WildLandscapes International is assisting the ORCT with securing 1,825 acres of Critically Endangered Renosterveld, one of the most endangered vegetation types on the planet. This vital habitat will adjoin and extend the Nature Preservation, ensuring that it is protected going forward.
These are only two properties with this amount of renosterveld remaining and the only way of securing them is through purchase. Donors have raised half the funds needed for purchase, but without the remaining funds the conservation areas will remain unsecured.
A Conservation Area is a given area of land in which private landowners can join a regional partnership consisting of interested agencies, organizations, indigenous tribes, and local communities, the goal of which is to achieve regional conservation goals. Private landowners benefit because they acquire less than fee title interest or enter into management agreements while retaining their rights to land use.
This article will explain some of the top reasons that conservation areas are the best path forward for landscape conservation.
WildLandscapes are in the process of expanding our work throughout the state of Florida, and it's with these projects in mind that our team toured Florida Wildlife Corridor earlier this month. At the same time, we held meetings with stakeholders to better understand how we can effectively accomplish even more in the state. As these projects unfold, we’re eager to share with you what we’ve been working on!
In the meantime, we want to share some scenes from our recent tour, from the Ocala National Forest Wildlife to marine mammals of Merritt Island Nature Preserve, in the hopes they will inspire you as they did for us.
WildLandscapes, in partnership with Family Lands Remembered, has entered into an agreement with Collier Companies to permanently protect 11,171 acres and to acquire 317,436 acres of mineral rights. All of these lands remain unspoiled, providing essential habitats to many of the Everglades' endangered species. Securing the Collier properties will position the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with the opportunity to ensure connectivity between large conservation areas and landscapes in Florida, and prevent future harmful development or exploitation.
WildLandscapes has partnered with Roaring Springs Ranch (the Ranch) and High Desert Partnership to implement several scientific studies that will inform sound sustainable ranching activities and determine the health of the ecosystems and its wildlife conservation efforts in the region. The sustainable management of the land will be key to preserving the Sheldon-Hart-Malheur landscape in the face of future climate change and growing threats of megafires.
In partnership with Bear Hill Conservancy and Kilham Bear Center, WildLandscapes Conservation and Preservation recently permanently protected over 2,300 acres of land in New Hampshire, now added to Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and we have plans to preserve over 12,557 more!
