Looking for a selfless gift for someone this holiday season? The Nature Conservatory “Adopt a Coral Reef” program is a great way to help protect coral reefs and put a smile on someone’s face.
The Adopt a Coral Reef program raises money for reef conservation projects in the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Palau and Papua New Guinea.
Although you can donate anything from $25 (to help with 1/2 acre of conservation) and up, but the best deal is the $50 adoption package that includes: Certificate with signature photo of the area you chose, a colorful fact sheet about that area’s coral reefs, a year’s worth of Nature Conservancy and its “Great Places” E-Newsletter subscription “…filled with local and global conservation updates, enviro-tips you can use and stunning nature photography.”
The Nature Conservancy has specific plans on how the money is spent.
In The Bahamas, the Conservancy works closely with the government, The Bahamas National Trust and other partners to support the creation of marine national parks (which could span more than 500,000 acres), conduct scientific field research to identify and protect key areas (like a shark nursery recently discovered near Andros Island), and work with local communities and businesses to promote marine conservation and best practices.
In the Dominican Republic they aim to conduct scientific field research to identify and protect key fish breeding sites, help enforce environmental regulations and combat illegal fishing, and work with communities to promote alternative and sustainable livelihoods and income sources.
Efforts in Palau will involve the government of Palau and network of partners to preserve at least 30% of near-shore marine resources by the year 2020. They will do this by identifying the most critical marine areas to set aside for protection, improving long-term management of protected areas, and assisting state and traditional leaders with planning, monitoring and capacity building.
Your donation for Papua New Guinea will help protect Kimbe Bay by establishing marine protected areas, protecting corals where reef fish gather to breed, and helping local governments draft and implement legislation that enforces the protection of marine areas.
All great options and it will be hard to chose from the four. For more information on this program and more, check out their website at Nature.org.
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