We’re excited to share with you our latest Annual Review, with stories and reports from around the A Rocha world.
The birds that connect our world
From Europe to Ghana and back
This tiny bird barely weighs more than a teaspoon of sugar, yet it connects Ghana with Europe. In the quiet wetlands of Salo in Ghana’s Keta Lagoon, a Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus was caught and banded by Timothée Schwartz, Scientific Director for A Rocha France. Seven months later, in September 2025, that same Eurasian Reed Warbler was recaptured in Sourbrodt, Belgium by ornithologist Emile Degros. This one-year-old warbler traveled nearly 5,000 km, connecting the wetlands of Ghana and the marshes of Europe in an awe-inspiring journey.
‘The recapture of this bird on European soil is a powerful symbol of the invisible threads that tie our ecosystems together.’ – Prosper Kwame Antwi, Programmes Manager, A Rocha Ghana
This Reed Warbler was captured during collaborative field surveys between A Rocha Ghana and A Rocha France as part of the ProBioDev project. Standing for ‘Promoting Biodiversity Conservation for Development’, the project represents an international effort to protect one of Ghana’s most important migratory bird stopover sites, the Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site.
Creatures of the Keta Lagoon Wetland
Keta Lagoon provides for local communities in abundant ways: it’s used for fishing for food and income, cutting reeds for thatch and weaving, harvesting salt, and irrigating crops. However, some of these activities have degraded the lagoon’s essential habitats. A Rocha Ghana is helping locals encounter the lagoon in a new way and engage with it sustainably.
Imagine looking out on the beaches where Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea, Green Chelonia mydas and Olive Ridley Lepidochelys olivacea Turtles come to breed. Amongst the mangrove trees, you may spot a swamp-dwelling antelope, the West African Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii. The vulnerable West African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis swims around the mangrove’s underwater roots, alongside juvenile Flat Sardines Sardinella mardrensis, ancient-looking Needle Fish Strongylura senegalensis and a variety of shrimps.
And of course, there are the birds. Recognized internationally as a Ramsar Site, Keta Lagoon regularly welcomes over 100,000 birds at a time. It is a vital refuge for countless residents and migratory species journeying from Europe. This includes the Vulnerable Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, the Near-Threatened Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata and a whole revelry of other, more common species.
Jewel-like Malachite Kingfishers Corythornis cristatus sport a blue and black crown. A chuckling ‘coo-coo coo ru’ indicates the presence of Laughing Doves Spilopelia senegalensis. Western Reef-Herons Egretta gularis stalk the shores alongside a variety of sandpipers, godwits and plovers.
‘This tiny traveller is more than just a scientific record,’ reflects Prosper, after the Eurasian Reed Warbler was recaptured in Belgium. ‘It’s a message of hope that by protecting wetlands and wildlife, we’re nurturing the bonds that unite our world.’
Local restoration with a global impact
The incredible routes taken by migratory birds act as invisible threads that stitch our world together. Sensitive to changes in climate, habitat and pollution, they bear the brunt of the harm humans have done to our environment. At the same time, restoring a site like Keta Lagoon has a global impact, supporting life far beyond Ghana’s borders.
Despite its importance for biodiversity, the Keta Lagoon wetland faces many threats. Between 10 and 30 percent of residents in the surrounding districts live in poverty, relying heavily on fishing, agriculture, and mangrove harvesting. However, there is a lack of community awareness of the importance of the site for nature and people. The wetland has been overexploited for its resources and polluted by agrochemicals, fertilizers and household waste.
Climate change is also a grave risk to the Keta Lagoon site and the surrounding communities due to sea level rise and storms of increasing frequency and intensity. Coastal vegetation, especially mangrove forests, is one of the most effective defenses against floods and storms, but they are being harvested unsustainably.
Compounding these environmental stressors is the lack of updated information on bird species and the habitats and sites most important for them, with limited bird monitoring taking place. A Rocha’s ProBioDev project was created to protect the lagoon for the many people and species that depend on it – in Ghana and beyond.
Through funding from the IUCN French Committee, A Rocha Ghana and A Rocha France are joining forces to combine scientific research, community empowerment and habitat restoration in the Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site. Over two years, the ProBioDev project aims to:
- Conduct a comprehensive inventory of bird species and update habitat maps
- Train local community members to monitor and protect bird populations
- Promote eco-friendly livelihoods such as birdwatching tourism
- Support mangrove restoration and ecological farming to enhance food security and climate resilience
In October 2025, A Rocha France conducted a second field mission in Ghana. Scientific Director Timothée Schwartz was accompanied by Charlotte Leon, A Rocha France’s nature manager at Les Courmettes environmental centre, and Andrew Newton, an ornithologist and long-time friend of A Rocha. After conducting an inventory of Keta Lagoon’s bird species several months prior (when they ringed the famed Eurasian Reed Warbler), the A Rocha France contingent returned to complete the inventories and train local teams in bird identification and monitoring.
A Rocha France led four bird ringing sessions, which brought together the many groups collaborating to protect the lagoon, including A Rocha Ghana, rangers from the Wildlife Division responsible for managing the Ramsar site, and rangers from the nearby Avu Lagoon site. Timothée led two training sessions on waterbird counting and identification, as well as data entry and analysis. With a new system for cataloguing data, local monitoring efforts will have an even greater impact on understanding and conserving this critical site.
On World Migratory Bird Day, the wider community was welcomed into the mission to conserve the lagoon. A Rocha hosted over 150 children, as well as the mayor and representatives of the local congressman, for a day of discovering and celebrating migratory birds. A friendly bird competition was followed by speeches and presentations on the concept of bird migration, the threats facing migratory birds and solutions for taking action. Finally, the group was brought out to the lagoon to observe the remarkable water birds living just steps from the school that hosted the event.
While a love for migratory birds is at the centre of the ProBioDev project, protecting them means conserving the habitats on which they depend and building systems where human communities thrive, as well. A Rocha Ghana is raising awareness among local communities of the importance of wetlands for biodiversity, livelihoods, food security and climate resilience. They are training locals, especially women and youth, in mangrove restoration and sustainable harvesting, while also training subsistence farmers in climate adaptation techniques that benefit biodiversity and ecosystems. By developing partnerships with local agencies, A Rocha Ghana is ensuring that the project has strong local buy-in and its benefits extend far into the future.
By protecting migratory birds, we are protecting the planet.
Seeding fertile ground: A Rocha’s Global Conservation Fund
A Rocha’s Global Conservation Fund supports conservation work around the world, including reconciliation work in Uganda, a new marine programme in India, and sustainable livelihoods in Peru. A second round is now underway to pilot innovative approaches such as ‘tiny forests’ in the UK, evaluating long-term conservation scholarships in Kenya, and developing outdoor church initiatives in the Netherlands. In this recording, A Rocha International’s Nick Warren and Kuki Rokhum share the vision, successes, and challenges behind this growing global initiative.
From Conflict to Coexistence in Uganda’s Forest Communities
For Uganda’s forest-edge communities, West Bugwe forest is a source of life, but it can also be a hostile and fearsome place. Although the forest canopy used to be a lush oasis, much of the native tree cover has been destroyed, replaced by the invasive Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and dense, cumbersome shrubbery. The equatorial sun beats down on a raucous cawing of Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills (Bycanistes subcylindricus) and the chattering of Red-tailed Monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Cicadas drone, while the Red-capped Robin-chat (Cossypha natalensis) whistles a rich song full of mimicry. Groups of children and women laugh and shout to each other while collecting firewood, their voices quieting when they encounter a stranger.
On days like this, too many people have been killed by venomous snakes or harassed by aggressive primates, among other dangerous or fatal wildlife encounters. Meanwhile, the National Forest Authority has been tasked with protecting the forest from illegal activities, but many community members feel disconnected from their efforts. To break this cycle of fear and conflict, A Rocha Uganda is bringing everyone to the table to share the forest in peace.
Life in the Forest
After surveying the forest’s wildlife, A Rocha Uganda identified 14 snake species across the landscape. 64 percent of these were venomous, including the Green Bush Viper (Atheris squamigera), whose leaf-textured scales help it blend into the forest’s understory. An encounter with these snakes at home or in the forest can be incredibly dangerous: A Rocha found a complete absence of antivenom at local health facilities, as well as delayed interventions and limited community awareness of how to safely respond to snake encounters.
Surveys also confirmed the presence of four primate species, including the nationally vulnerable De Brazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus). Its presence indicates that the reserve is still able to support species with specialized ecological requirements. This underscores the importance of conserving the few mature forest sections that remain. De Brazza’s Monkey prefers dense, riverine forest habitats and is generally elusive. Nevertheless, community members have reported regular conflict, including almost daily crop-raids by monkeys and especially the more brazen Olive Baboons (Papio anubis).
Promoting Co-existence
Protecting West Bugwe begins with education and empowerment. A Rocha Uganda brought the National Forest Authority, Collaborative Forest Management groups (CFMs), forest guards, churches and students together for a forest conservation workshop. There, leaders were equipped with the skills to identify species, understand forest ecology, and promote coexistence between humans and wildlife.
This was followed by surveys of the wider community to understand better how and why conflict with wildlife happens. It often takes the form of crop raiding, snake bites, livestock predation and safety concerns for women and children. Using these responses and other Ugandan models, A Rocha hosted wildlife coexistence workshops in local schools, churches, trading centres and CFM groups.
These interventions have already begun to transform people’s relationships with the forest’s wildlife. One CFM member explained, ‘Before the training, we feared snakes and would kill them immediately. Now I know which ones are dangerous and what to do safely.’ Community members have a greater understanding of the vital ecological roles of snakes and primates, and they are equipped with non-lethal strategies to avoid conflict.
Conflict isn’t just limited to wildlife. Historically, the National Forest Authority (NFA) has contended with illegal activity in the forest, especially around restoration areas. A Rocha Uganda’s interventions have improved relationships: people have begun attending local meetings and engaging with the Forest Authority in and around the forest. As active routes into the forest close, compromises are found. For example, thanks to A Rocha Uganda’s mediation, the NFA now allows community members to enter the forest one day a week to collect a ‘headload’ of firewood: the amount they can physically carry on their heads.
Restoring the forest for people and wildlife
A Rocha Uganda has also been allocated 50 hectares of the forest to restore, and they are bringing the community alongside this work. While the forest canopy appears intact, much of it has been ravaged by invasive species like Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and Lantana Camara. A Rocha’s restoration is taking two forms: reforestation of native tree species and liberation of native seedlings that are already established by intervening to encourage their growth.
Sustainable livelihoods are an essential component of West Bugwe’s long-term conservation: A Rocha Uganda is equipping local households with techniques like beekeeping, Farming God’s Way, agro-forestry, and building smokeless stoves. All of these activities reduce pressure on the forest while enriching communities’ connections with the natural environment.
These interventions are proving to be a good witness of A Rocha’s Christian faith. A local church in Habuleke has observed an increase in membership as the community sees its relevance due to the accrued benefits from forest honey production livelihood.
In another town, Hamuli, Peter Ejakait is a leader of the Collaborative Forest Management group and a practitioner of Farming God’s Way. This includes three basic principles – zero-tillage, mulching and rotation of crops – which mimic natural forest ecosystems. Since switching to this form of conservation agriculture, Peter has increased his agricultural yield immensely. Through education and community-based conservation, properties like Peter’s and the forest itself are growing into an oasis. West Bugwe is becoming a place where both humans and wildlife can thrive.
Our conservation works
We’re excited to let you know we have been selected to participate in the Big Give’s Earth Raise 2026 (formerly Green Match Fund).
Protect, observe, inspire.
A Rocha’s approach to conservation works. We’ve learned that over 40 years. Our projects help protect threatened ecosystems and species like the endangered Sokoke Scops Owl Otus ireneae, Africa’s smallest owl, and heavily trafficked pangolins. We carefully observe the natural world through scientific monitoring. This constant learning informs improvements to management plans and leads to new conservation approaches. Finally, we inspire others to take action through our education programmes, publications, messaging, engagement with churches, and plastic reduction projects.
Our Earth Raise campaign will raise money to protect over 300 species, 1 million hectares of land, run scientific learning exercises to improve best practice and then inspire over 7,000 people to take action.
Earth Raise begins at noon (GMT) on #EarthDay, 22 April and continues until noon on 29 April. During that time, every contribution made through our campaign page on the Big Give website* will be DOUBLED.
One donation, double the difference.
* Please note only donations made through our campaign page on the Big Give website between 22-29 April are eligible to be doubled (while match funds last). The donate button will appear on the campaign page when Earth Raise launches.
Photo: Eelgrass survey in Boundary Bay, Canada by Hannah Mae Rose
Foxearth Meadows nature prescription
Foxearth Meadows Nature Reserve in Essex has been run by A Rocha UK for just over 10 years now. Andy and Sarah (Foxearth Meadows team) comment that visitors often speak about the calm they feel the moment they step onto the reserve. The stillness, the birdsong, the gentle movement of water. It’s a place where shoulders drop and breathing slows.
Experience has shown that time in nature can be powerful for people who are feeling isolated, overwhelmed or simply worn down. That’s why Andy and Sarah reached out to the local GP practice, hoping the reserve could become part of the community’s wellbeing support.
It worked. Foxearth Meadows is now officially listed as a social-prescribing activity. When someone visits their GP feeling lonely, anxious or in need of gentle movement, the social-prescribing team can suggest a walk at the reserve or an invitation to join the Friday Volunteer Group. It’s a simple step that can make all the difference, a chance to meet new people, to move a little more and to feel grounded again.
The team isn’t told who comes to Foxearth Meadows through this pathway, and their names may never be known. But this much is clear: week by week, a quiet stream of people arrives at Foxearth Meadows. Some come for a walk; some stay to help. All leave having felt the gift of peace the reserve provides.
Volunteer at Les Courmettes – France
Le Domaine des Courmettes is A Rocha France’s second site, an hour’s drive up into the hills northwest of Nice. It offers 600 ha of preserved wildlife in a variety of natural habitats and a breathtaking view of the French Riviera. The Domain is open to the public, with several hiking trails.
This is a pioneering experience, with a small on-site team and volunteering needs in many areas: building, painting, roofing, insulating, administrating, welcoming visitors and hikers, nature surveying, path-making, marketing, hosting commercial events, and so on. Les Courmettes holds huge potential for touching hearts and lives and helping visitors connect with the losses generated by climate change and the joys of living healthily. Come and be a part of it as an individual or even better, as a group!
A Rocha also hopes to develop various environmental education tools in the near future, as well as eco-tourism in the years to come.
Volunteers at Les Courmettes are welcomed for stays of at least two weeks. Living conditions are a little rougher than at Les Tourades, especially during the winter months, and city dwellers might feel somewhat isolated over longer stays. Count on about 130 euros for a week’s full board (subject to change).
Those who participate in outdoors work need to be physically fit and able to hike around the Domain. Ability in French, while not essential, is an asset. Because the community at Les Courmettes is an international one, we do not offer a French-language immersion experience
Long-term volunteer positions at Les Courmettes include:
- logistics assistant for events management and welcoming visitors (with organisational and people skills)
- building maintenance coordinator (with a variety of construction and home improvement skills)
- land management assistant (with skills in environmental management)
- renewable energy project manager (for implementation on site and to offer feasibility studies for churches and parachurch structures)
- environmental education assistant (with skills in education, small group leadership, graphic design and drawing)
- gardening and house help (with agriculture and organisational skills).
These team members may live on or off-site; they would join the team for six to 12 months or more. They must be financially self-supporting, and A Rocha France is available to help volunteers raise support from their local communities.
To apply, please fill out our volunteer application form.
Welcome A Rocha Nigeria
Join us in welcoming A Rocha Nigeria to the A Rocha Worldwide Family – a new chapter emerging from the faithful work of Eden Creation Care Initiative.
One of its flagship projects has been caring for the Rennajj Fish Farm for several years. In the heart of Jos, in Plateau State, abandoned ponds and a threatened wetland habitat is now a landscape alive with restoration.
Each morning, as mist rises gently from the water, the protection team walks the boundaries, boots pressing into damp earth, watching for signs of disturbance and ensuring wildlife is undisturbed. As the dry season approaches, careful hands carve firebreaks across the land, tracing protective lines against wildfire. When the rains return, pond outlets are sealed, allowing water to gather and remain, sustaining life long after the clouds have passed.
Nearby, a nursery hums with quiet growth. Thousands of seedlings of cashew and other native species stretch toward the sun, waiting to take root in renewed soil. Over time, hopeful saplings have matured. African baobab and African locust bean trees now stand tall, their fruit a living testimony of resilience.
Invasive eucalyptus trees are gradually replaced with native, life-giving species. Along the edges, Jatropha curcas – a drought resistant, perennial plant – forms a living fence, guarding the sanctuary.
As Eden transitions into A Rocha Nigeria, this flourishing wetland becomes part of a global family – locally rooted, globally connected and thriving with hope.
Welcome A Rocha DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is known both for its extraordinary biodiversity and for the long shadow cast by conflict. Decades after one of Africa’s most devastating civil wars, over 7 million people remain displaced, and localized struggles over land and resources continue to fracture daily life. The minerals that power much of the modern world are pulled from Congolese soil, and the cost is borne by communities and ecosystems alike.
Into this fragile, vibrant place steps a new member of the A Rocha family: A Rocha DR Congo was founded as TRAFFED in 2003 in Bukavu, South Kivu. For more than 20 years, TRAFFED has quietly and faithfully woven together creation care, community development and Christian discipleship in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.
Their work stretches across eastern Congo’s globally significant landscapes, from community forests on Mount Kabobo to conservation efforts protecting Grauer’s Gorilla Gorilla beringei graueri in the Itombwe region. The team partners with pastors to address deforestation around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, supports women’s eco-entrepreneurship across South Kivu, and advocates for sustainable fisheries near Lake Albert. At the heart of it all is a deep commitment to faith: biblical teaching integrated into conservation, churches equipped as agents of hope, and collaboration across evangelical and ecumenical lines.
One of A Rocha DR Congo’s most inspiring achievements is the Higher Institute of Ecology for Conservation of Nature, home to a pioneering department of environmental theology, forming leaders who see creation care as central to God’s purposes.
In a place marked by long conflict and loss, A Rocha DR Congo reminds us that faithful action is still possible. As Steve Tanner, board chair of A Rocha International writes, ‘This new member of the family represents a huge sign of hope. Even in countries in conflict, where the population goes through extreme difficulties, dangers and uncertainties, there are Christians who chose to stand up and act for creation. A Rocha DR Congo joining the family is a powerful encouragement!’
Booming Bitterns return
Bitterns prefer to be heard, not seen. Camouflaged in streaked brown plumage, this heron haunts the reedbeds of freshwater or brackish marshes. When it feels threatened, the Bittern freezes and extends its neck towards the sky, a position it can maintain for several hours. It will even sway, mimicking the movement of the wind in the reeds, waiting for the danger to pass. This long neck is also a formidable weapon, tucked into its shoulders as the Bittern moves imperceptibly towards a fish, amphibian or aquatic insect. Once it is close enough, it extends its neck to catch or pierce its prey with its spear-like beak. Due to its stealthy nature, it is difficult to detect a Bittern’s presence by sight, but its deep, rhythmic call can be heard from hundreds of metres away.
For the first time in over 30 years, the booming of the Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris has been heard once again in the marshes of the Baux Valley, France. By surveying an area from dusk until dawn during breeding season, the A Rocha France team identified a singing male in the Ilon Regional Nature Reserve on several occasions. Since this species is polygamous, it is likely that there are also several females on the site. The Bittern’s return to the valley is encouraging news, suggesting that the water levels and environments are favorable to its nesting.
In Aotearoa / New Zealand, the Karioi Project is a collaborative community restoration initiative supported by A Rocha Aotearoa / New Zealand, contributing to the Matuku-hūrepo Muster: a national initiative to monitor and protect the Australasian Bittern / Matuku-hūrepo Botaurus poiciloptilus. Local wetland surveys and community hui (gatherings) are helping build a clearer picture of where these elusive birds are breeding, the habitats on which they rely and how better to support their survival. This work also raises awareness of the value of healthy wetlands for people and wider biodiversity around Whāingaroa and beyond. In 2024 and 2025, 14 sites were monitored by listening, with five Bitterns recorded booming across four sites.
Listen to the striking call of these delightful creatures below. Through strategic conservation work, we hope to have wetlands resound with Bittern booming once again!