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World Land Trust-US

2010 Annual Report
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Who we are
World Land TrustUS (WLT-US) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to buying and protecting lands that conserve rare or endangered species and ecosystems. We work largely in the rainforests and cloud forests of the Latin American tropics home to over 50% of the planets biodiversity and one of the worlds highest conservation priorities.

What we do
WLT-US focuses on land purchase and the creation of new natural protected areas, together with other tangible projects that protect natural habitats for conservation. We work in close partnership with carefully selected local conservation groups and in alliance with World Land Trust in the UK. We believe that the key to being successful is to work through locally-based conservation organizations that can most effectively acquire & manage lands for conservation.

Our Accomplishments
In 2010, WLT-US protected 131,496 acres at 11 critical sites across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Our efforts led to the addition of 2,874 acres to the Barba Azul Nature Reserve the only home of the Blue-throated Macaw. Our assistance was catalytic in purchasing Villa Carmen, an incredibly rich rainforest site at the headwaters of the Amazon in Peru. Our work led to the protection of more than 62,000 acres of indigenous rainforest territory in Bolivia a haven for Jaguars and Spider Monkeys. Thanks to your support, we have been able to make a real and lasting difference for endangered species and ecosystems as well as for the health of the planet. Our program exceeded $2 million, which saved lands of exceptional biodiversity value with local partners. Often we pay $100 an acre or less for these critical areas! www.worldlandtrust-us.org
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Leadership Message
Last years economic climate presented challenges for conservation programs worldwide. But despite these circumstances, World Land Trust-US had an incredibly effective year purchasing critical lands for biodiversity conservation and saving more than 131,506 acres of threatened rainforests and other imperiled habitats. Working in conjunction with our in-country conservation partners, local communities and indigenous groups, and with the vital financial support of our donors, we helped make a difference for defenseless forests and endangered species. World Land Trust-US is proud of our successes and proud to be doing everything we can to stop this senseless destruction. But there is no time to celebrate. The incredible work we do is work that will never be finished. The pressures facing biodiversity are unrelenting. Each day more rainforest is destroyed and each day more species are lost, forever. For 21 years, our goal has been to buy and protect megadiverse rainforest habitats for endangered species. Our aim, as ever, is to channel your support to purchase and protect critical lands for biodiversity conservation, before they are gone. WLT-US is one of the most efficient and effective international land conservation nonprofit in the world. We make our dollars your dollars stretch further and do more than any other land conservation group could. But you dont need to take our word for it. For the second year in a row, we earned the prestigious Charity Navigator 4-star rating. Only the best of the best receive this rating. Today, we know that the situation for many threatened species and forests is dire. But we are certain that with your ongoing support, we will continue to make a difference for our planets extraordinary biodiversity. Thank you!

Byron Swift Executive Director

Dr. Robert S. Ridgely Deputy Director

Saving Critical Rainforest Sites Across Latin America

WLT-US programs buy land and protect critical sites for biodiversity across Latin America. We focus especially on rainforests, the earths richest biome that holds the vast amount of the planets biodiversity. Many of the rainforest areas most at risk of destruction in Latin America, like the cloud forests along the Tropical Andes and the Atlantic forests of Brazil, lie in private hands, and must be purchased in order to be conserved. The threats are grave, but by targeting these highest priority areas, working closely with local conservation groups and taking these lands off the market for destructive development, WLT-US can save countless species and critical habitats that are often protected nowhere else.

1 Panama rainforest center 2 Foothill Choc rainforest 3 Magdalena valley rainforest 4 Yellow-eared Parrot Corridor 5 Colombian Choc rainforest 6 Mindo cloud forest 7 Cosanga cloud forest 8 Jambue Andean forest 9 Amazonian to Andes forest 10 Matses Rainforest Reserve 11 Apolo dry cloud forest 12 Blue-throated Macaw savanna 13 REGUA - Atlantic rainforest 14 Fazenda Almas - Caatinga

Conservation achievements in 2010

WLT-US is the only international non-profit that concentrates on land purchase for conservation. We focus our efforts on highly threatened rainforests and habitats at imminent risk of destruction. Our proven conservation method has allowed us to buy and save some of the most endangered and most biologically diverse lands in the world, saving countless endangered species. Last year, in conjunction with our local partners, WLT-US safeguarded an incredible amount of threatened habitat across Latin America. We put a stop to deforestation and a halt to extinction by protecting various endangered ecosystems, including: 2,867 acres of threatened savanna forest in Bolivia 7,427 acres of Amazonian rainforest in Peru 58,827 acres of lush rainforest in Colombia 62,000 acres of rich foothill rainforest in Bolivia Our highly experienced team works alongside our dedicated in-country partners to achieve incredible results ensuring that your support to WLT-US has the highest impact. Over the past 21 years we have built an effective program for realizing biodiversity conservation. Each of the accomplishments listed below is the result of decisive conservation actions, and each is a testament to the dedication of countless individuals, donors and partners who continue to support our work. Thank you for taking positive action.

Major Land Purchase for Worlds Rarest Macaw

Bolivian Barba Azul Nature Reserve significantly expands
World Land Trust-US helped spearhead an effort to protect vital habitat for the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw - the world's rarest Macaw surviving in the wild. This beautiful bird is found only in one place on Earth: the Beni Savannas of Bolivia. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), due to habitat loss and poaching for the wild bird trade. The complex system of grasslands, marshes, and forests that makes up the Beni is largely in the hands of cattle ranchers. Every year, large swaths of land are lost to intentional burning for pastureland. In 2010 WLT-US helped purchase and protect 2,867 acres of savanna and rainforest in the Beni. This expansive property and all of its wildlife will now be protected as part of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve creating a total protected area of 11,555 acres.

Spectacular Wildlife Habitat Bought & Saved in Peru

Villa Carmen property sits at headwaters of Amazon River
A catalytic small grant by World Land Trust-US, and support from American Bird Conservancy has helped the Amazon Conservation Association purchase and protect a 7,427-acre property called Hacienda Villa Carmen an incredibly rich rainforest site at the headwaters of the Amazon River, in Peru. This newly protected area lies within the 4.7-million acre Manu Biosphere Reserve, a mixture of private and public lands that stretches over a vast swath of pristine forest in the southwest of that country. The large Villa Carmen property is bordered by the Pini Pini and Tono rivers and has an elevational gradient that stretches between 1,500 and 3,500 feet. This diverse habitat is renowned for its species richness, with particularly high populations of birds, butterflies and mammals. The new protected area will be managed by the Peruvian NGO the Asociacin para la Conservacin de la Cuenca Amaznica (ACCA).

New Reserve Additions for Colombian Conservation

Carriker Sanctuary and Giles-Fuertes Reserve added to growing list
The El Dorado Reserve in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northeastern Colombia, home to one of the planets highest concentrations of endemic and globally threatened birds, amphibians and plants, has grown thanks to land purchases supported by WLT-US. The newly acquired Hacienda Vista Nieve totals over 250 acres of rich montane forest and reaches an elevation of 8,000 feet. Vista Nieve was established in 1917 by American Melbourne Meb Carriker who was one of South Americas great naturalists of the early 20th century and one of Colombias greatest ornithologists. In memory of the tremendous contribution to Neotropical ornithology by Meb Carriker and his family, this new addition to the 1,928-acre El Dorado Reserve is called the Carriker Sanctuary. The Carriker Sanctuary is one of a growing list threatened habitats protected with WLT-US assistance by our Colombian partner Fundacin ProAves. The list also includes the Giles-Fuertes Reserve, a 2010 addition to the expansive Yellow-eared Parrot Corridor. This addition adds a 368-acre fragment of cloud forest to the 16,000-acre corridor, an area that contains a vital population of the remarkable Fuertes Parrot which was thought extinct until recently. We are grateful to Robert Giles and American Bird Conservancy for matching our donors and making this success a reality. 5

Sixty-two thousand acres of Bolivian forest saved

Indigenous community tourism project benefits conservation
Over 62,000 acres of pristine tropical rainforest in Bolivia were protected in 2010 with World Land Trust-US assistance, following a decision by an indigenous community to create a tourism refuge in the Sadiri rainforest. On February 22, 2010, the indigenous village of San Jose de Uchupiomonas voted overwhelmingly in favor of a plan to protect a wide swath of the forest they own. San Jose has opted to create a tourism refuge within their territory as a sustainable alternative to logging, farming and grazing. The Serrania Sadiri is within the Madidi National Park management area, which also makes up the Indigenous Community Territory of San Jose de Uchupiamonas. Because of this legal designation, the land here is managed by the people of San Jose, and the decision to protect, ignore or destroy the rainforest rests with the villagers. This community action represents a victory for conservation, and prevents old growth tropical timber in the region from being cut. Hunting, burning and agricultural activities will also be prohibited.

Formal Protection for Vast Andes-Amazon Reserve

Cordillera de Coln National Sanctuary and Chayu Nain Community Reserve, Peru
Efforts by World Land Trust-US and our Peruvian partner APECO supported the government's formal categorization of a 158,000-acre area that spans many ecosystems on the Amazonian slope of the Andes. The declaration of the Cordillera de Coln National Sanctuary and the Chayu Nain Community Reserve represents a historic success for global conservation. Managed by the Awajn indigenous community, this natural reserve safeguards an astounding array of wildlife, including many endangered and endemic species such as the Yellow-tailed Wooly Monkey, Peruvian Night Monkey, Melissas Yellow-eared Bat, Long-whiskered Owlet and the Coln Water Frog.

2011 Goals:
1. Buying and Saving Rainforest WLT-US is the only international non-profit that concentrates on land purchase for conservation. We focus our efforts on highly threatened rainforests and habitats at imminent risk of destruction. Last year, our proven conservation method allowed us to buy and save some of the most endangered and most biodiverse lands, saving countless endangered species. 2. Declaration of State Protected Areas WLT-US and our partners have played an integral role in encouraging the declaration of national and municipal state protected areas, helping local communities and indigenous groups advance conservation at an unprecedented rate. 6

2010 Financial Summary

In 2010, 97% of expenditures went directly to conservation programs. As a result, WLT-US was given Charity Navigators highest ranking for being one of the most efficient conservation organizations in the country. Ordinary Income summary Campaign Income Restricted Contributions Individuals Restricted Contributions Foundations Restricted Contributions Organizations Other Contributions Total Income Expenditures summary Administration & fundraising Conservation programs Land purchase Land protection Total Expenditure 2010 $48,415 $1,061,033 $978,845 $30,603 $0 $2,118,897 2010 $92,323 $386,832 $982,062 $795,085 2,256,302 2009 $56,945 $875,773 $533,702 $230,305 $298,905 $1,995,631 2009 $49,303 $351,276 $727,117 $715,428 $1,843,124

WLT-US is one of the most efficient conservation organizations in the country: over 97% of our budget is spent on direct conservation actions

Board of Directors 2010

John Mitchell, Chair, NY Botanical Garden Gerard Bertrand, Vice-chair, BirdLife International Sally F. Davidson, Treasurer, Clyde's Restaurant Group Byron Swift, Secretary, Executive Director, WLT-US Dr. Wayt Thomas, Curator of Botany, NY Botanical Garden Frank Friedrich Kling, Conservationist Russell Mittermeier, President, Conservation International Dr. Robert Ridgely, WLT-US, Author 7

Financial Support
World Land Trust-US wishes to thank all those whose contributions made these projects possible, including the following institutions and individuals:

American Bird Conservancy Nina Abrams Fund Harry Amin Nicholas Barthelemy Beneficia Foundation Bobolink Foundation BTS USA Butler Foundation Brett Byers Contributors to the Combined Federal Campaign Conservation International Leslie Danoff & Lawrence Robbins Sally Davidson Dr. Nathan Delorey Chistine Duthie Dolly Belle Foundation Earths Birthday Project Moses Feldman Robert Giles GreaterGood.org Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Michael Hannallah Frank F. Kling Ann S. Kruglak Carl & Shirley Larson Loeb Luanne Lemmer & Eric Veach March Foundation Philip May George W. Merck Fund John V. Moore Nutall Ornithological Club therainforestsite.com RJM Foundation Paul Salaman Silicon Valley Community Foundation Urs-Peter Stuble Jim & Ellen Strauss Wild Waters Foundation Thomas H. Wilson Foundation Wolf Creek Foundation Many other generous donors

World Land Trust-US has dedicated more than 21 years to buying & protecting rainforest, focusing on areas that conserve threatened species & critical ecosystems. We work through local conservation groups who own or manage the reserves that we help create, & last year granted $2 million to local organizations involved in acquisition & protection of land often for $100 per acre or less.

Please join us in our efforts to save threatened rainforest habitat. Visit:

www.worldlandtrust-us.org/donate
World Land Trust-US 25 Horner St Warrenton, VA 20186 800.456.4930 info@wltus.org

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