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A global conservation gathering

Every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together thousands of leaders and decision-makers for the largest global gathering in the conservation movement.

Due to the pandemic, this year’s gathering in Marseille was smaller than usual, but A Rocha International and A Rocha Ghana were both able to attend and for the first time, participated in the Members Assembly. Decisions made here can inform international climate and biodiversity policies, so our presence demonstrated that a Christian organization is able to advocate for conservation across a wide variety of topics and that A Rocha is clearly respected for its solid scientific work.

The exhibition area, which functions like a trade fair for the conservation movement, welcomed 25,000 visitors and A Rocha France joined the A Rocha delegation to present Eglise Verte, a programme supporting French churches to go green. There were many significant conversations held at our stand with people from around the world and a generally positive response from those finding a Christian organization in the mix.

One particular highlight was the celebration of Prof Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, the Board Chair of A Rocha Ghana and trustee of A Rocha International. In recognition of his enormous contribution to biodiversity conservation in Ghana and around the world, he was bestowed the IUCN’s highest honour, the John C. Phillips Memorial Medal, joining the ranks of distinguished conservationists such as Sir David Attenborough, Mrs Indira Ghandi and Professor E.O. Wilson.

Photo: Alfred Oteng-Yeboah receiving the John C. Phillips Memorial Medal. Photo by IISD/ENB

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Mapping the world’s coral reefs

Understanding where coral reefs are and monitoring their changes is an important part of conserving these special marine habitats. Although they occupy just a small proportion of the world’s oceans, they harbour an enormous diversity of marine life. They also support the livelihoods of fishing communities and protect coastlines from the damaging effects of climate change.

On the doorstep of A Rocha Kenya’s field study centre, Mwamba, lies Watamu Marine National Park. Established in 1968, it is one of Kenya’s oldest marine parks. Over a period of three months, A Rocha Kenya’s marine team checked coral reefs in the park assigned to them by the the Allen Coral Atlas project and then used their SCUBA gear and research boat ‘Tewa’ to document specific details, such as percentage coral cover. Their data contributed to the development of a global map of coral reefs.

In September, maps of the world’s tropical, shallow coral reefs were completed, marking a major milestone for the Atlas. Thanks to this global collaboration of more than 450 teams who led expeditions and contributed data, we have information about this marine ecosystem in unprecedented detail, which are downloadable and accessible to all. Now organizations like A Rocha Kenya have a new tool to guide their conservation efforts.

 

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Nine years as a refugee in Lebanon

Ibrahim Saffieh arrived in Lebanon with his family in 2012 as refugees fleeing the war in Syria. Initially he managed to find employment slaughtering chickens. Then in 2015, A Rocha Lebanon offered him work, first at our nature park in Qab Elias and more recently at Mekse, helping with practical conservation and site maintenance.

Ibrahim loves the outdoors and is a loyal worker. He can turn his hand to anything that needs to be done on site – from tree planting and pruning to pond maintenance and irrigation. When extra labour is needed, he arranges work for other refugees, paid on a daily basis thanks to Gifts with a Difference, and the generous individuals whose purchases have supported nature-based livelihoods for Syrian refugees.

Ibrahim also grows food for his family on currently unused land and sells any surplus produce for income. His wife, Fatimah, makes wonderful manousheh, a traditional Lebanese flatbread and their youngest son, Mohammad, hopes to follow in her culinary footsteps by learning catering. At 13 years old, he has already left school and works 12-hour days at a nearby sandwich restaurant. Their eldest son, Ahmed, is 20, and is a carpenter living and working in Beirut, while his daughter, Bathoul, is in her final year at school and dreams of going to university.

Gifts with a Difference has made a real and positive impact for refugee families like Ibrahim’s. Thank you for making a difference!

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International Coastal Cleanup Day

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to our marine ecosystems. Over 8 million tonnes ends up in the ocean and in our rivers and lakes every year.

That’s why addressing the problem of marine plastics is such an important part of A Rocha’s conservation work. It’s a challenging task! But it is also an opportunity for hope and restoration.

Are you interested in understanding this global problem and partnering with others to care for our oceans?

Join A Rocha for the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup Day on 18 September to help reduce plastic pollution and create waters of hope. Here are three ways you can take part:

  1. Join a local cleanup on 18 September and record the litter you collect using the Clean Swell app.
  2. If there isn’t one near you, organize your own cleanup on 18 September using our litter cleanup guide and record your collection in the the Clean Swell app, listing A Rocha as your group.
  3. If you can’t get to a cleanup on 18 September, take any day this month and clean up a beach or waterway near you.
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Science Geek Christy and her Eco-Logbook

Petra Crofton is a biologist and philosopher who has worked with A Rocha in Portugal, France and other countries. Recently she teamed up with A Rocha Netherlands to offer Christian primary schools an extensive free education resource about wildlife, climate, sustainability and creation care.

Science Geek Christy and her Eco-Logbook follows the story of 12-year-old Christy, her three best friends and teacher Mr Nolan, as they embark on an exciting eco-adventure to Ecuador. Along the way they face many challenges and dilemmas, like how to travel there in an environmentally friendly way.

The education pack ties in with the Dutch teaching curriculum for science, RE and other subjects and links to the work of A Rocha and Climate Stewards. The English version of the book will be published by Lion Hudson UK on 17 September and Petra is also hoping to adapt, translate and publish the education pack for English-speaking schools, education programmes and individuals.

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Annual Review 2020/2021

The past year has been a season like no other and it has affected us all in different and complex ways. Yet despite it all, A Rocha’s ground-breaking work – taking place in more than 20 countries across six continents – continues to conserve life on land and under the sea, address climate change and reach tens of thousands in conservation and environmental education.

We hope you will be encouraged as you read more in our latest Annual Review. In it there are stories of habitats restored and species protected, amazing people and inspiring partnerships, as well as innovative new projects that are supporting communities and conservation around the world. None of it would be possible without you. Thank you!

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Shellfish harvesting in Semiahmoo Bay

Through the site of A Rocha Canada’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre runs the Little Campbell River – also called Tatalu in SENĆOŦEN, the language of the Semiahmoo First Nation people, whose traditional territory extends across the entire watershed.

The river flows into Semiahmoo Bay, which has historically been a shellfish harvesting site for several coastal communities, including the Semiahmoo First Nation. However, in recent decades, high fecal coliform levels in the bay have made it unfit for shellfish harvesting and the First Nations communities have been forced to abstain from practices that are integral to their cultures and traditional food security.

A Rocha Canada is working alongside Semiahmoo First Nation and other members of the Shared Waters Alliance to monitor water quality in several locations along the Tatalu and its tributaries. One of the starting points is to examine factors that are generally known to contribute to high fecal coliform levels in waterways, such as septic system discharges, runoff from agricultural land containing livestock waste, cross-connections between storm and sewage pipes, and pet waste. Alongside this research and monitoring, A Rocha Canada is working with landowners and local municipalities to discuss the extent of the issue and how to combat it. Our hope is that the Semiahmoo First Nation can one day resume the shellfish harvesting practices that have been such an integral part of their culture.

Photo: Tim Hall

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Canada – nationwide

A Rocha Canada is establishing a nationwide network of conservation activities and is happy to welcome volunteers to join in with various events and activities across Canada:

  • Brooksdale Environmental Centre (Surrey, BC)

  • Cedar Haven Farm (Hamilton, ON)

  • Manitoba

For details, please see A Rocha Canada’s volunteer page for the latest opportunities.

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Taking on marine plastics

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Plastic pollution continues to be a global problem. There are many ‘how to’ resources, but fewer that examine the role plastic plays in our Christian life. A Rocha’s Lead Marine Scientist Dr Robert Sluka has written a new Grove booklet called Marine Plastics which we hope will be useful for better understanding how plastic can play a positive role in healing our relationships: with God, each other, nature and ourselves. Copies can be ordered from the Grove Books website.

The booklet is a short examination of how plastic can heal or hurt relationships. Dr Sluka (Bob) examines plastic pollution considering biblical texts and the writings of several theologians, including Michael Northcott, Ellen Davis and Pope Francis. The epilogue looks at plastic in an age of Covid and broadens the discussion to Christian relief and development. The book points readers to A Rocha’s Plastics Toolbox for resources on how to practically address plastic pollution wherever we live.

Bob will be talking about his Grove booklet at an online event on 16 September. Register today to hear him speak and bring along your burning questions. Many A Rocha organizations will be conducting a plastic cleanup in September and taking part in the Great Global Nurdle Hunt in October. Contact your national office to find out what they are doing. If there are no events near you, perhaps you could lead one yourself and invite everyone along! Plastic is not the only issue impacting our planet, but it is one that we all need to be a part of solving.

Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets used as the raw material for making many of our plastic products. Photo: Benjamin Kelsey

Image of beach sampling by Jo Calcutt

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A new member of the family in Sweden

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We are delighted to welcome our Friends of A Rocha group in Sweden as an A Rocha Associated Project. Kristna för naturvård i Sverige (KriNa for short, or in English: Christians for Nature Conservation in Sweden) is helping individuals, groups and churches in Sweden to care more for creation and protect places for biodiversity, especially locally. Their Hyllie Park Gardens Project is a joint venture with the local church and adult education college and focuses on environmental education and the creation of a meadow, wildlife habitats and nature trail that will promote biodiversity onsite.

Through practical workshops and seminars, people are learning how to make bird houses and insect hotels, as well as finding out about environmental issues such as plastic pollution and how to live more sustainably. Local children and adults are enjoying trips to nature parks and church study groups are learning what it means to be an eco-church.

In time, KriNa hopes to improve awareness of and care for nature among the children and students at its partner schools and to increase their reach beyond Hyllie Park – positively impacting biodiversity and engaging with different churches within Sweden.

Welcome to the A Rocha worldwide family, Kristna för naturvård i Sverige!

Photo by Arne Mörnerud