimated at between only 4,080 and 6,590individuals.

Habitat: High, rugged mountains across parts ofCentral and South Asia, including Nepal, Bhutan,China and Mongolia.

Diet: Principally blue sheep and ibex, but also goats, deer, marmots, pika, hares androdents as well as domestic livestock.

Threats: Prey base depletion, illegal trade,conflict with local people, and a lack of conservation capacity, policy and awareness.

Interesting fact: Despite its name, the snow leop-ard is more closely related to the tiger than to otherleopards. But unlike tigers, snow leopards cannot roar.

Snow Leopard(Panthera uncia)

Climate Savers Are Cutting CarbonLeading corporations arepartnering with WWF toreduce their greenhouse gasemissions and to inspire oth-ers to do the same. By 2010,Climate Savers companieswill have reduced their CO2emissions by 50 million tonsover the past decade ofaction, the equivalent of tak-ing some 11 million cars off

The rain forests of the Amazon are home to millions of speciesincluding some of the world’s most unusual ones. The wildly col-ored and notoriously toxic poison dart frog is tiny, ranging from .8 to 1.6 inches; it is also one of the region’s most dangerousspecies. The loud distinctive call of the howler monkey—used towarn away other animals—can be heard up to two miles away.And the jaguar, the largest of American cats, is a strong climberand swimmer. At worldwildlife.org/virtualamazon you can hearthe sounds of these species, and the scarlet macaw, and dig intoour interactive map to find information about WWF’s conservationprojects on the ground across the Amazon.

Poison dart frog Howler monkey Jaguar

the road. This year, theClimate Savers companieslaunched a new campaigncalling on the world’s govern-ments to “Let the CleanEconomy Begin” as theymeet to negotiate a global climate deal in Copenhagenthis December. Learn more at worldwildlife.org/cleaneconomy.

President’s MessageCOMPANIES TAKE ACTION

World Wildlife Fund1250 24th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20037

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We paused tocatch the day’slast light and observe a thousandshades of green from a tower deep inthe southern Amazon. It’s easy to see why the Amazon looms large in our

collective imagination: Home to more than 40,000 species of plants, a dazzling array of ani-mals and the world’s largest river basin, as well as the source of one-fifth of all free-flowingfreshwater on Earth, it is a spectacular land of natural wealth and almost inconceivable beauty.

This moment came at the end of three days in the Amazon spent with some of the world’sfinest thinkers—leaders in science, business and conservation—looking at the four horse-men of the environmental apocalypse for this part of the world: agriculture, livestock, infra-structure and climate change.

Of the world’s three great tropical forests, the Amazon is the largest and retains 80 percentof its original forest cover. But there’s no room for complacency—last year alone more than8,700 acres of forest disappeared every day from the Brazilian Amazon. Deforestation is oneof the greatest engines of biodiversity loss, as well as a major driver of climate change.Indeed, every time a chainsaw roars and a tropical forest falls, carbon dioxide enters theatmosphere, adding up to an estimated 20 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

If we want to stop an avalanche of destruction along this frontier and inspire landowners tochoose conservation instead of deforestation, there are several levers to pull. First, there’s themarket. Bowing to pressure from consumers and civil society, Brazil’s second-largest beefexporter and all trading companies operating in Brazil have committed to buy only beef andsoy produced on land with zero deforestation since 2006. The nation’s sugar growers recentlymade a similar commitment.

We also need a regulatory framework that supports Brazil’s commitment to reduce defor-estation, so including forests in climate agreements in the U.S. and abroad is essential.Basically, we must put a price on the carbon safely stored in these magnificent trees andcompensate countries for conserving them.

There’s no way we can solve the problem of climate change without saving forests like theAmazon. There is also no way to save the forests without placing a value on the ecosystemservices they provide. For these reasons and many others, now is the time to demand thatCongress pass strong climate change legislation.

Other articles in this issue of FOCUS describe the many ways to take action on climatechange. WWF has a critical role to play in saving the places we care about, and so do you.The world needs our leadership. I encourage you to make your voice heard.

Carter S. Roberts

The Value of Forests

There’s no way wecan solve the problem ofclimate change withoutsaving forests like theAmazon.

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A Virtual Visit to the Amazon

Help save snow leopards and other endangered species and their habitats. Visit worldwildlife.org/offer to symbolically adopt a species. Your donation will be used in general support of WWF’s conservation efforts around the world.

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November/December 2009Volume 31 Number 6

100890_Newsletter:100890_Newsletter 10/9/09 2:25 PM Page 2

FOCUS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 • 3

conservationNEWS

News from the Eastern Himalayas

Species Success in the Northern Great Plains

By Lauren Alexander, Staff Writer

Late on a cold, rainy night inthe fall of 2005, 16 Americanbison crossed the threshold ofland dedicated to conservationby WWF and our partner,American Prairie Foundation.We brought the animals fromSouth Dakota’s Wind CaveNational Park in a landmarkmove toward building the firstU.S. conservation herd ofgenetically pure bison in 40years. In the spring of 2006,

five baby bison were born,bringing the herd size to 21.Fast-forward three years: Withthe 17 new calves born thisspring, the number of bison onAmerican Prairie Reserve tops100. As the herd has expand-ed, so has their protected habi-tat, from 2,000 acres to 14,000.

Spanning five states and two Canadian provinces, theNorthern Great Plains holdsNorth America's last large

contiguous grasslands, whichonce rivaled the African savan-na for vast herds of wildlife andgreat migrations. But today,most native species are signifi-cantly reduced in number andless than 2 percent of the 180million acres is conserved forwildlife. WWF is on the groundworking with species and habi-tats, and charting a sustainablefuture for the region.

The bison aren’t the onlyspecies we are working withhere. This fall we are celebratingsuccess for the black-footedferret with 30 or more individu-als due to be released intoSaskatchewan’s GrasslandsNational Park, where thespecies hasn’t been seen sincethe early 1900s. Native to theregion, the black-footed ferretwas once believed extinct, butcaptive breeding and carefulreintroduction have broughttheir number back up to morethan 500 in the wild. WWF hasplayed a crucial role in thereintroduction and this historicrelease.

To learn more about our work in this region, visit worldwildlife.org/ngp. And tojoin us in tracking the bisonherd, visit worldwildlife.org/bisontracking.

Brazil Raises the Bar for Responsible ForestryBy Megan Policicchio, Staff Writer

In Brazil alone, more than2.5 million acres of Amazonrain forest are lost each year,primarily replaced with pas-tures and crops. To rein in thisloss, WWF’s Global Forest &Trade Network (GFTN) promotesresponsible forestry and sus-tainable business practices.

For example, constructioncompanies in the state of SãoPaulo, one of the largest con-sumers of Amazonian timber inBrazil, have joined with localgovernments in a recent com-mitment to use legal timber.The companies will demandthat their suppliers follow envi-ronmental legislation andForest Stewardship Council(FSC) standards when acquir-ing wood. The commitment alsoincludes legal enforcementagainst Amazon wood enteringSão Paulo and a system for

wood retailers and wholesalersto use lesser utilized timberspecies. The partnershipbetween government and busi-nesses sets an example for the rest of Brazil, encouragingothers to adopt responsibletrade practices.

Cikel, an FSC-certified forestproducts manufacturer, isanother leader of change inBrazil. In addition to evaluatingthe environmental impact of itsforest operations, Cikel alsoworks to ensure that it does notadversely impact the surround-ing community and has set upa variety of educational initia-tives to involve the communityin forest management. Cikelhas partnered with Britishretailer and GFTN participantB&Q to provide certified timberto B&Q’s customers. This joint

commitment aims to protect theresources of the Amazon whiledisplaying B&Q’s responsiblesourcing as a model for otherpotential overseas businesspartners.

To learn more about WWF’sforest conservation programs,visit worldwildlife.org/forests.

By Lauren Alexander, Staff Writer

The Convention on Wetlandsof International Importance,commonly known as the RamsarConvention, is an internationaltreaty on the conservation andsustainable use of the world’swetlands. For nearly a decade,WWF has been promoting itsadoption in countries around theworld; providing financial, sci-entific and technical resources;and supporting countries seek-ing to secure protection forinternationally important wet-lands within their borders.

For example, this May theRwenzori Mountains, also knownas the Mountains of the Moon,became the 10th Ugandan sitefor which we have helpedsecure Ramsar designation.The new site in western Ugandameasures just under 250,000acres and reaches from 5,250to nearly 17,000 feet above sealevel. It is contiguous with theDemocratic Republic of Congo’snearly 2-million-acre Virunga

New Protections for Africa’s “Mountains of the Moon”

By March Wood, Staff Writer

WWF recently released anexciting new report detailingmore than 350 species dis-covered in the last decade in remote mountain areas ofthe Eastern Himalayas. Thereport, Where Worlds Collide,highlights a decade ofresearch by scientists fromvarious organizations. Among their discoveries are natural won-ders such as the world’s second smallest deer, a “flying frog,”and a 100-million-year old fossil of a gecko.

Historically, the rugged and largely inaccessible landscapeof the Eastern Himalayas has made biological surveysextremely difficult. While scientists continue to find new speciesin this awe-inspiring region, we could be in a race against climate change. Research shows that its impacts in theHimalayas are occurring at an alarming rate. As the fragileecosystems warm up, vegetation and wildlife will move to high-er, cooler altitudes. But as the pace of climate change acceler-ates, the opportunities forplants and animals to adaptto the changes decreases.

Species in the EasternHimalayas are also threat-ened by illegal wildlife trade,such as the majestic Bengaltiger, which continues to betargeted by organized crimi-nal networks active in theregion. That’s why the July2009 announcement by thegovernment of Nepal that itstiger numbers remain con-stant was welcome news.However, the 121 breedingtigers in four protected areas in the Terai Arc are still vulnerableto poaching, habitat loss and human encroachment. WWF andour partners hold fast to our grassroots and global policy workto protect these iconic animals.

To see the full report, Where Worlds Collide, and to see aslide show of some of the discoveries, visit worldwildlife.org/himalayanspecies.

Almost lost forever, the black-footedferret has rediscovered the Canadianwilderness. This individual is one ofthe ones released in early October.

Logging of mahogany and other treespecies opens the forest to slash andburn cultivators who cut whatremains to grow crops.

The Rwenzori Mountains rise fromdense forests of trees and bamboosto this landscape of snow-cappedpeaks, spectacular lakes and equatorial glaciers.

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At about 2 feet tall and 25 pounds,the miniature muntjac is the world’ssecond smallest deer species.

The golden-eyed Smith’s litter frog isthreatened by forces such as forestclearance and stream pollution.

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National Park, which WWF hassupported for more than 20years. Virunga was designatedas a Ramsar site in 1996.

Rwenzori is home to one ofonly three glaciated areas inAfrica, along with Mount Kenyaand Mount Kilimanjaro. It contains wetland bogs, fresh-water lakes and tundra, andsupports many endangeredand range-specific speciescrucial to the biodiversity of theregion. These are among theattributes that qualified it forinclusion on the Ramsar List of

Wetlands of InternationalImportance. This designationincreases the attention given to protecting the area from theimpacts of climate change andfrom population pressures.

Adopted in 1971, the RamsarConvention went into force in1975. Today, 159 countries participate and there are 1,855Ramsar sites totaling nearly708 thousand square miles.



For more on our work in the Amazon: worldwildlife.org/amazon.

Pause a moment and picture whatcomes to mind when you hear thewords “the Amazon.”

Far from being an endless expanse oftrees intersected with meandering water-ways, the Amazon is a complex web oflandscapes and ecosystems that togetherform the world’s largest tropical rain forestand river basin. Home to at least one inevery 10 species in the world, and span-ning parts of nine countries in SouthAmerica, the Amazon shelters a vast arrayof life. From the smallest and most incon-spicuous to the most awe-inspiring andferocious, countless species of mammals,amphibians, birds and insects share the2.6 million square miles with more than 33million humans who dwell in urban areas,in small communities, and as nomadicindigenous groups living in complete isolation from the Western world.

How can we ensure that this intricatechain of life remains viable while meeting

the needs of the human population? WWFbegan work in the Amazon with researchand technical assistance projects in theearly 1960s. Today we draw on our longexperience here to realize our comprehen-sive, science-based vision to conserve the basin as a whole.

Because of its relative remoteness, about80 percent of the Amazon landscaperemains largely intact. But economic anddevelopment pressures are mounting inthe region. We see rapidly expandingglobal markets for beef, soy and otheragricultural commodities, as well asimpending projects for large-scale trans-portation and energy infrastructure. Theseand other developments lead to deforesta-tion and increased pressure on the naturalresources and environmental servicesupon which millions of people depend—in the Amazon and around the world.

With deep local roots and extensiveglobal reach, WWF continues to take on the challenges. We’ve assembled this photo essay to show you the kinds of things we are doing to protect thespecies, habitats and local communities of the Amazon.

WWF: At the Forefront of Protecting the AmazonBy Meg Symington, Managing Director for the Amazon and Nancy de Moraes, Amazon Program Officer

The scarlet macaw’s magnificent plumagemakes it popular in the illegal pet trade.WWF supports efforts to phase out theimport of wild birds to the United Statesand encourages captive breeding as onealternative to illegal capture.

At nearly the size of the continental U.S., the Amazon regioncovers much of northern South America.

Indigenous territories make up more than 20 percent of theAmazon. Indigenous peoples and local communities are amongthe world’s most important stewards of natural resources. WWFwas the first international conservation organization to create apolicy recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples. We partnerwith them and their associations to ensure these rights arerespected.

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WWF’s research includes studies on the effects of road construction,dams and other infrastructure in sensitive areas. Over the years, asenvironmental threats have multiplied and become more complex, our scopehas expanded to include pioneeringwork in science, conservation finance,and management and decision-makingtools now being adopted by govern-ments and international developmentagencies.

At current deforestation rates, 55 percent of theAmazon’s rain forests could be gone by 2030—alooming disaster for the region’s plants, animalsand people as well as for its vast stores of car-bon. Deforestation accounts for about 20 per-cent of all human-induced carbon emissions,making it second only to fossil fuels as asource of atmospheric carbon.

Tumucumaque Mountains NationalPark was the first protected area

created in Brazil as part of theAmazon Region Protected Areas

Program (ARPA), the world’s largesttropical rain forest conservationinitiative. Since 2002, WWF hasworked with the government of

Brazil and other partners onthis ambitious 12-year effort to

create a complex system ofwell-managed and sustainably

funded protected areas.

Haphazard land speculation and rapidexpansion of farming and cattle ranching

are some of the factors fueling the con-version, fragmentation and degradation of

the Amazon’s spectacular forests. WWFworks to encourage governments to

adopt policies that promote the sustain-able use of natural resources.

In 2003 WWF launched the 10-year Amazon Headwaters Initiativeto safeguard large expanses of forest and freshwater habitats in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. We are creating local ownership andcommitment to conservation of over 39 thousand square milesof forests here. Providing forest-dwelling families with a sus-tainable income could save thousands of acres of rain forestfrom destruction, so we provide technical assistance for themanagement, harvesting, and marketing of non-timber forestproducts such as Brazil nuts (above) and copaiba oil.

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WWF Holiday Cards from Shutterfly This holiday, Shutterfly is

offering WWF greeting cards in original designs from polarbears to penguins. These cardscan be customized with a per-sonalized greeting or a familyphoto as in the example here.WWF receives a donation of 10percent of the estimated retailprice on all sales of this merchan-dise. (shutterfly.com/wwf)

Playfish Is Helping WWF Protect Species and Their Habitats

For each WWF item that you purchase on the Pet SocietyFacebook application, Playfish will donate 10 percent to WWFthrough December 31, 2009. WWF will receive a guaranteed contribution of $50,000 from Playfish, a social games company that creates games for friends to play together over their social networks.


marketingPARTNERSHIPS

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By Megan Policicchio, Staff Writer

WWF recently produced valu-able new turtle conservationmaps in collaboration with theIndonesian government andother regional partners. Themaps integrate migrationroutes, foraging grounds, andnesting sites of green, hawksbilland leatherback turtles. Theyshow areas of high incidence ofturtle bycatch, indicating where

improvements in fishing methodsand gear would likely reducemortality. Further, the maps pointto places where marine protect-ed areas (MPAs) may be aneffective approach to conservingkey habitats, ecosystems andaggregations of species.

Perhaps most importantly, themaps advance our understand-ing of the geographic relation-ships among the many marineand coastal habitats that exist inthis area, which covers the land

By Geoff York, WWF Polar Bear Expert

This past spring, I spent timein the field with colleaguesfrom the U.S. GeologicalSurvey (USGS), tagging polarbears in the Beaufort Sea.Capturing and handling polarbears helps us monitor thehealth of individuals and popu-lations, and improves ourunderstanding of populationsize and trends, reproductionpatterns, and movementsacross habitats, especially withregard to changes in sea ice.This information supportsefforts to secure greater pro-tection for the species, such as the May 2008 listing of thepolar bear as “threatened”under the U.S. EndangeredSpecies Act.

Looking back at this year’sfield research, our most strikingobservation was the decreasedfrequency of sightings of olderfemales, sows with yearlings,and sub-adult bears of eithergender. USGS will analyze thedata so we can determine thesignificance of the observation,but we already know that it is atroubling one that fits all toowell with current projections forthe declining SouthernBeaufort Sea population.

Finding individual bears inpoor condition in any one yearis not necessarily significant:Bad years happen even whentimes are generally good forwildlife. And of course, bears inall age classes can die for avariety of reasons, especiallythe young, dependent ones,typically the most vulnerable.That’s why we rely on the sci-ence that comes from long-term monitoring to conserveboth wildlife and habitats.

The Arctic may seem harshand barren, but it is incrediblyproductive for those who haveadapted to this unique ecosys-tem. Working with polar bearsup close, you come to see howvulnerable they are from natu-ral variations and, increasingly,from direct and indirect humanactivities. Working on the front

lines of polar bear research for10 years inspired me to joinWWF where I also can work onthe broader policy issues ofglobal polar bear conservation.

You can learn more about ourwork protecting polar bears atworldwildlife.org/polarbears.

New Maps Will Help Turtles in the Coral Triangle

Out on the Ice: Where PolarBear Science Takes Place

and especially the sharedwaters of six countries.

The new maps are a criticalcontribution to WWF’s efforts tosupport MPAs, improve theirmanagement, and create anMPA network across the CoralTriangle through regional col-laboration. This work benefitsnot just the turtles, but all thespecies that share their habitats.

Visit worldwildlife.org/coraltriangle to learn moreabout our work.

SCIENCE UPDATE

Studying and mapping the habitat needs of green and other marine turtlesfeeds into regional conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle.

Above, left to right: Anthony Pagano of USGS, WWF’s Geoff York, and JoeFieldman of Prism Helicopters take measurements of a male polar bear in theSouthern Beaufort Sea. At left: Geoff records data gathered with a non-invasivetechnique that uses a very low electrical current to estimate the lean bodymass of the polar bears being studied.

We have reached a moment in the history of Earth wherethe actions we take will determine whether or not our childrenwill live in a world with magnificent animals such as the polarbear, swim in an ocean filled with iridescent corals andmarine life, or hike through a dense forest.

While issues such asclimate change, overfish-ing, scarcity of freshwaterand deforestation arecovered in the news,many people don’t under-stand how these trendscan affect their lives.WWF has launched anew Public ServiceAnnouncement (PSA)campaign, to help makethese connections andshow what is at risk if wewait to—or worse, donot—take action.

The PSA features theiconic song “Big YellowTaxi,” written by JoniMitchell and performed by the Counting Crows. The singer-songwriter and band both generously donated their work toWWF in support of this timely message. Our PSA offers amessage of hope and asks viewers to support our efforts toprotect the future of nature.

To see the new PSA, visit worldwildlife.org/psa.

WWF’s New PSA Campaign:Don’t wait until it’s gone.

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One of our print PSAs.



A Gift That Keeps On Giving

Polar bears and snow leopardsare among the more than 100species available for symbolicadoptions through WWF’s GiftCatalog and online Gift Center.

Financial information about World Wildlife Fund can be obtained by contacting us at 125024th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, 1-800-960-0993, or as stated below.

Colorado: Colorado residents may obtain copies of registration and financial documentsfrom the office of the Secretary of State, (303) 894-2680, http://www.sos.state.co.us/ re: Reg.No. 20023005803. Florida: SC No. 00294. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION ANDFINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMERSERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELP-FLA. Georgia: A fulland fair description of the programs and activities of World Wildlife Fund and its financialstatement are available upon request at the address indicated above. Illinois: Contractsand reports regarding World Wildlife Fund are on file with the Illinois Attorney General.Maryland: For the cost of postage and copying, documents and information filed under theMaryland charitable organizations laws can be obtained from the Secretary of State,Charitable Division, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401, (800) 825-4510. Michigan: MICSNo. 9377. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of World WildlifeFund may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office by calling 1-888-236-6167. New Jersey: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNINGTHIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONSRECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDI-CATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAYBE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GEN-ERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 1-973-504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLEON THE INTERNET AT www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. NewYork: Upon request, acopy of the latest annual report can be obtained from the organization or from theOffice of the Attorney General by writing the Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, NewYork, NY 10271. North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copyof its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 1-888-830-4989.Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of World Wildlife Fund maybe obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, withinPennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Virginia: Financial statements are available from the StateOffice of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218. Washington: The noticeof solicitation required by the Charitable Solicitation Act is on file with the WashingtonSecretary of State, and information relating to financial affairs of World Wildlife Fund is avail-able from the Secretary of State, and the toll-free number for Washington residents: 1-800-332-4483.West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registrationand financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305.

REGISTRATION IN THE ABOVE STATES DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL,OR RECOMMENDATION OF WORLD WILDLIFE FUND BY THE STATE.

Please send me brochures for the following trips:

� New Year’s in Panama� Tanzania� Costa Rica and Panama

� Please add me to your mailing list to receive WWF travel brochures.

Name___________________________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________ State ________ Zip______________________

� Please sign me up to receive the monthly WWF Travel e-newsletter.

Email address: _______________________________________________________________________

Return to: WWF Travel Program, 1250 24th St. NW, Washington, DC 20037-1132

� Baja Multisport� Borneo� Rwanda and Tanzania

� Trips to other specific destinations: _________________________________________________________________________________________

WWF offers more than 40 wildlife tours all over the world year-round. Among our upcoming trips:

New Year’s in PanamaDecember 27, 2009–January 3, 2010It’s not too late to join our holiday trip into the rain forestsof the Panama Canal watershed. You’ll spend New Year’sEve in a private water bungalow in the remote San BlasIslands. Price now reduced.

Tanzania: A Classic Serengeti SafariFebruary 12–24, 2010Discover the best of Tanzania’s conservation areas andsee some of the highest concentrations of animals in theworld, including elephants, giraffes, lions, wildebeest andcheetahs. Stay in luxury tented camps.

Costa Rica and Panama Aboard the Sea LionFebruary 13–20, 2010Look for spider, howler and capuchin monkeys and otherrain forest dwellers during explorations through CentralAmerica. The tour includes a memorable trip through thefamed Panama Canal.

Baja MultisportApril 7–13, 2010WWF Active Adventure. From a tented base camp onthe shores of an isolated Mexican island, spend timekayaking along the shoreline, snorkeling with tropical fishand sea lions, and trekking through ochre-colored canyons.

With WWF, you’ll journey with small groups of like-minded travelers to see spectacular wildlife in its naturalenvironment. A portion of your tour cost (between 5 and 10 percent) is directly contributed to WWF’s generalconservation fund to support our work around the world.

To receive more information about these or other WWF trips, complete and return the form below, or contact us:

Toll free: 1-888-WWF-TOUR (1-888-993-8687)

Email: [email protected]

Online: worldwildlife.org/travel

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Rwanda’s Gorillas and the Wildlife of Tanzania ........................................March 1–12, 2010Big Bend National Park ...............................................................................April 7–14, 2010Kenya Under Canvas ..................................................................................June 3–14, 2010

� Big Bend� Kenya

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Wild BorneoJune 4–20, 2010Borneo's rain forests teem with extraordinary life, includ-ing orangutans, pygmy elephants, gibbons and hornbills.Trek through the forests, snorkel in pristine waters andlearn about efforts to aid orphaned orangutans.

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Nature is the gift that keeps on giving and we are all united in our common call to take care of it. You can help ensure thatEarth’s most remarkableplaces and species surviveand flourish by selecting a giftfrom WWF’s Gift Catalog.

With more than 200 ways tosupport conservation, this cat-alog offers you the chance tohonor loved ones, and at thesame time, help protect theEarth’s most important naturalhabitats. That’s because everydonation you make helps tosustain WWF’s ongoing fieldwork. Among the gifts you canchoose are symbolic animaladoptions, gift cards, and exclusive WWF apparel and gear.

Whichever gift you choose, however much you choose to give, you can rest assured that you will delight the people on your gift listwhile continuing to advance the conservation mission that WWFhas embraced for nearly 50 years.

Our Gift Catalog accompanies this issue of FOCUS. You canalso shop online at worldwildlife.org/gifts or contact us toll-free at 1-800-CALL-WWF.

Correction: The FOCUS team apologizes for two errors in ourSeptember/October issue. In the President’s Message, we mis-spelled the name of Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Onpage 5, the size of the Monarch Butterfly Reserve should read139 thousand acres.



Along the Bolivian borderwith Brazil lies the Itenez-Mamore Corridor, an area ofvaluable rain forest named fortwo nearby rivers. WWF is pro-ducing conservation resultshere, thanks to Lila Sainz, whooversees our work on theBolivian side of the corridor.

On February 14, 2010, the Chinese lunar calendar will roll into theYear of the Tiger. Unfortunately, the plight of wild tigers doesn’t callfor much of a celebration. Poaching, retaliatory killings and habitatloss are taking a toll on the dwindling number of wild tigers. Thegood news is that WWF is at work saving this endangered speciesaround the world, from the Russian Far East to Sumatra and theEastern Himalayas.

Watch future issues of FOCUS for WWF tiger news andupdates and to learn what you can do during the Year of theTiger. In the meantime, visit worldwildlife.org/tigers.

Her approach is imbued withdeep respect for local residents,a strong belief in collaboration,and the ability to create a sense of teamwork, even when called on to navigate the thorniest of conflicts.

Lila and her team work withlocal government authorities,partner organizations, and for-est communities to maintainthe still-abundant yet threat-ened natural resources of thearea. In doing so, they are alsoimproving the livelihoods oflocal communities. People aretaking pride in working hand inhand with local authorities whogovern the Itenez ProtectedArea, working together to con-serve fish, Brazil nuts, turtlesand game, and planting moreorchards on their lands.

It’s interesting to note thatLila’s conservation experiencestarted not far from where sheis today. While studying towardher degree in biology, shebegan field research in NoelKempff National Park in theBolivian Amazon. She wouldspend months walking 12 to 14hours a day in work that, whilephysically demanding, fulfilledher passion for nature. By thetime she joined WWF in 2005,she had spent over 14 yearson the ground in the Amazonrain forests. She is now themother of three children, and,as she puts it, “Conservation is not merely a job, it is truly an integral part of who I am, andof the daily life of my family.”

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WWF: BEHIND THE SCENES

Lila Sainz, On the Ground in the Bolivian Amazon

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anonYour plan…

their future.Your plan…their future.

Make the long-term conservation of nature part of your plan by

including World Wildlife Fund in your will or trust.

We recommend this language:

“I give ______ (residue, percentage, or specific amount) toWorld Wildlife Fund, Inc., (“WWF”) having its principaloffices at 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037,

for its general purposes to save life on Earth.”

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For information, please call the Legacy Gifts Department toll-free at 1-888-993-9455 or email [email protected].

For membership inquiries, please call 1-800-CALL-WWF.

2010: The Year of the Tiger Chinese symbol for tiger.

focusNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 • VOLUME 31, NUMBER 6NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 • VOLUME 31, NUMBER 6

The AmazonRain Forest and River Basin


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009† VOLUME 31, NUMBER 6 …

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