WILD Associates are hard at work, protecting wilderness, tackling
conservation issues and winning awards throughout the world. We’d
like to recognize a few of these recent accomplishments.
Heron Dance, a nonprofit providing support for organizations working
to protect wilderness, encourages us to enjoy and be inspired by the art
and poetry of wild nature. Heron Dance celebrates the human
connection to nature through various publications, including a free
weekly newsletter, artwork, interviews and essays. They recently
launched a new program titled: Good Works, featuring select nonprofits
supported by Heron Dance, that continue to make a difference for
wilderness.
Read more about Heron Dance and other supporters
and partners of WILD >>
Venture
Arctic is now available! WILD partner and supporter Pocketwatch
Games creates interactive nature based video-games and is a huge
supporter of wilderness conservation! Venture Arctic, set in icy arctic habitats, gives gamers the opportunity to
explore the food-chains and patterns of wolves, bears, orcas and more.
It incorporates authentic Inuit lore, seasonal changes and environmental
factors such a climate change.
Thank you Pocketwatch for this great game
and for your continued support of WILD!
To raise support and funds for wilderness, Mandla
Buthelzi, veteran Field Officer for the
Wilderness Leadership School competed
in one of the most grueling running races on the planet. On July
15th, Mandla set out on the "Ultimate Human Race," the Comrades
Marathon. Starting at 5:30am in Pietermaritzburg and traversing 56
miles (89km) to Durban, Comrades rightfully claims the title of the
"greatest ultra marathon in the world." We applaud Mandla for this
epic undertaking, and thank him for his un-ending support of
wilderness and wild-places!
Read about WILD's history at Comrades >>
James
Balog and his
Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) team witnessed
and recorded the largest glacial
calving event ever caught on video! On May 28 millions of
tons of ice broke off of the Ilulissat Glacier, part of the Greenland
Ice Sheet. EIS had nine cameras running at the time - capturing
this historic event. Over a period of 90 minutes, an area of ice
nearly one mile in length and three miles in width separated from the
glacier. This monumental event will surely be a "large piece" in
the continued outreach that the EIS team is doing on climate change and
its impact on our world's glaciers.
E-leaf™ October, 2008 
Rapid
Response Action for Angola
Angola’s
Kissama National Park, one million hectares (2.5 million acres!)
is an immense territory to manage - deter poachers and protect
wildlife. Several months ago, Kissama Warden Roland Goetz, was
in desperate need of a vehicle to patrol the park and deploy his
well-trained force of game rangers. He contacted WILD with an
urgent request for help, and we promised to do our best. Through
the generosity of WILD board member Magalen Bryant, we were able
to purchase and put into action a brand new Toyota 4x4. Warden
Goetz said on a “bush email” last week – “…still cannot believe
it when I look out the window in the morning and the vehicle is
there and ready to go!” 
WILD
has worked with the
The
good news came in a letter on July 10th - a critical migratory
route in Botswana will remain unfenced - a huge success! The proposed
veterinary cordon fence, intended to quarantine a reported
outbreak of Foot & Mouth Disease among cattle, will allow a 70km
gap along a critical route for wildlife movement.
This area, near the Okavango Delta and Floodplain, is home to
gemsbok, kudu, zebra, hartebeest, elephant and other species.
{photo by Sandi Young}
The
wilderness movement in Central and Eastern Europe has gained new
momentum within the past several years. With new protected area
designations, attention and interest in transboundry wilderness and a
renewed international and local interest in protecting these culturally
and naturally diverse areas, WILD and WILD’s partners have been
particularly involved and active! EcoReisen, with WILD, PanParks and
Spatenhof, is offering a 10-day intensive look at the National Parks,
protected areas and culture landscapes of Central Europe, including
Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Czech Republic. Travelers will visit
with conservation professionals to learn about the unique ways in which
conservation needs and the needs of local people are met by the parks
within Central Europe.
Tired
of wearing stuffy business-wear to work each and every day? The
folks at Travis Besaw & Kershner, LLP in New
York felt exactly the same way! During the tax season,
employees at this accounting firm are encouraged to "Dress Down for
Charity" on select days. The catch is - in order to dress down, you donate $2. Employees then participate in choosing
the organization(s) that benefit from their collective contribution. 
