All are invited to celebrate Community Conservation’s 25 years of successful projects in 15 countries. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Ark, 401 E. Jefferson, Viroqua on Friday, Oct. 10 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Community Conservation, based in rural Gays Mills, may be the most effective conservation group you have never heard of. This is because they work quietly behind the scenes to catalyze projects and leave the ownership to local communities and conservation groups.
If you have heard of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Valley Stewardship Network, the Badger Army Ammunition Plant recreation area, the Blue Mounds Area Project, or Eagle Days in Sauk-Prairie, then you know of their work in Wisconsin. They have also worked in Belize, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Trinidad, Peru, Russia, Papua New Guinea, India, Nepal, Ghana, Rwanda, and Madagascar.
Their success is in catalyzing rural communities and leaving empowered community groups, who are the most consistent and powerful conservationists, like those here in the Kickapoo Valley and southern Wisconsin.
Come hear their story, learn about the power of communities, and learn how you can help them to spread the message. In a time when the conservation news seems only to be about the destruction of the world’s forests and wildlife, the loss of species and biodiversity, and the cloud of climate change hanging over our world, community conservation is one ray of hope: one powerful solution we have to protect our planet.
Hear stories of unsung heroes who have saved and revived the environment in their communities:
• 18 community groups in the Manas Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India (which UNESCO once called “in danger”) brought back the forest, its elephants, tigers, monkeys and other wildlife
• Peru farmers who are forming groups and networks to protect their critically endangered yellow tailed woolly monkeys.
• Ghana and Ivory Coast chiefs and communities who are protecting their peat swamp forests, the last homes of the critically endangered roloway monkeys.
• Rwanda villagers who are coming together to revive the last of their forests to protect their golden guenons and a small population of chimpanzees.
• Groups in Ghana, Peru, Belize and Wisconsin who are working against government pressure to mine and drill for oil in protected areas
Community Conservation needs your help to expand and spread the message about this powerful solution to environmental problems. Please join their celebration on October 10 and bring a friend!
