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\ World Land Trust-US

2010 Annual Report

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Who we are World Land Trust–US (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 planet’s biodiversity and one of the

world’s 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 year’s 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 don’t 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 planet’s

extraordinary biodiversity.

Thank you!

Byron Swift Dr. Robert S. Ridgely

Executive Director Deputy Director

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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 earth’s richest biome that holds the vast amount of the planet’s

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.

Panama rainforest center

Magdalena valley rainforest

Amazonian to Andes forest

Colombian Chocó rainforest

REGUA - Atlantic rainforest

Cosanga cloud forest

Jambue Andean forest

Matses Rainforest Reserve

Apolo dry cloud forest

Foothill Chocó rainforest

Blue-throated Macaw savanna

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Yellow-eared Parrot Corridor

Mindo cloud forest

Fazenda Almas - Caatinga

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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 World’s 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.

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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 Asociación para la Conservación

de la Cuenca Amazónica (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

planet’s 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 America’s great naturalists of the early 20th

century and one of Colombia’s 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 Fundación 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.

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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 Colán 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 Colán National Sanctuary and the Chayu Nain

Community Reserve represents a historic success for global conservation. Managed by the Awajún

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, Melissa’s Yellow-eared Bat, Long-whiskered Owlet and the Colán 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.

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2010 Financial Summary

In 2010, 97% of expenditures went directly to conservation programs. As a result, WLT-US was

given Charity Navigator’s highest ranking – for being one of the most efficient conservation

organizations in the country.

Ordinary Income summary 2010 2009

Campaign Income $48,415 $56,945

Restricted Contributions – Individuals $1,061,033 $875,773

Restricted Contributions – Foundations $978,845 $533,702

Restricted Contributions – Organizations $30,603 $230,305

Other Contributions $0 $298,905

Total Income $2,118,897 $1,995,631

Expenditures summary 2010 2009

Administration & fundraising $92,323 $49,303

Conservation programs $386,832 $351,276

Land purchase $982,062 $727,117

Land protection $795,085 $715,428

Total Expenditure 2,256,302 $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

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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

Earth’s 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 Stäuble

Jim & Ellen Strauss

Wild Waters Foundation

Thomas H. Wilson Foundation

Wolf Creek Foundation

Many other generous donors

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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

Consider a Legacy Gift

If you like our work and want

to support it in perpetuity, please

endow your sponsorship by

remembering us in your will.

Contact us for more details.

World Land Trust-US

25 Horner St

Warrenton, VA 20186

800.456.4930

info@wltus.org