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A new puppy in the dog squad!

A Rocha India has just welcomed its newest and youngest team member – a Belgian Malinois to join their pioneering Elephant Anti-Depredation Dog Squad (EaDDS). As a breed, they are courageous, athletic and have a high capacity for work. 

This little pup has started her training to help ease human and elephant conflict as a conservation detection dog. Specifically, the dogs will work with the Elephant Task Force of the Karnataka Forest Department to track elephant movement and prevent them from entering human-dominated spaces.

The Bannerghatta National Park is surrounded by 77 villages practicing subsistence farming. Wild elephants can not only damage crops but also cause fatalities. The canine unit is a proactive measure for mitigating human-elephant conflict around Bannerghatta. It helps reduce time taken to identify the exact location of elephants during instances of conflict, which usually happen at night. 

The new puppy is undergoing a careful training process, supported by a panel of expert dog trainers. She is living in a canine training facility setup by A Rocha solely for the purpose of the project. They have refurbished a rented property in Bannerghatta with a fully functional kennel, training ground, housing for dog handlers and other needed amenities. The hope is for the project to be eventually handed over to the forest department, who are fully engaged in and supportive of the pilot phase.  

For more about this innovative conservation project, click here. 

Images: 
Sudhamshu Rao, Conservation Officer A Rocha India, with the puppy  
Photos by Mel Ong

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Minuscule but mighty gardens

According to the World Bank, around 56% of the world’s human population now lives in cities. If you are one of the majority in an urban environment, you might wonder what you can do to play your part in tackling the crisis of biodiversity loss.

For all its picture-perfect scenery, Switzerland also has plenty of residents whose only outdoor spaces are small gardens, balconies or window boxes. A Rocha Switzerland works to inspire people to use even the tiniest places as opportunities to grow diverse flora and fauna. These create essential habitats and food sources for wild animals, birds and insects, as well as improving human quality of life with their beauty.  

A Rocha runs workshops and advisory services for groups of neighbours, families and church groups. The team will assess the space and offers advice, sending the group a plan as follow up. They also lead on-site activities such as building insect hotels, setting up hedgehog shelters or planting shrubs.  

Visit A Rocha Switzerland’s website to find out more. 

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A life-changing volunteer experience at A Rocha Kenya

In September 2024, Jack Hodgson travelled to Kenya to be an A Rocha volunteer at their Mwamba Centre for six months. As he counted down the days to the end of his stay, he spoke to us about his experience and how volunteering his time made a great difference in his life. 
 
Tell us about yourself and what you were doing before you became a volunteer.  
I come from the UK. I had just finished secondary school, where I’d heard Peter Harris give a talk at our Christian Union club. He spoke about the ever-changing environmental factors that my dad has also been teaching me. I liked the sound of what A Rocha does, so when Peter told me about the possibility of volunteering at A Rocha Kenya, I was up for the challenge.  
 
What is your day-to-day life as a volunteer?  
One of the amazing things is that I haven’t had the same day-to-day. Aside from helping set the table for communal meals, my tasks reflected whatever needs arose at the centre. I started out as a properties and facilities assistant, which involved helping with odd jobs like as cleaning gutters and doing general maintenance. Then I got introduced to birds by Colin, the team leader, and eventually became a data enterer for the Ngulia bird ringing project in Tsavo National Park. As a fun side job, I raised three kittens after a wild cat gave birth at Mwamba Centre. Two have been adopted. 
  
How did you get involved with the A Rocha Kenya’s conservation projects?  
I got my dive qualification whilst here in Kenya, and so I was able to join the marine team in coral gardening activities and shark and reef surveys. I also went to Dakatcha, an A Rocha woodlands nature reserve, and met the A Rocha scouts. In one of their Monday morning meetings, they told us about struggling with herders bringing their animals into the protected land. Then, as we were seated conversing, out of the blue a snake slithered up from the trees above. That is when you realize you are truly in nature! 
  
What were some of the highlights of your experience?  
I was fortunate to go to the Tana River Delta to take part in the National Water Bird Count. A few of us camped in an abandoned lodge on the riverbank, counting birds. Before I came to Kenya, I knew nothing about birds, so I think it’s safe to say that not only is my faith being developed through Monday morning meetings and team Bible studies, but my bird knowledge has also definitely been developed. 
 
Back at Mwamba, on Thursday mornings, volunteers wake up early before sunrise for bird ringing and open all the bird nets in the dark. I always used that as an opportunity to sit on the beach and have a sunrise swim. I got to see some amazing Kenyan sunrises and sunsets. 
  
Getting my diving license has been cool. My dad has always loved diving. When he visited, I was able to dive with him. 

What will you miss the most?  
It has been nice to get to know people. It is a real family feeling when you eat together – and the food’s amazing. I’ll miss saying hello in the morning to everyone. That’s going to be a big difference back home because, in the UK, everyone just gives you a nod. 
  
What are your greatest takeaways?  
I hadn’t really started life yet, I guess. This was my introduction to the world outside of school. I’m now ready to go home and start a new chapter of life back in the UK. The experience has made me grow in confidence, faith and teamwork by working with a cross-cultural, multilingual and diverse team. I have also learned a little bit of Swahili. 
  
What are your plans after this?  
I don’t feel like this will be my last time at A Rocha Kenya. It is a beautiful place, ‘a little slice of heaven’ as is often said. It’s not been a bad place to spend the last six months with the beach is a stone’s throw away.  
 
Once home, I’ll be off to the University of Liverpool to study geography. It’s really been incredibly helpful having learned at school about coral reefs and then here what’s being done to help them, as well as about the benefits of mangroves. Diving with a marine team and doing the surveys in Mida Creek in the mangroves was great experience. It’s been amazing to put some context around what I learned at school. Next I hope to get a job as a groundman!  
 
Jack, thank you for all you’ve given A Rocha and we wish you well!

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Micro to Macro

The A Rocha story is big, colourful and complicated, spanning over forty years, six continents, a whole host of humans and other species and more work than seems possible for the dedicated but relatively few staff and volunteers who carry it out. So each year we try and tell it through a different lens, weaving the same threads together in a new way. We’d like to introduce you to our theme for 2025: Micro to macro. 

All conservation – no matter the scale – plays its role in creation care. Great or tiny, every living thing matters to the Lord. From learning about the little mushrooms in the Czech Republic to restoring and protecting West Bugwe forest in Uganda, from influencing the global church to nursing birds with broken wings, A Rocha is involved in projects of all sizes, minuscule, small, large, vast and global. 

We envision a future where life on Earth – from the tiniest insect to the largest mammal – is valued, protected, and sustained for generations to come. 

Through this year, we’ll be bringing you stories from across the scale. In the meantime, do look at our campaign page here.  

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Join our virtual Lent book club!

Wednesdays from 5 March to 9 April from 8pm to 9pm GMT. 

What does the cross have to do with how we live in Creation now and our expectations of eternity? How does it transform our relationship with God, each other, and the wider world?  You are warmly invited to be part of a six-week Lent group exploring what the Bible has to say about the whole story of the cross, based on “The Whole Easter Story” by Jo Swinney (BRF’s Lent Book for 2025). Join others from around the world for honest conversation, prayer and encouragement to go deeper in your life with God in the lead up to Easter.   This study will be hosted by Jo Swinney and Jo Herbert-James (A Rocha UK), with guest contributors from others in the A Rocha family and beyond.  Book your free place 
Week 1 (5 March) The Whole Story  Guest contributor: Rev Dr Dave Bookless UK 
Week 2 (12 March) God & people  Guest contributor: Sylvia Muia, Kenya 
Week 3 (19 March) God & creation  Guest contributor: Mico Salas, Philippines 
Week 4 (26 March) Human relationships  Guest contributor: Dr Rod Wilson, Canada 
Week 5 (2 April) People & creation  Kuki Rokhum, India 
Week 6 (9 April) Now & what is to come  Jocabed Solano, Panama 
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Monitoring Tatalu’s water quality

When you imagine a river, what do you see? Perhaps you hear the sound of water crashing over rocks or notice the clarity of the stream, revealing fish swimming along its current. Rivers like the Little Campbell River hold a quiet kind of power by offering a peaceful escape, a break from the digital chaos of modern life. 

Known as Tatalu to the Semiahmoo First Nation, the Little Campbell River’s watershed is home to diverse wildlife, including some endangered species. Maintaining the health of this river is crucial, not only for its ecosystem but also for activities like shellfish harvesting in the bay. 

A Rocha Canada’s Conservation Science team at the Brooksdale Environmental Centre has been monitoring the river’s water quality for many years. They gather data on key factors like pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, depth, turbidity, and bacterial and chemical contamination. This data, collected from many sites, helps assess water quality changes over time, including seasonal and daily fluctuations. The data then directly informs environmental management decisions that will protect and improve the river’s health.  

Discover more about A Rocha’s work in the Tatalu 

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A new A Rocha book launches!

Still have some Christmas gifts to find for friends and family? How about getting them a copy of The Whole Easter Story: Why the Cross is Good News for All Creation by A Rocha International’s Jo Swinney?  

This 40-day Lent Devotional includes a six-week small group discussion guide and explores how the cross transforms not just our own individual connection with Jesus, but also our relationships with each other and our world.  

All royalties go to A Rocha’s conservation work around the world. 

BUY NOW

*For those outside Europe, please use a local supplier. 

 Narrated with honesty, warmth and the insightful perspective of a storyteller – and accompanied by Jo’s warmly sensitive sketches of particular species – the Whole Easter Story helps us see afresh the immense power and wisdom of the cross for the salvation of the whole world. Thoroughly recommended!  

Professor Paul S Williams – Chief Executive, Bible Society 

This is a truly enjoyable devotional book, providing an excellent guide as we journey through our relationship with God, others and God’s wider creation, as well as God’s own relationship with his creation. Refreshingly honest, laugh out loud, attentive to all of God’s creation – your heart and soul will be fed.  

Jo Herbert-James – Head of Engagement, A Rocha UK 

Lent book club

You are warmly invited to join a six-week virtual book club hosted by Jo Swinney and Jo Herbert-James on Wednesdays from 5 March to 9 April from 8 to 9pm GMT.  

Find out more and book your place HERE. 

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Biodiversity loss and climate change – why should we care? A conversation with Dr Rodel Lasco

If you missed our virtual event on 11 November, no need to fret as we recorded the whole thing!  

Our planetary life support systems are starting to fray under the weight of human activities. Rodel Lasco is the author of several reports by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), and as part of the IPCC, a co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.  Hear his appraisal of the current state of biodiversity globally, how we can respond with hopeful action and the exciting plans for A Rocha’s growing presence in South East Asia.

You can also watch past virtual events on The A Rocha Resource Hub 

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Restoring balance to the crow population in Kenya’s ecosystem

The word ‘invasive’ has often been used to signify species not in their native environment. They are often introduced to new habitats through human activities, either intentionally or unintentionally. 

In the 1890s, the House Crow Corvus splendens was introduced in Zanzibar to control garbage. The solution soon became a problem of its own as the population rapidly increased over 15 years, becoming labeled an invasive species and spreading along the East African coast. 

A Rocha Kenya’s Eric Kinoti notes that the introduction of an invasive species disrupts and destabilizes ecosystems by causing competition between species. The House Crow population grew to over 700,000 birds along the coast of Kenya, which majorly affected tourism as the birds invaded hotels, destroyed crops and placed a strain on the marine ecosystem with their feeding on marine life. It is not the crows’ fault for existing, but human intervention created a problem.  

A Rocha Kenya, in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service, has set out to restore balance to the ecosystem by making a first attempt to control the population using a poison called starlicide. Crows are, however, very intelligent creatures with reasoning as good as a seven-year-old human and with the ability to adapt quickly to any traps set to catch them. Starlicide is the preferred poison because it breaks down fast in the crow’s body and does not cause secondary poisoning to other animals that come into contact with it. Not an easy decision, but, ‘The goal is to manage the population in a year before they surpass the one million population mark,’ Eric explained. 

In July this year, A Rocha Kenya received the first batch of starlicide in hopes that it will significantly reduce the number of crows, without affecting other species. So far, the results are promising and starlicide is said to have an 80% success rate within four months. 

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Building homes on the water: a rescue mission for breeding birds

Breeding birds were in trouble on the Schellerwade, a beautiful arm of the IJssel River just west of Zwolle, Netherlands. The area has traditionally been a popular breeding destination for birds like the Black tern Chlidonias niger and the Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. However, the populations of both species have been declining, with the disappearance of grasses like crabgrass, used by Black terns as natural nesting habitat, and low chick survival rates for Mallards.

The A Rocha local group in Zwolle decided to take action. Each year, they prepare a series of floating nest rafts and lay them out in the Schellerwade, targeting the Black terns. The rafts were visible from the dike and were eagerly monitored to see if they would be used. In 2022 and 2023: no success. Disappointing, but this can happen with an opportunistic species like the Black tern. But in 2024, at least six of the nest rafts were occupied with young Black terns!  

This year, the team also placed five breeding baskets along the IJssel River, a new project focused on Mallards. The baskets stand on a framework of willow branches, protecting any eggs or chicks laid in the basket from predators. Last Saturday the team collected three of the baskets and determined that none had been used by nesting ducks. The remaining two are deeper in the reed bank, amidst dense vegetation, and will be collected later this year. The team will now consider why the nests weren’t used and what could be done differently – one hypothesis is that perhaps the baskets need to be placed further into the water. Next year, they’ll try again and hope for success!