WILD’s dedication to protecting wilderness extends to protecting wild animals living within these spaces. One region in which we’ve taken targeted action to ensure the well-being of wildlife is Botswana, specifically the regions near the Okavango Delta and floodplain, the world’s most pristine delta. Our work focused on halting the construction or advocating for the decommissioning of veterinary cordon fences, which impacted migration routes and animal movements. Learn more >

Baviaanskloof (1999-2009)

The Baviaanskloof (”Baboon’s Gorge”) in South Africa is a place of wonderfully varied terrain and scenery, and incredibly rich in wildlife and plant diversity. Our sister organization, The Wilderness Foundation Africa, worked actively with a strong coalition of groups to expand the park and better protect biodiversity and resist private development plans. The Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve is now managed by the Eastern Cape Parks Board (ECPB) with continued collaboration with The Wilderness Foundation.

Cheetah Conservation Fund (1992-2004, WILD’s President is still an active Trustee)

WILD was instrumental, for 12 years, in establishing and growing the Cheetah Conservation Fund into what it is today, one of the world’s most effective and respected field-based programs. Working closely as always with Laurie Marker, CCF’s founder, WILD then helped form an influential CCF board of directors based in the US, and created CCF as a distinct non-profit conservation organization. WILD’s President, Vance Martin, continues to serve as a Trustee of CCF. Here is a quick summary of our work together>

Embocraft (2000-2003)

One of our collaborators in South Africa is EmboCraft, an education, training and rural development NGO in South Africa. WILD and Embocraft have collaborated on two successful programs to train poor rural people – mostly black women – in environmental awareness, while producing revenue-earning crafts. The trainings usually involve craft instruction for the women (dying, stitching, etc) and some very basic business skills, combined with a workshop in which the women – especially the “gogos” or grandmothers – tell environmental stories. The stories are then the basis for production of painted or stitched squares that eventually end up as parts of a quilted wall hanging – an item for sale. Read more about Embocraft >

Imbewu (1999-2006)

WILD, The Wilderness Foundation (Africa) and The Wilderness Leadership School, partner with rural, retired black game rangers (who we call the “wise men”) to take under-served South African youth into the wilderness as part of an empowerment process. The carefully selected “wise men” of the bush are the heart of Imbewu, and use vivid impressions of animals, age-old stories, game ranger skills, and community-based knowledge to restore self confidence, instill cultural pride, and impart conservation information. This program is still running in South Africa >

International League of Conservation Photographers (2005-early 2010)

Established during the 8th World Wilderness Congress (Alaska, 2005) and ‘incubated’ as a program within WILD for 5 years, the iLCP works to to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography. With a dynamic combination of art, conservation, policy and action, the iLCP uses awe-inspiring photography as a powerful force for the environment. Learn more >

Local Action in the Zambezi Valley (numerous issues from 1998-2008)

In late 2008, proposed open pit tar mines threatened the people and wild-nature of the Zambezi Valley. WILD, with partners, expressed opposition to the mining project in unison with the 17 Chiefdoms of the Zambezi Basin, including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Read more about this project >

Save the Wild Coast (2008)

WILD occasionally lends its voice to urgent conservation advocacy campaigns such as the Wild Coast. The Wild Coast one of the most spectacular, understudied, high-biodiversity landscapes in Africa is under continual threat from mining. The Wilderness Network provided assistance and support for efforts to protect this unique and treasured land. For example, in August 2008 we supported the AmaDiba tribal community to present a high level court action in opposition to mining development>

Shamwari Game Reserve (1998-2008, some work ongoing)

The WILD Foundation and our Wilderness Network assisted with the designation of the Shamwari Game Reserve as a privately owned and managed wilderness area. Announced at the 7th World Wilderness Congress (2001 South Africa), Shamwari Game Reserve set aside 16 % of their land, over 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) as a wilderness area.. Read more about this designation and its significance as a private wilderness reserve >

The WILD Awards (1998-2001)

The WILD Awards: Advertising with Integrity for Nature was established by WILD in 1998. The WILD Awards for Advertising is based on a simple concept: commercial actors and celebrities are well-compensated for their work in advertising… why not nature?The result of companies “giving back” to help protect and sustain wild nature is a winner for wildlife and wilderness – and all of us. In a series of industry ads to promote this campaign, our collaborators at Green Team USA (an environmental ad agency based in New York City) capture the purpose exactly by saying : “Some underpaid actors go on strike..others go extinct!©” Read more about The WILD Awards >

Zambezi Valley Training (2006)

In September 2006, WILD assisted with a training in the Zambezi Valley on wilderness concepts and practice. The training was held at the Rifa Education Camp in Zimbabwe in partnership with The Zambezi Society, The Wildereness Action Group and the Centre for Environment, Agriculture and Development a the Univserity of KwaZulu-Natal. Twenty participants from the Parks and Wildlife Authorites of Zambia and Zimbabwe attended to gain a greater understanding of teh values and benefits of wilderness for biodiversity conservation and the local communities of the Zambezi region. Read the full report >

Zakouma Elephants (2006-2009)

Late in August of 2006 Mike Fay, a WILD trustee and Wildlife Conservation Society biologist, lead a survey crew in Zakouma National Park (Chad) which discovered 5 elephant massacre sites, totaling over 100 poaching kills in just 8 days. Seeing the need for a rapid response to the crisis in Zakouma, WILD with WCS, the Chadian government and several key funders organized the purchase and deployments of a surveillance aircraft to deter and detain poachers. Read more about this rapid response effort >

A bit of background…..

“CAT in WATER” is a multimedia expedition to track and document the elusive fishing cat, of which only about 10,000 remain in the world. This cat has been little documented in the wild, despite living close to villages. Biologists recently discovered a new population in Thailand, but these cats are mysteriously vanishing.

This fall/winter, project leaders Joanna Nasar and Morgan Heim will set off on an in-depth reporting project to highlight the untold natural history, threats and unusual conservation potential of this endangered cat. Our goal is to collect the media assets for an interactive multimedia experience to share with you the life of the fishing cat, including videos, blogs, articles and podcasts.

Here is the call-to-action from the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and their partners:

We are asking you, on behalf of our partners, to URGENTLY make your voice heard on behalf of the spirit bear by OCTOBER 6TH.

Canadian decision makers must hear your opinion as they prepare to decide if oil tankers will be permitted to move through the waters in the home of the spirit bear.

Register today or by October 6th to be heard during the Canadian government review panel on the proposed Enbridge pipeline.

You don’t have to attend in person and you don’t have to live in Canada, but this will be the best forum to be heard on this issue. And the spirit bear needs your help.

The language on the registration page reads as if you are signing up to speak during the public consultation.  Don’t let this stop you — anyone from anywhere can sign up to voice their support!  Learn more about the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition >

In case you’re unfamiliar with northern Quebec….that’s A LOT OF LAND! Here’s a map:

To support this great plan by Quebec, our Nature Needs Half teammate Marie-Eve, a native French Canadian, drafted a petition and we’re working to get as many signers to support the plan! Marie-Eve tells us that your encouragement would mean a lot to the government and people of Quebec. We’ll send the message with all of the signatures to Premier Charest on 12 October. *Sign the petition!*

Success of the Plan Nord means that in addition to the current protected areas in Quebec, Quebec will add an area the size of France or an area the size of California and Florida – combined – to its protected area network — and additional 600,000 square km (144 million acres) by 2035.

A few quick facts about Quebec’s North

• Located above the 49th parallel, the total area of the Plan Nord is 1,200,000 sq km, which represents 72% of the province;
• 26% of the land is already in dedicated to industry, forestry, mining exploration and energy, mainly hydro-electric;
• 9.15 % of the north is already protected through various designations;
• 4 aboriginal nations live there: the Crees, the Inuit, the Naskapi and the Innu;
• The north is entirely covered in Boreal forest, Taiga and Tundra. The forest represents a quarter of Canada’s remaining boreal ecosystem. Boreal forests are globally important because of their unique ecosystem traits and their role in storing carbon; and,
• The Government and Industries are planning to invest millions of dollars in new roads to facilitate industrial development, but groups and citizens have achieved to get a commitment to protect at least half of the land.

Learn more about the Plan Nord >

Send your support to Premier Charest. Feel free to add your own words of encouragement as a comment! >

From the fall harvest to the changing leaves, cool evenings and clear skies, September is a great month to reflect upon the wonderful gifts of a bountiful summer and look forward to the changing seasons ahead. **I guess if you don’t like snow, or if you live in a climate that doesn’t vary much…this might not resonate with you.  But, in general, September tends to bring about a sense of a new start and fresh perspective.  Perhaps that relates to the ingrained patterns of the US school system?  For whatever reason, it is September.

From my quick research, the Presidential proclamation of National Wilderness Month began 2009, with an official honoring of the 1964 Wilderness Act and recognizing the Obama administration’s Omnibus Public Land Management Act.  In 2010, President Obama commented on our obligation to ensure that future generations have the same opportunities to explore and enjoy wild-nature as we have:

“This month, we renew our pledge to build upon the legacy of our forebears. Together, we must ensure that future generations can experience the tranquility and grandeur of America’s natural places. As we resolve to meet this responsibility, let us also reflect on the ways in which our lives have been enriched by the gift of the American wilderness.”

In his 2011 proclamation, the President focused on the many benefits we receive from wild-nature. I found his comments to speak so clearly to why WILD and our partners are committed to the Nature Needs Half vision.  Our dependence on wild-nature is undeniable.  Wild-nature not only provides wonderful recreation opportunities, but supports our life – and all life.  Here’s a brief excerpt:

“As we continue our country’s proud journey and explore new opportunities in the 21st century, the importance of maintaining our wilderness has only grown. Protecting our wilderness areas and their riches — clean water, stretches of undisturbed land, thriving wildlife, and healthy ecosystems — is critical to the health of our environment and our communities. Today, wilderness areas serve as places for us to roam, hunt, fish, and find solitude. They are also strong engines of local economies, providing tourism and recreation revenue for communities.”

The symposium on science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values was the largest of multiple symposia held in conjunction with the Congress. The papers contained in the proceedings were generated at this symposium or submitted by the author or authors for consideration for inclusion in this proceedings, and have been organized into six major topics (which were major themes throughout the Congress as well):

1. empowering young people,
2. promoting involvement of local communities,
3. enhancing transboundary conservation goals,
4. exploring wilderness meanings,
5. monitoring and predicting change, and
6. new directions in wilderness stewardship.

Included are papers that address wildland issues in Afghanistan, Antarctica, Canada, Czech Republic, El Salvador, the Gambia, Germany, Honduras, India, Lesotho, Mexico, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, and the United States.

The full publication is available for download, online, or you can use the order form to request a copy.

Publication details: Watson, Alan; Murrieta-Saldivar, Joaquin; McBride, Brooke, comps. 2011. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Ninth World Wilderness Congress symposium; November 6-13, 2009; Meridá, Yucatán, Mexico. Proceedings RMRS-P-64. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 225 p.

In the press announcement about the stamp, Kelly Sigmon (VP of Channel Access) commented: “This stamp marks the fourth semipostal issued by the Postal Service. These types of stamps provide an extremely convenient way for the American public to contribute to help protect threatened and vanishing species. We look forward to working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Multinational Species Coalition to make this stamp a success.”

The Multinational Species Coalition, a coalition created to advocate for the Multinational Species Conservation Funds, is committed to bringing greater attention to this stamp and the funds it was designed to support.  WILD is a member of the coalition and receives support from the African Elephant Conservation Fund  - one of the five funds supported by the proceeds of the stamp.  The other funds are: the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund, Great Ape Conservation Fund, Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund and Marine Turtle Conservation Fund.  11 cents from each stamp (which costs 11 cents more than regular postage), will be donated to the fund.

Other members of the coalition are:

• African Wildlife Foundation
• International Elephant Foundation
• American Bird Conservancy
• International Rhino Foundation
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• Jane Goodall Institute
• Association of Zoos and Aquariums
• National Audubon Society
• Bonobo Conservation Initiative
• National Wildlife Federation
• Born Free USA
• The Nature Conservancy
• Cheetah Conservation Fund
• Ocean Conservancy
• Chelonian Research Foundation
• Safari Club International Foundation
• Conservation International
• Sea Turtle Conservancy
• Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
• Sierra Club
• Defenders of Wildlife
• The WILD Foundation
• Fauna & Flora International
• Wildlife Alliance
• Feld Entertainment, Inc.
• Wildlife Conservation Society
• Humane Society of the United States / International
• Wildlife Management Institute
• International Crane Foundation
• World Wildlife Fund
• International Fund for Animal Welfare

Purchase stamps >

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Harvest Moon” poem tells of what the Harvest Moon represents – a celebration of seasons and a marking of the passage of time using nature as a guide:

It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!
Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,
With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!
All things are symbols: the external shows
Of Nature have their image in the mind,
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;
The song-birds leave us at the summer’s close,
Only the empty nests are left behind,
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.

A team of trackers, conservationists and media will travel by foot, cycle (in regions outside of conservation areas and wildlife parks) and kayak in the Okavango Delta and Zambezi through eight major conservation nodes. Along the way, they will meet with local communities, work with partners, survey and document animal movements and conservation issues focusing on the following issues:

• Climate change: potential impact on biodiversity and natural habitats
• Water: The vital role of wild natural areas in supplying water to human communities
• Human – animal issues: identification of conflict areas and possible solutions
• Habitat fragmentation and loss of traditional animal migration routes
• The importance of designated wilderness regions in Transfrontier Conservation Areas
• Preserving indigenous wildlife knowledge – tracking skills, resource use, oral history
• Linking environmental issues to leadership issues- biological, social, psychological

Get Involved

To stay up-to-date on In the Tracks of Giants, become a fan on Facebook!  If you’d like to get involved or are interested in sponsoring the trek, please send an email to WILD (info (at) wild.org)  with the subject line “Tracks” with your contact information and how you would like to be involved.

The Big Picture

“We are all profoundly affected by ecosystem disintegration and biodiversity loss. The idea of “following ancient elephant migration routes” developed by Ian McCallum provides the opportunity to see this at ground level through the difficult choices that elephants face in a world where their horizons are rapidly contracting. Elephants, with their need for space, provide an inspiring and obvious example of how Nature needs large interconnected wild areas in order to continue providing the essential services and support for all life on earth – including humans! “How much” of wild nature should be kept intact is always a question, but increasingly science confirms that “nature needs half.” Ian McCallum’s project can bring light and awareness to this matter,” Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Founder, Save the Elephants.

Why the Elephant?

Many of the conservation challenges facing Southern Africa, and in particular wilderness regions within Southern Africa, can be highlighted or characterized through umbrella species – where protection of sufficient habitat and connectivity to assure viable populations of the umbrella species benefits other species more restricted in their range. For example, the challenges facing southern African megafauna are exemplified by issues facing southern African elephant (Loxodonta africana) populations in the region.

In this regard, the In the Tracks of Giants project has identified the African elephant as the charismatic mammal of the region and as the iconic species of this coast to coast traverse. Large charismatic wildlife, such as elephants, play an important role as ‘flagship’ species, both in terms of anchoring conservation initiatives and in attracting tourists to protected areas. Furthermore, as keystone species, elephants also play an important role in the broader landscape, through their influence on vegetation patterns.

Local distribution of elephants varies seasonally due to variation in resource availability, and the species is known to undertake long-distance movements. In the selection of the African elephant as the icon of the project, the In the Tracks of Giants journey route has been carefully selected to follow ancient elephant migration paths and to traverse current elephant habitat, thus highlighting the issues faced by southern African elephant populations (and other megafaunal populations) across their former range.

Key People & Partners

The WILD Foundation is the North American face of In the Tracks of Giants – which is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by members of the Wilderness Network (The WILD Foundation USA, Wilderness Foundation Africa, Wilderness Leadership School South Africa and the Wilderness Foundation UK) and including other non-governmental organizations, wildlife management authorities, parks and reserves management and other government, community and corporate partners.

Final participant lists are currently being addressed. The initiative will however be lead and hosted by three Conservation personalities; Dr Ian McCallum, Ian Michler and a top female African guide.

Ian McCallum, a medical doctor, psychiatrist, specialist wilderness guide, Jungian analyst and naturalist has a unique perspective on man’s relationship with the natural environment. Promoted in his highly acclaimed book Ecological Intelligence – Rediscovering Ourselves in Nature, his message is one of an urgent need to understand human history, position and responsibilities in the web of life. He is the author of an anthology of wilderness poems – Wild Gifts.

Ian Michler, a top wildlife guide, photojournalist and naturalist, has spent the last decade documenting the major conservation challenges facing Africa. An author of 6 travel books on various African countries, his work is well known to readers of the award winning magazines, Africa Geographic and Africa Birds and Birding.

Both McCallum and Michler have extensive guiding experience throughout Southern and East Africa and will be assisted be experienced local guides in each country.

The third full-time participant will be an African female guide trained and selected by the Wilderness Network.

The involvement of specialist participants is proposed as a major component of In the Tracks of Giants by providing the opportunity for their participation in the journey. Both Wilderness Leadership School and environmental seminars will be carried out within each conservation node.

About ICOSA:
ICOSA works to facilitate dynamic cooperation, partnerships and assistance among individuals, businesses, communities, governmental bodies and educational organizations to help foster growth and change. Through the sharing of collaboratively-based stories as well as highlighting the “connectors” within those stories and within the community, our hope is that our readers are moved to begin to work together to address and solve a given problem. We also look to students to learn how to work more collaboratively and to make a difference – both professionally and personally – by using these stories to track movement of community members and “connectors” in action.

Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning; new book trailer from Boyd Norton on Vimeo.

they slid
like sponges,
like too many thumbs.
I knew this, and what I wanted

was to draw my hands back
from the water – what I wanted
was to be willing
to be afraid.

But I stayed there,
I crouched on the stone wall
while the sea poured its harsh song
through the sluices,

while I waited for the gritty lightning
of their touch, while I stared
down through the tide’s leaving
where sometimes I could see them –

their stubborn flesh
lounging on my knuckles.
What good does it do
to lie all day in the sun

loving what is easy?
It never grew easy,
but at last I grew peaceful:
all summer

my fear diminished
as they bloomed through the water
like flowers, like flecks
of an uncertain dream,

while I lay on the rocks, reaching
into the darkness, learning
little by little to love
our only world.

~ Mary Oliver ~

We need the tonic of wildness:
To wade sometimes in the meadows
where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk,
and hear the booming of the snipe;
To smell the whispering sedge where only
some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest,
and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground.
At the same time we are earnest to explore and learn,
we require that all things be mysterious unexplorable,
that land and sea be infinitely wild,
unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable.

We can never have enough of nature,
We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor,
vast and titanic features:
The sea-coast with its wrecks,
the wilderness with its living and decaying trees,
the thunder cloud, the rain that lasts three weeks
and produces freshets.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed,
and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.

~ HDT, Walden.

The good news is that many scientists, policy makers and conservationists are making headway on marine wilderness and marine protected areas.  These developments are laying the groundwork in science and research and setting the stage for designation and management of marine protected areas.  WILD’s work for marine wilderness includes seminars, workshops and plenary presentations at the World Wilderness Congress, articles in the International Journal of Wilderness and applied work through our policy and government partnerships.  For example, the working groups formed as a result of the North American agreement on wilderness conservation, signed at WILD9, the 9th World Wilderness Congress, incorporate marine wilderness.

Our colleague Eric Hoyt recently released the second edition of a publication very much at the forefront of work on marine protected areas.  Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: A world handbook for cetacean habitat conservation and planning (2011, Earthscan). Here is a brief review of the new publication:

The book reveals the inside story on existing and planned marine protected areas (MPAs), marine reserves, national parks and sanctuaries for whales and dolphins in national waters and on the high seas of the world. Follow ground-breaking efforts to protect the ocean with fin and sperm whales in the Mediterranean to the coldest part of the Antarctic, the marine wilderness of the Ross Sea, with minke and three kinds of killer whales. This story of pioneer conservation efforts in the marine realm is designed to be a key resource for scientists, research institutions, students, wildlife conservation agencies, MPA managers, and anyone who cares about whales and dolphins, and the special places where they live. Since most of the world’s MPAs promote whale and dolphin watching and responsible marine ecotourism, the book is also being used by keen cetacean watchers to find some of the best places to watch the 87 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in 125 countries and territories around the world.

Mary Rice, executive director of the Environmental Investigation Agency, opposes these one time, experimental sales because she and the EIA believe they do not curb the ivory market at all. “In fact, the opposite has been observed in that the experimental sales may have in fact stimulated demand and consequently contributed to an increase in illegal ivory flows and the poaching of elephants”, a briefing from EIA states. “This failure should be recognised and not repeated”. (read the full article)

Just prior to CITES’ scheduled meeting to address the illegal trade in elephants and ivory, they announced that civil society – non-profit and non-governmental organizations – would not be allowed to participate. This caused uproar from wildlife focused organization and the World Wildlife Fund issued a press release stating: “This is a major step backwards for CITES,” said Colman O’Criodain, WWF’s Wildlife Trade Policy Analyst. “Civil society organizations have a right to be present in these discussions, not least of all because some of them, including WWF, are donors to the work of CITES on elephants.”  (read the full press release)

Shortly after, CITES withdrew this exclusion and welcomed civil society representatives. This was an important milestone because “Conservation organizations have played an active role in helping CITES achieve meaningful and positive results for species that are threatened by international trade,” as stated in the press release that followed the announcement. “NGOs work on the ground wherever elephants are found to try and save them from poaching and habitat loss,” said Peter Pueschel, program director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, who was among those asked to leave the meeting.

“We know the threats they face, we work with range states to end those threats, but I cannot think of a bigger threat right now than a secret, closed-door meeting between countries where demand for ivory is the driver,” said Pueschel. (read more)

One of the exciting results of the meeting was the establishment of African Elephant Fund, a multi-donor technical trust targeted at enhancing law enforcement capacity and securing the long-term survival of African elephant populations. The Netherlands, Germany and France have already contributed to the new fund through the African Elephant Action Plan.

For at least 8,000 years, people have journeyed to the high Ukok Plateau to bury their dead with sacred ceremonies and give offerings to the spirits of the heavens, the mountains, and the waters. Today, the Telengit people carry out their ancient rituals on the Ukok amid the burial mounds, stone stellae, and petroglyphs of their ancestors in this mountainous borderland between Russia and China.

Through centuries of experience, the Telengit people learned the survival skills—herding, hunting, fishing— that sustain their clans and communities in this remote, arid, permafrost landscape. But now they are facing a new challenge: Russia and China are planning to build a pipeline to carry natural gas from Siberia to China. The pipeline would bisect the sacred Ukok Plateau and the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World Heritage Site in Russia, and the Kanas National Park in China, one of China’s last undeveloped wilderness areas. This remote mountain region is critical habitat for snow leopards, argali mountain sheep, and other endangered species.

The Telengit people and Russian environmental organizations are calling out to the international community for help to stop construction of this gas pipeline across the Ukok Plateau.  Learn more about this campaign and get involved >

Out_of_ark Wild Bags, conceived and manufactured by a German based design agency, pledged their support for the environment by making a generous contribution to support The WILD Foundation’s international work for wilderness, wildlife and people. Svenja Schneppe, Product Manager for out_of_ark comments, “We are excited to support The WILD Foundation because our product and vision align with the great work of WILD to protect the wild-places of our planet. And, our bags are WILD too!”

1% Percent for the Planet provides a unique avenue for connecting businesses, consumers and nonprofits through philanthropy. This growing movement to inspire corporate philanthropy has nearly 1500 companies who contribute 1% of their sales to a network of over 2,500 environmental organizations worldwide. Through membership in One Percent for the Planet, out_of_ark has committed to donating at least 1% of their annual profits to an environmental organization and found WILD through this program. The WILD Foundation and out_of_ark both joined One Percent for the Planet in 2010.

“We thank out_of_ark for their generous contribution and for their commitment to the environment. The designs are fun and creative and the environmental ethic of the company shows that they are a values driven team,” comments WILD’s Director of Communications Emily Loose.

Learn more about out_of_ark >

Learn more about WILD’s work for wilderness, wildlife and people worldwide >

Last week, Umzi graduated it’s eight class — which Geovalda was a part of.  Here are her words…

I imagined a place
Which seemed out of space,
A place we can call our own
When we look back at when we’re all grown.

I imagined a place
Where the grass is all green
And the residence spring-clean.
Where you see the birds fly,
And hear the monkey’s cry.

I imagined a place,
A place that brings change,
Teaches you to be strong
When hope has been gone for too long.

I imagined a place
Where there’s always someone you can call
Whenever you may fall.
Where you don’t have to hold back on your tears,
Where you can face your fears
Even if it took you years.

I imagined a place
It’s a place called Umzi.
Our home away from home
Where we will never be alone.

You raised me well,
From out of my shell.
That much I can tell

You taught me how to cope,
To never lose hope,
To be strong,
And never do what’s wrong.
Therefore, this poem I dedicate as a song.

Sometimes we fight,
You might lose some sight,
But end up being right.

You’ve always shown me the light,
Guided me through the most frightful night.
You were always there to hold me tight.

Nevertheless,
You will always be the best.