Earth Sangha: Tree Bank

The Tree Bank Hispaniola is a partnership between the Earth Sangha and the Asociación de Productores de Bosque Los Cerezos, a farmers’ co-op in the mountains of the Dajabon province in the Dominican Republic, not far from the Haitian border. We work with smallholder farmers to promote sustainable agriculture and alleviate poverty as a means of forest conservation and restoration.

Tropical forests on the island of Hispaniola are part of the Caribbean global biodiversity hotspot and are home to many endemic species of plants, birds, reptiles, and amphibians; that is, these species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. These forests, however, are under threat from rapid deforestation, largely caused by agricultural activities.

Rare Species Conservatory Foundation

RSCF is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization dedicated to preserving biodiversity through grass-roots conservation programs rooted in sound science. RSCF employs the "flagship species" concept to identify and conserve high-profile, priority species in order to leverage protection for the ecosystems they represent. Propagation and management of such flagship species, along with field-based research and habitat protection, are ultimately directed toward long-term biodiversity preservation at a regional level. We provide consulting and technical services to governments and conservation and research organizations engaged in conservation initiatives, and form educational, scientific, and economic partnerships to expedite habitat and species preservation/recovery projects.

Rainforest Foundation

We believe that forest protection and human rights are interconnected. We recognize that indigenous peoples around the world are currently living sustainably in what are considered the most “pristine” rainforests. This is not a coincidence. The people who depend on the forest for their livelihoods, culture, and spirituality are careful in their use of the forest. There are no better forests stewards. We believe that the most effective way to protect rainforests is to ensure that the indigenous communities who have historically managed and protected those forests have secure and long term rights to their lands and resources.

A $10 donation was made to Rainforest Foundation. Therefore, I will not be donating on September 28.

American Forests

American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country, advocates for the protection and expansion of America’s forests. Since 1990, we have planted more than 45 million trees. We restore watersheds to help provide clean drinking water. We replant forests destroyed by human action and by natural disasters.

Our work is guided by science: choosing the right mix of trees for particular locations, the best trees to act as windbreaks or to filter water, the trees that will provide wildlife habitat, or are most suitable for city streets and parks.

Trees for the Future

In the early 1970s, Dave and Grace Deppner served as volunteers in the Philippines, where they witnessed the human tragedy brought on by illegal logging and unsustainable land management systems. Working with community leaders in nearby villages, the Deppners found a way to offer hope. They revitalized degraded lands by providing farmers with tree seed, technical training, and on-site planning assistance. People responded enthusiastically,  joining in to save their homes and way of life.

After returning from their overseas assignments they continued what they had started, communicating by mail with rural community leaders, providing information, seeds, and training materials. After many years of informal operations, Trees for the Future (‘TREES’) was incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) public charity in Maryland on August 14, 1989. Over the years TREES has assisted thousands of communities in planting millions of trees in 19 countries including Ghana, which have restored life to land that was previously degraded or abandoned.

Tequila Interchange Project

The Tequila Interchange Project (TIP) is a non-profit organization and consumer advocacy group for agave distilled spirits comprised of bartenders, consultants, educators, researchers, consumers and tequila enthusiasts. Our organization advocates the preservation of sustainable, traditional and quality practices in the industries of agave distilled spirits. In light of concerning trends that are currently becoming mainstays in the production of agave distillates, TIP seeks to place a renewed emphasis on the importance of preserving the great heritage of agave distillation in Mexico. Tickle the agave farmer to go to their website.

Sturgeon For Tomorrow

The purposes of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Inc. (SFT) are to assist fisheries managers in the rehabilitation of the Lake Sturgeon, to advance education, to further other charitable, educational and scientific objectives, to engage in and facilitate scientific research furtherance of such purposes, and SFT, Inc. shall be empowered to engage in such other and further means necessary and proper to accomplish the foregoing objects and purposes

Four Paws: Gaza Zoo Project

The week-long conflict in the Gaza Strip has resulted in thousands of dead and injured. Since the newest outbreak in early July, countless buildings and facilities have been bombarded, affecting not only people, but also animals. More than 80 animals died when a zoo in northern Gaza was severely damaged by air strikes. The twenty surviving animals are finally receiving help: A FOUR PAWS emergency team, headed by Dr. Amir Khalil and local supporters, has managed to deliver urgently needed medicine and food to the remains of the zoo. The team is also restoring the water supply by repairing the pipes.

For more than two decades, FOUR PAWS has consistently and successfully focused on one goal: to help animals who have been abused for entertainment, economic, scientific or other reasons.

We view ourselves as the advocate and champion of those who have no voice of their own, namely animals. The common foundation for this is the respect for all forms of life and the deep conviction that every organism has a right to be treated with consideration and to live a life with dignity that complies with its needs. Animals are sentient creatures and therefore subjectively perceive the world; we as humans bear responsibility for them.

For us, the goals of animal protection, human safety and nature conservation are inseparably linked. We therefore feel a solidarity with all those who use peaceful and legal means to achieve a respectful coexistence with one another and with the environment. We as an animal protection organization seek to contribute our share to achieving this goal.

Wigs for Kids

For over 30 years, Wigs for Kids has been providing Hair Replacement Systems and support for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, Alopecia, Trichotillomania, burns and other medical issues at no cost to children or their families.

The effects of hair loss go deeper than just a change in a child’s outward appearance. Hair loss can erode a child’s self-confidence and limit them from experiencing life the way children should. With an injured self-image, a child’s attitude toward treatment and their physical response to it can be negatively affected also. Wigs for Kids helps children suffering from hair loss look themselves and live their lives.

Student Conservation Association

SCA’s mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.

Natural Resources Defense Council

NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.4 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

The mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.  Find facts, such as the number of acres of elk habitat the RMEF has conserved or enhanced, the number of RMEF members and chapters across the country, and much more.

League of Conservation Voters Education Fund

LCVEF works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. LCVEF, in collaboration with our state LCVEF partners, educates the public, media and elected officials about key environmental issues, works to increase voter participation in the democratic process and mobilizes a diverse network of activists to advocate for sound environmental policies.

An independent, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization, LCV Education Fund was founded in 1985 to provide research and training on environmental issues.  We launched our grassroots program in 1995 to activate the movement’s citizen support base at the national, state and local levels.  Since then, LCV Education Fund has delivered valuable technology, organizing tools, and training to more than 500 environmental and allied groups.  LCV Education Fund possesses national experience in field organizing, policy, list development, research and non partisan civic engagement that is unmatched in the environmental community and rarely outside of it.

Resources for the Future

Resources for the Future improves environmental and natural resource policymaking worldwide through objective social science research of the highest caliber.

The minimum online donation is $10. Therefore, I will not be blogging on September 16.

League of Conservation Voters

LCV works to educate the public, lobby Congress and the administration, build coalitions, promote grassroots power, and train the next generation of environmental leaders as part of our grassroots efforts. LCV's National Environmental Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the most important environmental legislation considered and the corresponding voting records of all members. The Scorecard represents the consensus of experts from about 20 respected environmental and conservation organizations who select the key votes on which members of Congress should be scored. LCV scores votes on the most important issues each year, including energy, global warming, public health, public lands and wildlife conservation, and spending for environmental programs.

WOLF PARK

Wolf Park is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to behavioral research, education and conservation, with the objective of improving the public’s understanding of wolves and the value they provide to our environment.

Keep America Beautiful

Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With our powerful network of community-based affiliates, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities to transform public spaces into beautiful places.

Whether the place is a community garden, a city park or a vacant lot, public places provide a neutral space in which people can come together with a shared purpose of community building. By continually improving public spaces while caring for neglected ones, positive social and economic change occurs in communities across the country.

Izaak Walton League of America

Founded in 1922, the Izaak Walton League is one of the nation's oldest and most respected conservation organizations. With a powerful grassroots network of more than 240 local chapters nationwide, the League takes a common-sense approach toward protecting our country's natural heritage and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans. We invite you to learn about our work and to join us in supporting important conservation initiatives in your community.

Greenpeace Fund Inc.

For more than 40 years, Greenpeace activists, friends, allies and supporters have worked tirelessly in every corner of the world to create the green and peaceful future our founders envisioned. A world where our oceans teem with flourishing marine life, and where ancient forests stand, and proudly support vibrant and diverse ecosystems. A future where technology evolves in partnership with and with respect for the environment, providing renewable energy, sustainable agricultural resources and clean manufacturing processes.

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

Friends of the Earth, as an outspoken leader in the environmental and progressive communities, seeks to change the perception of the public, media and policy makers -- and effect policy change -- with hard-hitting, well-reasoned policy analysis and advocacy campaigns that describe what needs to be done, rather than what is seen as politically feasible or politically correct. This hard-hitting advocacy has been the key to our successful campaigns over our 43-year history. - See more at: http://www.foe.org/about-us#sthash.P6Hqn9jn.dpuf

Environmental Working Group

Environmental Working Group empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. We drive consumer choice and civic action with breakthrough research and an informed public.

Project Passenger Pigeon

2014 marks the centenary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon – once the most abundant bird species in North America, if not the world. We, a group of scientists, educators, conservationists, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and others, are working together to use the centenary of the passenger pigeon's extinction to engage people in this remarkable story and to use it as an opportunity to promote habitat preservation and species conservation. Our goals are to: a) familiarize people in North America and beyond with the passenger pigeon and its extinction; b) explore how human activity impacts other species c) motivate people to take actions that both promote biodiversity and prevent human-caused extinctions.

Today, I made a $10 contribution to Project Passenger Pigeon.  Therefore, I will not be blogging on September 7.

Enviromental Defense Fund

How we choose our work:

We focus on environmental problems where our expertise is most urgently needed.

Is it a scientifically important challenge, not being sufficiently addressed by others?
Is it the kind of work EDF is best at, where markets are part of the most effective response?
Do we have, or can we attract, the resources needed -- expertise, relationships and funding?
For most of our work, the answer to all three questions is "Yes."

The minimum online donation to EDF is $10. I will not be blogging on September 5th.

EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE

Earth Island Institute serves as an incubator for start-up environmental groups. Some projects will stay with Earth Island Institute for the full life of their organization, while others spin off and become independent 501(c)(3) organizations. Currently, Earth Island has more than 60 projects under sponsorship. What follows is a list of current projects followed by a partial list of organizations that started as Earth Island projects and left to start independent groups.

EARTHJUSTICE

Earthjustice uses the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy; and to combat climate change.

With your tax-deductible gift, Earthjustice will fight in court and on Capitol Hill to:
• Preserve magnificent places and wildlife.
• Protect people's health.
• Advance clean energy.

• Combat climate change.