At CI, we have made it our mission to conserve natural ecosystems and protect the essential benefits they provide for all life on Earth. This challenge is especially vital in the face of threats like climate change.

This week, we are proud to announce that the work of CI’s own Will Turner will be published in Nature, the internationally-renowned science journal. The paper was co-written with Michael Oppenheimer and David S. Wilcove of Princeton University, and is entitled, “A Force to Fight Global Warming.”

In the paper, the authors emphasize the huge role that preserving (or destroying) intact ecosystems will have on how climate change affects all of our lives. They also stress the need for different sectors to work together on innovative climate change solutions, and the importance of funding for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in the upcoming climate meetings in Copenhagen.

Full article available in Nature, November 19 2009  issue or online (Nature subscribers only).

Q: In what year did TIME Magazine publish its first cover story on global warming?
A: 1987 Tweet This!

Q: What single source is responsible for more CO₂ emissions than all the world’s transportation combined?
A: The burning and clearing of forests Tweet This!

Q: Imagine an area of tropical forest the size of Manhattan. What percentage do you think disappears every day as the result of deforestation?
A: An area SIX TIMES the size of Manhattan disappears every day. That’s one Manhattan every 4 hours. Tweet This!

Q: How many trees are needed to offset the average CO₂ emissions from one car for one year?
A: Over the course of its entire lifetime, one tree would offset the average emissions from driving one car for one year. (Answer updated based on reader feedback – thank you!) Tweet This!

Bolitoglossa salamander in the Sierra Gorda. © Robin Moore

I am not sure what it is that makes the Sierra Gorda feel so magical; whether it is the golden sunlight that filters through fern-laden trees to a carpet of soft moss on the forest floor; the knowledge that jaguars slink silently and invisibly through the dappled light, or uncovering cryptic salamanders lurking in the bromeliads that drip from the trees.

Whatever it is, I would challenge anyone to enter these forests and not feel moved.

Guided by local conservationists Roberto Pedraza and his wife Marina, I spent two days exploring the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, and was treated to the sight of an elusive brocket deer, a docile rattlesnake, flowering orchids, salamanders concealed under logs and in bromeliads, and fresh jaguar tracks.

As we hiked higher into the reserve and further from the concrete jungle, magnificent oaks laden with epiphytes hinted at the age of the forest like the wrinkles on an elderly face weathered by many years. By the end of the second day my muscles ached, my fingernails were blackened from turning logs, and my neck was stiff from craning to see the canopy. I have never felt better.

Orchid in Sierra Gorda, Queretaro Province, Mexico. © Robin Moore

The amazing thing to me is that the very existence of these forests can be attributed to one family. Since the 1980s, starting with Roberto’s father, the Pedraza family has fought to preserve the forests that they call home. The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve emerged from a presidential decree granted on May 19, 1997, planting a seed of forest protection that continues to grow.

Today, some 40,000 hectares (almost 100,000 acres) are protected, hundreds of landowners are earning their living through payments for ecosystem services, and proposals for devastating road expansion have been thwarted time and time again.

The success of Roberto and his family stems from their savvy approach to conservation, combining strategic land acquisition with payments for ecosystem services, trading of carbon credits and ecotourism to generate a revenue stream from standing forests that exceeds the value of cutting them down. However, while the family has effectively employed economics as a powerful tool for conservation, their motivation for preserving these forests has been far from financial.

Forest in Sierra Gorda, Queretaro Province, Mexico. © Robin Moore

Roberto and family are driven by a pure, unadulterated love of the mystical forests that cloak these mountains. They have devoted their lives to fight for the survival of something to which they feel intimately connected.

I left Sierra Gorda feeling inspired not just by the place, but also by the people responsible for its existence. I look forward to partnering with Roberto and his family to support their efforts in securing a sustainable future and quality of life for Sierra Gorda and all its inhabitants; human and otherwise.

See more photos after the jump!

Robin Moore is the Amphibian Conservation Officer at Conservation International.

Turtle in Sierra Gorda, Queretaro Province, Mexico. © Robin Moore	Bolitoglossa salamander in Sierra Gorda, Queretaro Province, Mexico. © Robin Moore
Bromeliad-laden tree in Sierra Gorda, Queretaro Province, Mexico. © Robin Moore	Forest in Sierra Gorda, Queretaro Province, Mexico. © Robin Moore

The top three resolutions are: to support the consolidation of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor; to protect old-growth forests for climate stabilization; and to align federal development policies with conservation management plans in areas of influence of Protected Natural Areas in Mexico.

Overall, the emphasis of congress was on the importance of wilderness conservation efforts for both climate regulation and biodiversity protection. The need to incorporate indigenous and traditional communities in conservation management plans was also highlighted. These two aspects are particularly important now that we are only a few weeks away from Copenhagen and approaching 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity and when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) gathers in Japan.

WILD9 is ending on a positive note and with a take home message: to take the conservation message outside of the scientific circles and reach out particularly to the youth, to engage them and show them the beauty and need to protect the natural world for future generations.

Patricia Yakabe Malentaqui is the Press Officer for Conservation International.

As Fred introduced the session, he described the upcoming insights from the expert panel as “an urgent call to action in science and policy and global-scale efforts to resolve the climate crisis and to highlight the key role of nature in that solution.”

The session concluded with a presentation by Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CI’s Vice President for Conservation Policy, and Michael Sweatman from the WILD Foundation, entitled “The Mensaje de Mérida – Taking Action Now on Climate Change and Wilderness”. The “Mérida Message” highlighted the importance of wilderness conservation efforts for both climate regulation and biodiversity protection. Wilderness territories contain large areas of forests, which store carbon dioxide, provide essential species habitat and sustain ecosystems that supply vital services for humankind, including drinking water, food and medicines.

Maria Carolina Hoyos is the Senior Manager of Communications Strategy for Conservation International and blogging from WILD9.

The convention center is a very busy place to say the least; lots of people with various backgrounds and interests milling around, and a large number of booths, stands, displays, you name it. Following a morning of plenary sessions, I attended the afternoon’s Marine Collaborative Session, entitled “Defining and Protecting Wilderness Character”.

I had been invited to give a talk at this session focusing on the “benefits of intact oceans,” so I had the PowerPoint presentation prepared and copied to numerous flash drives (I’m always one to have a back-up plan for the back-up plan). The other talks in our session, which was led by Cyril Kormos from the WILD Foundation, covered a range of topics, from the socioeconomic benefits of marine reserves to the results from a recent intergovernmental working group discussed by James Kurth.from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Finally, it was my turn. I hadn’t given a talk in a few years (I don’t think a wedding speech counts), so I was hoping I wouldn’t let my nerves get the better of me. It ended up going great, and I really enjoyed the experience of presenting again – plus it always helps when there is a good turnout, and we had over 50 people crammed into a small room, without a free chair in sight. (This was more to do with the fact that people are getting really engaged in marine issues, as opposed to the fact that they came to see me talk!)

Anyway, judging by the large number of people we had at the first session, I think the other marine sessions later in the week will spur some interesting discussion on how to define marine wilderness and govern it effectively.

Learn more about protecting oceans >>

Edward Lohnes is the Executive Assistant for Global Marine Conservation Strategies at Conservation International.

Before joining CI, I thought about the Amazon as Borrell suggests many did: a 1980s ‘Protect the Rainforest’ trend that drew the attention of celebrities like Sting and Phil Collins who staged protests and “helped put an end to Burger King’s $35 million ‘rain forest beef’ contract in Central America.” What I didn’t realize back then, and am grateful to be learning more about now, is how absolutely essential protecting the forests is in order to make progress on mitigating climate change, securing fresh water resources and eradicating global poverty.

What most people don’t know is that according to the World Bank, of the 1.5 billion people living in extreme poverty worldwide (surviving on less than $2 a day), nearly 90 percent depend on forest ecosystems and the services they provide, such as freshwater and crop pollination, for their livelihoods. Forests provide millions of dollars in benefits to the rural poor that would otherwise be required from local governments or international assistance organizations. Forests, in particular, provide jobs for subsistence farmers, small-scale loggers, gold miners, harvesters and extractors of natural medicines. Long-term economic benefits of reducing deforestation amount to $3.7 trillion.

As Borrell mentions in his article, the United Nations is currently discussing incentives for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries), which if fully funded could contribute to central government climate change coordination and planning, carbon monitoring, protected area management, financing community-level protection activities and improved livelihoods among indigenous communities.

CI has been actively promoting an outcome for Copenhagen that includes strong language on incentives for REDD. CI’s position is that any global initiative to combat climate change must recognize the fundamental role of ecosystems – particularly forests – in regulating the climate.

I strongly embrace the ongoing notion that protecting forests is more than just a trendy green attention-grabbing mechanism. Without healthy forests, we are ignoring not only the most ready, affordable and urgent solutions, but the very basis of life on Earth.

Joanne Sonenshine is the Climate Change Director for the Global Strategies Division at Conservation International

Maria Carolina Hoyos is the Senior Manager of Communications Strategy for Conservation International and blogging from WILD9.

Dr. Mittermeier reminded the audience about the important role of journalism in raising awareness about conservation issues, and the great efforts that journalists make in order to tell stories for a better planet. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez called the awards recipients “conservation heroes,” as they have faced incredible barriers (and sometimes danger) to cover stories that are often centered around contentious issues. More photos after the jump.

Maria Carolina Hoyos is the Senior Manager of Communications Strategy for Conservation International and blogging from WILD9.

Inside this issue, you will:

• get a unique perspective on climate change and Copenhagen from Richard Haass, Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and CI Board member
• explore Brazil’s Cerrado region, and learn how CI is working with corporations to keep nature healthy so it can continue to deliver plentiful food
• visit freshwater projects on the Tibetan Plateau, a vast terrain of often-frozen wetland that provides water for billions of people across Asia
• be one of the first to see stunning photographs from the International League of Conservation Photographers’ upcoming book, “The Wealth of Nature”
• enjoy a heartwarming, eye-opening introduction to a new CI partner – ePals – that is helping us reach out to students in classrooms worldwide

With Copenhagen less than a month away, this issue also offers many spectacular images of the forests that foster species, filter water and keep CO₂ out of the atmosphere.

Sign up to play a part in the effort to slow and adapt to climate change. Although the outcomes of Copenhagen will affect many of CI’s projects, the heart of our work will remain the same: protecting nature for the benefit of human well-being worldwide.