The ‘warming stripe’ graphic published by Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading, portrays the long-term increase of average global temperature from 1850 (left side of graphic) to 2018 (right side of graphic).

An A Rocha International response to latest IPCC report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) set out the final part of its sixth assessment report on 20 March 2023. This is the most integrated and accessible assessment of climate change drivers, impacts, and solutions in a decade.

The report demonstrates the devastating reality and risks posed by the climate crisis, such as food shortages, human and animal deaths from heat and humidity, and loss of habitat and species. There is not one, but three global crises : biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty and inequality. Each of these three crises impacts negatively on the other two.

The report makes sober reading, but it does hold out hope, and has been said to offer a ‘survival guide for humanity’ in the face of climate change’. It includes multiple, feasible and effective options available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change. We have never been better equipped to solve the climate challenge. We have what Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Programme, calls a ‘rapidly closing window of opportunity’ but if we act now, we can still secure a liveable, sustainable future for all.

Nevertheless, it is surprising that the IPCC should have listed hydropower as a tool to combat climate change. We need the tools to combat climate change to be those that don’t exacerbate other problems such as biodiversity loss and the livelihoods of river-dependent people.

At the COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, a number of countries tried, but failed, to get the UN to agree to phase out oil and gas as well as coal. This argument is not going away – with the EU now openly supporting such a move. This IPCC report will be central for COP28 when countries meet again in Dubai later this year.

For forty years, A Rocha’s integrated approach to conservation has led us to look for ways for landscapes and their inhabitants to live in healthy interdependence, whether through the livelihoods created by processing shea nuts in northern Ghana, the coastal forests of Kenya earning school fees for local children through eco-tourism, or communities learning to live peacefully alongside elephants in India. We believe God created the world to be a safe home for every living thing and in our work on six continents, we have seen the truth of this in practice.

We are committed to the places, people and species we work to protect and restore around the world and we also recognize that we do not bear the full weight of their survival. Our efforts are inadequate, but God’s love and faithfulness for all he has made enables us to remain hopeful that the story is not over.

For more information and in depth analysis, we recommend the following articles and short films:

Prof. Katharine Hayhoe: What is the IPCC Synthesis Report for the 6th Assessment

IPCC Synthesis Report: UN Climate Report 5 Facts

Simon Lewis in The Guardian: The IPCC’s climate report has drawn the battle lines for COP28: oil profits or a liveable future

Le Monde: IPCC Report: Humanity still has the means to act on the Climate

Synchronicity Earth: The myth of green hydropower

BBC: Five things we’ve learned from UN climate report

Image: The ‘warming stripes’ graphic published by Ed Hawkins from the University of Reading, portrays the long-term increase of average global temperature from 1850 (left side of graphic) to 2018 (right side of graphic). (CC BY 4.0)

Eco-Church2

Eco Church in action

The 16th century Spanish nun Teresa of Ávila wrote, ‘Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.’ We, the Church, are the body of Christ. Through A Rocha UK’s Eco Church project, the natural world is being blessed in large and small ways around England and Wales.  

Churches can take an online survey about actions relating to worship and teaching, management of church buildings, management of church land, community and global engagement and lifestyle. Each action they take gets them points – enough points gets them an award. But more importantly, each action is an expression of God’s love for the world.  

St Paul’s Marylebone is adding taller plants to their outdoor space to increase biodiversity and have created a water area for birds and other wildlife. Christ Church in Higher Bebington has done years of work on their buildings, has planted an orchard and a wildflower meadow and made a woodland walk and pond areas on their land. Hathersage Methodist Church has changed all the light fittings on the premises to LED bulbs and created havens for wildlife on church land through birdboxes, bug-hotels and re-wilding. They host a regular Repair Café in the church hall and have launched a volunteer group to maintain the woodland garden next to the church. Glossop Parish Church has installed bird boxes, bug and hedgehog hotels, and abstain from hedge trimming when birds might be nesting. Lindley Methodist Church share eco-lifestyle tips in their weekly church notices and have made alterations to the heating and lighting in the church building to improve efficiency and are installing water harvesting systems. 

Each church that takes part in Eco Church is participating in God’s blessing of this world he loves and demonstrating faith in action to their wider community. 

Creation-Care2

Why should the church care for God’s creation?

In a new short film from A Rocha, we explore the relationship between the church and the environment and look at how God is calling the church to care for his creation.  

What does the church have to do with creation care and why should we care for God’s creation? First, because God asks us to care for it. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God made us to be part of this creation, and Genesis 2:15 tells us that God put humankind in the garden to serve and protect it.  

Second, because God calls us to love our neighbour (Mark 12:31), especially the weak and vulnerable. Environmental degradation has severe consequences – such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution – that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. As followers of Christ, we are called to love our neighbours and to seek justice and mercy for all. This means we need to care for the land, sea, sky and everything in it – on which we and our neighbours all depend. 

Third, because Jesus is Lord. We can share and show his Lordship by caring for this world that he created. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1). God has never abandoned or forsaken what he has made. Instead, God became Immanuel – God with us. Our brokenness is also the brokenness of earth, and it is for God’s love of the whole world that he sent his son (John 3:16). 

We, the church, can come alongside God in the work he is already doing to sustain and redeem all of creation.  

We encourage you to share this film with your church, Bible study or home group. ‘Why should the church care for God’s creation?’ is available on A Rocha’s Vimeo channel here. You can learn more about A Rocha’s creation care resources or about supporting A Rocha as a Church Partner at arocha.org/church-partners. 

GBIF

Digitizing data to help conserve African forests

Biodiversity is the variety of life on this planet. It is essential for sustaining the intricate ecosystems that provide food, fuel, health, wealth and other vital services. Beyond all that, biodiversity is valuable simply in itself, for the sheer awe and wonder of it. Knowledge about biodiversity enhances our understanding of species as well as of the state of the ecosystems where they live. This information is relevant in deciding what actions based on evidence (research) should inform outputs (policy and decisions) so ecosystems can thrive and support livelihoods. 

Surprisingly, a wealth of data remains inaccessible in reports, notebooks and collections, which, if digitized and published through online platforms like GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, can be used to inform decision-making. GBIF is a database that provides free open access biodiversity data from all over the world to anyone, anywhere.

For these reasons, over the last two years, 11 organizations across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ghana have worked collaboratively to mobilise, share and use biodiversity data to help with the conservation of four forested African landscapes.[1]

So far, we have published over 40 datasets from Atewa Forest in Ghana, the forests of the Kwande and Oban-Liku in Nigeria, West Bugwe in Uganda and the coastal forests and kayas (sacred forests) of Kenya – all of international conservation importance. The datasets are now being converted to useful informational products such as simple species checklists and IUCN Red Listed posters. As the project comes to an end, these outputs will be shared with the relevant stakeholders (conservation managers, government institutions, schools, local communities and the public) who will put the data to use: conservation planning and development, education, research and fundraising, tourism and reporting on these important landscapes that hold significant biodiversity. Data makes a difference! 

View the presentation here

Option 2 - StoryMap photo

StoryMaps offers a new communication tool for Marine Conservation

A Rocha USA’s Marine Conservation interns have been busy this year with SCUBA certifications, monitoring horseshoe crabs, biodiversity studies, plastics research, presenting research papers, conservation storytelling and much more. Part of their internship includes communicating the findings of their work through a variety of multimedia. They have produced a StoryMap – a visually compelling web-based application that tells a story through text, maps, stunning photos, videos and other content.

This first StoryMap produced by A Rocha USA’s interns – Allison Cutting, Nicholas Davis and Michaela Stenerson – explores the freshwater habitats of Florida and their role in Florida’s ecosystem. The StoryMap dives into three specific locations: Blue Springs, Wekiwa Springs and Alexander Springs.

Blue Springs is one of the best places to see West Indian Manatees Trichechus manatus in Florida. It is a protected refuge for manatees seeking warmth from the colder surrounding waters in the winter. In addition to manatee, the spring houses fish like Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula, Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and several species of Armored Catfish Loricariidae.

Wekiwa is home to the Seminole people and a number of animals, including turtles, fish and otters. It has been managed as a State Park since 1969 and is a major tourist attraction in central Florida, attracting several hundred thousand tourists and locals each year.

Alexander Springs is within Alexander Springs Park and is used for several recreational activities, especially scuba diving and snorkelling. The spring gushes forth about 70 million gallons of water per day and keeps a constant temperature of 22°C (72°F) year-round, providing habitat for a large number of species, including fish – Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides – and Eastern Mud Turtles Kinosternon subrubrum, American Alligators Alligator mississippiensis and North American River Otter Lontra canadensis. 

StoryMaps help us share the beauty and ecological importance of places like the Florida springs. Click here to explore ARUSA’s StoryMap of this special habitat and what you can do to help protect it. We look forward to seeing more StoryMaps from the USA Marine Conservation programme as they use multimedia to make conservation stories more accessible and engaging for new audiences.

JSBD

The John Stott Memorial Birding Day is back!

A Rocha is organizing a third global bird race in honour of our great friend and supporter John Stott’s legacy as theologian, pastor and birdwatcher. Make sure to mark 13 May in your calendars and pull a team together to tackle how you can spot as many bird species in 24 hours as possible.  

You can also participate in the day by entering our photo competition or using our bird-themed spiritual retreat guide. Please visit www.johnstottbirdingday.com for more information and join the lively Facebook group by searching for ‘The John Stott Memorial Birding Day’. 

The John Stott Birding Day is planned to coincide with eBird’s ‘Global Big Day’. By adding our checklists to eBird we are contributing to a vast, freely accessible wealth of information, where it can power data-driven approaches to conservation. In 2022 participants in the John Stott Birding Day in 19 countries logged an amazing 1,000 species! Let’s see if we can log even more this year. 

Use these images for your social media posts to let everyone know you’re taking part!

Small can have an impact

Introducing Small, the latest instalment of A Rocha’s ‘Elements of Hope’ video series. This inspiring short video highlights the power of small endeavours, reminding us that even the smallest actions can make a significant impact.  

From the small beginnings of conserving the threatened Dakatcha woodland in Kenya to reminders of the beauty and creativity in every detail of God’s creation, Small encourages us to have hope and not be discouraged by the smallness of who we are or what we can do.  

Join us in watching Small and let it inspire you to take small but meaningful steps towards caring for creation. Share it with your church, school, Bible study or youth group and see how God uses your small actions for his kingdom. We’ve created this discussion guide which we hope helps you engage the theme of the film together. Download the video from our Vimeo channel here and tell us how you are sharing it with your community!  

Ōi burrow scoping

Ōi Against the Odds

In a rewarding end to 2022, A Rocha Aotearoa New Zealand saw 12 Ōi/Grey-Faced Petrel chicks fledge from Karioi! 

Historically, thousands of seabirds would flock to the beaches, coastal forests, and mountaintop of Karioi to raise their chicks, but now only a tiny remnant remains. When A Rocha first joined the community restoration project on the mountain in partnership with the Whāingaroa community, they found only a dozen or so Ōi burrows containing broken eggshells or dead chicks. Each year, adult pairs were returning to Karioi to breed only to find their burrows overtaken by invasive species and competing for habitat. For each breeding pair, a single Ōi egg is laid in winter and incubates for about 55 days before hatching but it’s not till summer before the Ōi chick fledges. This makes the Ōi egg and chick very vulnerable to predators like rats, stoats, ferrets, possums and feral cats.    

To give these birds a breeding chance, A Rocha began a long-term intensive predator control along the Whāingaroa Coast and on Karioi. They also monitor the Ōi burrows during breeding season, when adult pairs return to lay a single egg. Searching for burrows can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, so Miro, the specially trained seabird dog, helps locate new and active burrows. Each week, a dedicated team of ‘burrow buddies’ visit the burrows to assess activity and respond to predator threats. A Rocha also set up 24-hour field cameras near the burrows each year, which give an intimate look at the everyday (and night time) activities of the Ōi.    

For the 2022 breeding season, the Karioi team monitored 63 burrows. Unfortunately, a number of Ōi chicks were lost due to stoat incursions, but the 2022 Ōi season was still the most successful one yet! With 12 chicks fledged around Christmas, the season marked a record since the first seven chicks fledged in 2017. 

Thanks to long-term monitoring and intensive predator control, 47 Ōi chicks have fledged from Karioi in the past six years! This result is a testimony to a community that has come together and made a real difference to a vulnerable bird species and a threatened ecosystem.     

Click here to watch amazing footage from the monitoring cameras showing juvenile Ōi chicks spreading their wings and preparing to launch themselves into life at sea. These birds will return to the same coastline in 5-6 years’ time to raise their own chicks. 

Top-story-3_Peru

A truly communal kitchen

At the end of 2021, A Rocha Peru began a partnership with Pastor José Guzmán from Iglesia Casa de Oración in Pacasmayo, northern Peru, to develop a community kitchen that the church had initiated. Located in a remote, desert shanty town, Micaela Bastidas de San Demetrio community kitchen was facing the challenge of improving its modest premises. In response, A Rocha Peru installed an ecological cookstove for more self-sufficiency, set up an organic garden and a space for rearing small animals, and introduced environmental education activities.  

The collaboration proved a significant catalyst which inspired local government and companies to get involved and complement this work by developing the building structure, improving the kitchen and providing a water cistern. Through these combined efforts, Micaela Bastidas de San Demetrio community kitchen has been transformed into a communal hub run by local women committed to preparing and serving daily nutritious meals to 28 families, a total of 120 adults and children. 

In October 2022, A Rocha International’s Director of International Operations, Sarah French, and A Rocha Peru’s Executive Director, Ramón Casana, had the pleasure of being shown around the centre. The local women served them a delicious meal as an example of their work and a token of their appreciation to A Rocha. This inspiring example of community work shows the multiplying impact that A Rocha Peru is having in the communities it serves.  

Simon still

I am a conservationist

As part of A Rocha’s 40th Anniversary, we’re excited to introduce the new five-part video series, ‘Elements of hope’. From discovering the beauty in the small things, to understanding the importance of planting roots long-term, to exploring the connection between nature and mental health, the series offers a powerful message of hope in the face of today’s conservation challenges. Stay tuned for all five videos premiering throughout the year – starting with the first video, ‘I am a conservationist’. 

We all have a role to play in protecting and preserving our planet. Being a conservationist doesn’t mean you have to be a scientist or work for a non-profit. It’s about making small changes in our daily lives and using our unique talents and skills to make a difference. Conservation needs everyone.   

Join the movement and show the world that conservation is not just for scientists or activists, it’s for all of us. Show us what you’re doing for nature by sharing your stories, photos, and videos on social media with the hashtag #iamaconservationist. Together, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future for all creation.