User:Loxodonta cyclotis/sandbox

OroVerde – Die Tropenwaldstiftung (OroVerde - The Tropical Forest Foundation) is a non-profit environmental organisation working on the preservation of tropical forests. To achieve this, OroVerde actively initiates, supports and promotes projects and realizes them in cooperation with local partner organisations. In Germany, environmental education projects are promoted and a variety of materials for teachers and students is created.

OroVerde was founded in 1989 by renowned individuals from business and nature sciences in Germany. Wolfgang Engelhardt, late honorary president of the Deutscher Naturschutzring (German League for Nature and Environment), was the initiator and first chairman of the foundation board. Until 2005 the foundation was based in Frankfurt. Today OroVerde's projects are coordinated from Bonn. Besides 10 full-time staff members, there are also volunteers and interns regularly working for the organisation. Currently Volkhard Wille is chairman of OroVerde and Prof. Manfred Niekisch, PhD, director of the Frankfurt Zoological Garden, is chairman of the foundation board.

Goals and projects
OroVerde supports and promotes national and international projects to preserve and protect the tropical forests.

International projects
The implementation of the conservation projects is done by local partner organisations which are supported by experts from OroVerde until they can conduct the projects by themselves. The most important project activities are the reforestation of destroyed or degraded land, the installation of Protected areas, the environmental education of the local inhabitants and the joint development of sustainable forest management strategies to reduce the impact on the tropical forests. Working with the local communities and Capacity Building are main goals in every project. OroVerde mostly chooses Biodiversity hotspots as project areas, as they are often endangered and need a strong protection. Currently, OroVerde is implementing projects in:
 * Cuba: Support of the rangers and staff of the Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
 * Guatemala: Purchase of land; reforestation and environmental education in the Sierra del Lacandón National Park
 * Honduras: Reforestation in the Patuca National Park (located in the area of the Patuca River and Coco River), support of the local communities in drinking water management and environmental education
 * Ecuador: Support of the Kichwa indians of Sarayaku in their resistance agains oil companies that plan to exploit the Kichwa's land for oil production; strengthening their capacity, development and cultural identity.
 * Venezuela: Reforestation of degraded areas in one of the last cloud forests on the Paria Peninsula; environmental education of the local communities
 * Central America (Cuba, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic): OroVerde cooperates here with the Welthungerhilfe to improve the nutrition and living situation of those communities living in the buffer zones of three national parks and to assist them in developing a sustainable livelihood.
 * Indonesia: Mapping and ecological monitoring of the forests to protect and preserve the biodiversity on the Raja Ampat Islands; developing and initiating alternative, environment-friendly and sustainable income sources

National projects
In Germany, the main focus of work is environmental education, providing information about the tropical forests and enhancing the exchange of information between environmental organisations, the economy, science and policy. Currently there are projects in the following sections: In an annual contest children and adolescents are encouraged to get involved with activities for the protection of tropical forests (i.e. making campaigns to inform other people).
 * Forest & Climate: The tropical forest storages huge amounts of carbon. Hence, deforestation and forest degradation cause up to 17% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. So, forest protection always means climate protection. In this context, the project Forest & Climate is providing information about forest and climate projects, evaluating the existing certification standards and developing guidelines for companies and private investors.
 * Environmental education: OroVerde provides teaching materials for different school types and ages. In the pilot project "Weil wir es wert sind!" ("Because we're worth it!"), for example, deprived pupils learn about the linkage between their own daily consumer’s behaviour and the possible resulting destruction of the tropical forests. This is done through practical activities like graffiti, rap or dancing.
 * Political work and networking: Global trade and subventions have a high impact on tropical countries, for example by the import of wood, soy (for factory farming) or palm oil. Therefore, OroVerde participates actively in political debates by making statements, discussing with politicians and joining official hearings.

Financing of the projects
In 2010, OroVerde received 1,497,812 € of subsidies, donations, money allocations and project fundings. The total expenditure was 1,474,472 €, of which 85% directly went into the projects, 5% were spent on public relations and 10% on administration expenses.