The Arthur
& Elena Court Nature Watch Conservancy

2005 Newsletter Features:

• Sustainable Bamboo
• Grizzly Bear Update
• LAIKIPIA
• Brown Hyenas
  of Botswana
• Rainforest Action
  Network Update
• Wild Horse Sanctuary
• Zero Waste
• Solar Power Comes to
  Arthur Court
• Membership Application

Rainforest Action Network Update....

Rainforest Action Network (RAN) works to protect the Earth's rainforests and support the rights of their inhabitants through education, grassroots organizing, and nonviolent direct action.

Old Growth Campaign
In 2000, RAN launched a campaign to transform the entire logging industry, starting with Boise Cascade. At that time, Boise Cascade was one of the United States' top loggers and distributors of old growth forest products and a top distributor of wood products from the world's most endangered forests, including the tropical rainforests of the Amazon and the boreal forests of Canada. Boise Cascade was also the largest logger of U. S. public lands, and the sole logging company to oppose the U. S. Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation Policy in court.

In 2002, as a result of RAN's campaigning, Boise Cascade implemented a domestic old growth policy, committing to "no longer harvest timber from old growth forests in the United States" by 2004. In 2003, to catch up with public values and meet the new marketplace standards, Boise Cascade dropped its opposition to the Roadless Policy and became the first US logging and distribution company to commit to "completely eliminate the purchase of wood products from endangered areas."

RAN is currently working to pressure top US logging companies and forest products retailers to adopt policies that meet or exceed Boise Cascade’s commitment to end the logging and distribution of old growth wood products and to commit to additional forest protection initiatives.
Hundreds of companies, including Home Depot, Kinko’s and Lowe’s, have agreed to stop selling products from endangered forests. Because of these agreements, millions of acres have been permanently protected.

Global Finance Campaign
The goal of the Global Finance Campaign is to bring social and environmental accountability to all aspects of big-bank business practices. Rainforest Action Network's campaign work challenges a definition of profit that fails to recognize the value of protecting the environment, preserving democracy, and building a just and equitable global society.

Citigroup and Bank of America, the two largest banks in the U.S., agreed to landmark environmental policies that commit them to end funding of projects that destroy endangered forests and to dramatically decrease their support for industries that cause global warming.

Protect-an-Acre
RAN's Protect-an-Acre Fund (PAA) provides grants directly to organizations and communities in rainforest regions. aPAA prioritizes projects that help forest peoples gain control of their traditional territories through land demarcation, the development of locally-based alternative economic initiatives, community organization, and resistance to destructive practices such as logging and fossil fuel development.

Grassroots
RAN's Grassroots Program informs and mobilizes a diverse network of activists around the world. Grassroots activists provide the human-power behind RAN's campaigns-distributing information, organizing demonstrations and events, and contacting key decision-makers, among many other activities. RAN supports grassroots activists by offering materials and information, skills training, local organizing, group development, and general support.

Education
Through class presentations, each year RAN educates thousands of students about the importance of the rainforests, the reasons for their destruction, and things that students can do to help save them. To inform thousands more, RAN produces educational materials including a Teachers Information Packet, a Kids Action Guide, a Tree-Free Action Guide, and Rainforests Forever!, a curriculum supplement for elementary school teachers. As the “Kid’s Corner” on ran.org became the most visited area, it was realized that the education program was effective and growing. In 2003, young rainforest heros raised $40,000 for the PAA program. The Kid’s Corner will soon become RainforestHeros.org, a resource and meeting place for kids the Earth can count on. The evolving Rainforest curriculum offers a community of over 3,000 teachers the tools to empower a new generation to protect the earth.

For more information contact www.ran.org