Forest destruction for cattle ranching in the Peruvian Amazon. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Recognizing the global importance of the world's vanishing forests, a 10-year-long research program will focus on…
Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai died Sunday after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 71. Wangari Maathai. Courtesy of the Green Belt Movement Maathai is best known…
Forest policies in the United States, Rwanda, and Gambia won U.N. backed awards for contributing to efforts to protect and sustainably manage forests. Rwanda, which experienced a reversal in deforestation…
Rambutan fruit. Photo courtesy of Orangutan Foundation International. Among conservationists and biologists, the mega-island of Borneo is a sort of Mecca. Its rich plant and animal biodiversity, as well as…
Anne Hallum is founder of the Alliance for International Reforestation and for her work was recently named a "CNN Hero." Her daughter, Rachel Hallum-Montes has been planting trees with her…
An interview with Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends Over the past 30 years billions of dollars has been committed to global conservation efforts, yet forests continue to…
Organization recommends expanding REDD to cover all land use change emissions. The political definition of 'forest' used in REDD (Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) threatens to undermine the…
Papua New Guinea, the independent eastern half of the world's second largest island (New Guinea), houses one of the planet's last frontier forests. These forests support a wealth of plants…
Sixth in a series of interviews with participants at the 2009 Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) conference. With the world facing a variety of crises: climate change, food…
The campaign to plant seven billion trees has achieved its goal, the United Nations announced Tuesday. 7.3 billion trees have been planted in 167 countries since the UN Environment Programme…
Conservationists work with local communities to protect the okapi, and its rainforest habitat, in the aftermath of a brutal civil war.
Environmental conservation depends, to a large degree, on public acceptance. Understanding people’s opinions on ecosystems and wildlife can be very helpful in designing programs that aim to benefit both the…
The highly touted reforestation project launched by orangutan conservationist Willie Smits in Indonesian Borneo is detailed in this week's issue of Science. The Samboja Lestari project, popularized by Smits' presentation…
Policies promoting industrial rubber plantations over traditional swidden, or slash-and-burn, agriculture across Southeast Asia may carry significant environmental consequences, including loss of biodiversity, reduction of carbon stocks, pollution and degradation…
As concern for the preservation of forest eco-systems in the tropics has increased over past decades, there has been a growing consideration for ways to harmonize tropical agricultural production with…
“I want to convince you we need to go beyond primary forests to preserve biodiversity”, Robin Chazdon told an audience at the National Natural History Museum during a symposium on…
An overview of the Smithsonian’s Symposium: “Will the rainforests survive? New Threats and Realities in the Tropical Extinction Crisis”
Shade-grown coffee protects more than birds and bats
REDD is a threat to forest people, alleges report REDD may harm forest people, alleges report Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com December 2, 2008
Carbon market could pay poor farmers to adopt sustainable cultivation techniques Carbon market could pay poor farmers to adopt sustainable cultivation techniques mongabay.com November 26, 2008
Rainforest agriculture preserves bird biodiversity in India Rainforest agriculture preserves bird biodiversity in India Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com November 4, 2008 A new PNAS study offers hope that agroforestry can conserve…
Eco-friendly shade-grown coffee buffers farmers against climate change Eco-friendly shade-grown coffee buffers farmers against climate change mongabay.com October 3, 2008
Ancient Amazon tribes lived in sustainable "garden cities", argues new research Researchers have uncovered new evidence to support the controversial theory that parts of the Amazon were home to dense…
Defaunation, like deforestation, threatens global biodiversity Defaunation, like deforestation, threatens global biodiversity: Interview with Rodolfo Dirzo, ecologist at Stanford University> Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com May 20, 2008 Loss of wildlife…
Carbon for forest conservation concept faces challenges but offers big payoff Carbon credits for forest conservation concept faces challenges But initiative could save forests and alleviate rural poverty: An interview…
Can remittances and globalization help the environment? Can remittances and globalization help the environment? Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com September 6, 2007 Globalization and other economic trends appear to be helping…
Coffee plantations may preserve some bird species in Costa Rica Coffee plantations may preserve some bird species in Costa Rica Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 18, 2007 Agricultural areas offer…
