Archive for July, 2010

Outdoor Retailer Campaign: Save Elephants! Score Sweet Gear!

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Elephants are being killed by poachers at a rate of 10 percent per year. With just 470,000 elephants left in the world, it means that in just a few years we might lose our wild elephant populations. So, this winter, the Epicocity Project is embarking on a forensic biology expedition to the remote jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo with the goal of saving wild elephants from the illegal ivory trade. And you can help!

Take Action right here at OR!

1. Become a Fan of the Elephant Ivory Project on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/elephantivoryproject

2. Donate to the cause! Every little bit helps, and every single dollar goes directly to our cause ‚Äî whether it’s $5 or $50. Visit one of these booths below and drop off your donation and a business card in the box, or donate online!

Sierra Designs, # 26036

SPOT Messenger, # 38186

Osprey Packs, Booth # 5010

Mountain Khakis, Booth # 34181

Adventure Medical Kit, Booth # 13019

AlpineAire Foods, Booth # 140

Win!

If you need some extra incentives to take action, we’ve got some sweet gear up for grabs. On Day 3, August 5, we’ll pick 3 lucky people will win awesome prize packages, including Sierra Designs Vapor Light 2 tent, a SPOT Messenger unit, an Osprey Packs Raptor 6 Hydration Pack with Mountain Khakis, an Adventure Medical Kits First Aid Kit and some snacks from AlpineAire!

So c’mon! Save some elephants today!

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Africa’s National Parks Aren’t Protecting Africa’s Animals

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Africa’s National Parks, like most national parks, were set aside to protect a special piece of the landscape and the wildlife that live there. But biologists say Africa’s parks aren’t doing the job…

From Planet Earth Online:

Africa’s national parks aren’t protecting the animals they were set up for anywhere near as well as they’re supposed to, report scientists.

African national parks are meant to play a vital role in defending some of the best-known species on the planet. But, until now, no one has looked in detail at whether or not they work.

Numbers of zebras, giraffes, lions and other large mammals have plummeted by a staggering 59 percent across the continent’s national parks since the 1970s, the first study of its kind has found.

The team behind it say the likeliest explanation for the decline is over-hunting and changing habitats, both of which are driven by fast-expanding human populations…

‘There’s still a very strong hunting culture in many countries in Africa. Local people hunt illegally in reserves for bushmeat,’ explains Ian Craigie, who led the research during his PhD at the University of Cambridge and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

National parks are the cornerstones of most countries’ conservation strategies, set up to protect charismatic creatures from hunting, poaching and habitat decline.

‘Conservationists have known for a long time that there’s a problem, that some parks don’t work. But we were surprised at the scale of the problem.’
Ian Craigie, the Zoological Society of London

Read more…

PHOTO

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