In order to expand protection in the Buffer Zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, in January 2005, FOC launched a $250,000 capital campaign. This funding will enable us to secure conservation agreements with three additional Ejdos in the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, providing protection of an additional roughly 147,000 acres of land and economic benefits to more than 168 local landowners, called Ejidos.

The focal area of Friends of Calakmul's work is the Buffer Zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, which has been the focus of a seven-year scientific research project led by Dr. Gerardo Ceballos at the National University of Mexico. This study identified this area as critically important to maintaining the regional biodiversity and specifically for the maintaining the Jaguar population of the Calakmul Reserve.

Thus far, we have secured two conservation contracts with Ejidos. Under these agreements, Ejidos commit to protection provided we make annual payments. Our immediate goal is to have a total of 181,623 acres of land under conservation contract (34,595 of which we already have) and an additional 160,619 acres under cooperative management with the National Commission for Protected Areas ("CONANP") of Mexico.

Our next highest priorities for conservation are three Ejidos located in the Southwest Buffer Zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve: Chan-Yaxche (48,433 acres), Concepción (41,514 acres), and Postunich (57,081 acres). Each of these Ejidos have expressed interest in signing conservation agreements with Friends of Calakmul, once funding is secured. Funds raised under the Capital Campaign will be used for annual payments to these Ejidos, as well as to put in place the programs needed to ensure that conservation is sustainable (research, environmental education, fire prevention, etc).

We are asking each of our members to consider making a sustantial contribution towards this campaign or to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested in making a donation to save endangered rainforest habitat in Mexico. Every dollar helps! To make a contribution on-line, please click on the link below.

Click here to make a difference!

Jill Brotman, a member of Friends of Calakmul, wrote the curriculum for a 6th grade literature anthology and used Friends of Calakmul as an example of one organization that is making a difference! The books are published by Mosdos Press in Cleveland, where Jill is a senior writer and editor.

Mosdos Press has produced a wonderful series of books, that are being read by thousands of teachers, and many more thousands of children.

Below is an excerpt from the book:

"Each second more than an acre of rainforest disappears: That’s 11 million acres a year, or 30,000 acres a day. According to The Nature
Conservancy, a typical four square mile patch of rainforest contains up to 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 125 mammal species, 400 species of birds, 100 reptile species, 60 species of
amphibians, and 150 species of butterflies. Until recently, 8 million square miles of tropical rainforest encircled the planet. More than half has been bulldozed, burned, and obliterated. Today, only 3.4 million square miles of the rainforest remains. Scientists estimate that if the current rate of deforestation continues nearly all tropical rainforest ecosystems will be destroyed by the year 2030.

Why are rainforests so important? Although rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth’s surface, they are home to more than 50% of all plant and animal species. Rainforests are crucial to maintaining the Earth’s weather patterns and the global supply of fresh water.

Rainforests receive 50% of all rainfall—water that is slowly released to rivers and streams. The natural elements and species of the rainforest supply countless consumer, agricultural, medical, and industrial products. The rainforests are also the home of 50 million indigenous peoples who are fighting for their homelands and their way of life against massive government and corporate projects.

There is hope, however, and students can play a positive role by learning about organizations that work to protect the rainforest. One such group, the Friends of Calakmul, is working to protect the biological heritage of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. These 1,700,000 acres are the second largest ‘protected’ area in Mexico.

Four hundred jaguars are maintained in the Reserve. This is one of the largest jaguar populations on Earth now, because jaguars are on the edge of extinction. The Friends of Calakmul was formed by a small group of scientists and concerned citizens who anticipated the loss of the Calakmul sanctuary to logging interests and other human pressures. The group is committed to the long-term preservation of jaguars and their fragile ecosystem for generations
to come. FOC has brought together other organizations to pool their knowledge, research, and skills. FOC works with local people to find alternative commercial activities to promote both development and conversation. Handcrafts, ecotourism, organic crops, native plant cultivation are projects being evaluated."

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this book, please visit:

http://www.mosdospress.com/

If you are interested in helping Friends of Calakmul secure critically endangered rainforest habitat, there are a number of ways that you can make a difference:

1. Make The Rainforest Site your home page and visit daily. This is a great way to remind yourself to click each day.

2. When purchasing gifts for loved ones, visit therainforestsite.org and shop online at over 100 of the Web's top retailers. For every dollar you spend 10.8 square feet of land will be saved -- at no extra cost to you!

3. Sign up for a free email account on Planet-Save.org.

4. Click on the link below and purchase a Gift Certificate for someone you love. Mother's Day is right around the corner!

5. Finally, the best and most direct way that you can help us in our efforts at saving precious Jaguar habitat is to make a donation to Friends of Calakmul. Again, you can do so by clicking on the link below.

Thank you for being a loyal member of Friends of Calakmul!

Click here to make a difference!