- A Rocha
A Rocha is an international conservation organization with a Christian ethos. Its members believe that God loves the Earth and all its people, so credible environmental stewardship and working within local communities to restore degraded habitats is a way of serving God. A Rocha, which means "the rock" in Portuguese (see entry "
Rocha "), was founded in Portugal in1983 by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda. It is completely interdenominational, governed by a Board of Trustees with wide qualifications in life sciences, relief and development, and financial and risk management. Since 1993 it has expanded its work to 18 countries.A Rocha aims to protect the environment through local, community-based conservation, scientific research, and environmental education. Its "
modus operandi " is based on five guiding principles: Christian, Conservation, Community, Cooperation, and Cross-Cultural. [A Rocha. [http://arocha.org/int-en/663-DSY.html "A Rocha's Five Commitments"] .]Work
As of
2008 , A Rocha is working in 18 countries:Brazil ,Bulgaria ,Canada ,Czech Republic ,Finland ,France ,Ghana ,India ,Kenya ,Lebanon ,Netherlands , New Zealand/Aotearoa,Peru ,Portugal ,South Africa ,Switzerland ,United Kingdom , andUSA . [A Rocha. [http://arocha.org/int-en/index.html arocha.org home page] .] Local networks are being built up with a view of creating a national A Rocha in another nine countries. [A Rocha. " [http://arocha.org/int-en/32-DSY.html Future national A Rocha organisations] "]A Rocha works in partnership with a wide range of organizations, such as the IUCN [IUCN. " [http://www.iucn.org/about/union/members/network/members_database/index.cfm Members database] ".] ,
Conservation International and theEuropean Commission 's DG Environment through the European Habitats Forum. [IUCN. " [http://www.iucn.org/search.cfm?uNewsID=50 European Habitats Forum] ".]Centers and sites
A Rocha operates
field study centers in Canada, France, India, Kenya, Portugal and the UK. These may serve as a base for other organizations' field studies. [See:Earthwatch . [http://www.earthwatch.org/site/pp2.asp?c=dsJSK6PFJnH&b=1170737 "Kenya's Forest Monkeys"] .]There are also long-term study sites in the
Bekaa Valley of Lebanon (theAammiq Wetland ) and other major watersheds and bird migration corridors. Studies in progress include wetland ecosystems, avoided deforestation, and collection of long-term census data on birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, freshwater invertebrates and fish, and plants.Carbon mitigation
A Rocha operates the climatestewards.net web site, which accepts donations for community-based
tree planting projects, [Climate Stewards, " [http://www.climatestewards.net/projects/index.php Our projects] ".] as well as offering practical tips for reducingcarbon emissions .Current carbon-quantified tree planting projects are located in
Damongo , Ghana, andPietermaritzburg , South Africa, with other tree-planting projects, e.g. in South America, awaiting research to start quantifying carbon sequestration.All projects are designed according to international standards for benefits to biodiversity and the local community.
References
External links
* http://www.arocha.org/ - A Rocha's web site
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