CONSERVATION NEWS
News, views and features from the front lines of conservation
© Benjamin Drummond
U.S., Peru trade debt for nature
By Mary Kate McCoy
September 7, 2023
The government of Peru signed a deal to redirect more than US$ 20 million it owes to the United States into the conservation of some of the most biodiverse areas on Earth.
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© Cristina Mittermeier
More than monuments — study shows World Heritage sites are biodiversity havens
By Max Marcovitch
August 31, 2023
For more than 50 years, UNESCO has protected cultural and natural wonders as World Heritage sites due to their “outstanding universal value.” Turns out, there's another big reason these marvels are irreplaceable: their biodiversity.
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© Joshua Bousel/Flickr Creative Commons. Yasuní National Park in Ecuador
Ecuador voters reject oil drilling in Amazon
By Mary Kate McCoy
August 23, 2023
Following a decade-long fight led by Indigenous activists and environment leaders, Ecuadorians voted decisively to end oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth — a move heralded by supporters as “historic.”
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© Flavio Forner. Protected area in the Brazilian Amazon
Study: Protected forests are a climate powerhouse
By Mary Kate McCoy
June 1, 2023
Protected forests keep significantly more climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere than unprotected forests, according to a new study. The research illustrates just how important protected areas are in the fight to curb climate change.
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© Gabriela Villanueva. Alto Beni, Bolivia
In Amazon, small towns are a force of nature
By Mary Kate McCoy
April 12, 2023
Years ahead of schedule, Bolivia has met an ambitious goal to protect 30 percent of its land — and that's thanks in large part to Amazonian towns and villages that are accelerating the pace and scale of conservation in the country.
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