OroVerde – Die Tropenwaldstiftung

OroVerde - The Tropical Forest Foundation (engl. Green Gold ) is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical forests. For this protection projects are designed and implemented in cooperation with local partner organizations in tropical countries. In Germany projects are carried out environmental education in the area. In this context OroVerde offers a variety of information and educational materials for people interested in teachers and students.

OroVerde was founded in 1989 by renowned personalities from industry and science. Initiator and former volunteer Board of Trustees Chairman was the late in 2006 Wolfgang Engelhardt, Honorary President of the German Nature and Environment ( DNR). The coordination of the projects will take place today at the headquarters in Bonn (Kaiser Street ), until January 2005 OroVerde in Frankfurt am Main was a resident. In addition to the 10 full-time employees regularly support volunteers and interns to the Foundation. Board is popular hardware will, the Foundation Council President Harald Kächele holds, honorary chairman Manfred Niekisch, director of the Frankfurt Zoo, a member of the Advisory Council on the Environment of the Federal Government and President of the Society for Tropical Ecology.

Goals and projects

OroVerde initiated, designed and promotes projects for the preservation and protection of tropical forests, both nationally and internationally.

International Projects

The implementation of conservation projects carried out by local partner organizations that are supported and accompanied by OroVerde professionals until the projects can wear on its own. The main tasks of the project are the reforestation of degraded or degraded land, the establishment of protected areas and environmental education and development of forest -friendly farming practices with the local population, so the pressure on tropical forests is reduced - in every project the motto "Help people to help themselves ". Particularly important is OroVerde in the implementation of projects, the cooperation with the local population. When selecting the project regions, the focus is on the hotspots of biodiversity, ie in the fields, their extraordinary biodiversity is classified as particularly worthy of protection. Current project countries are:

• Cuba: Support the Park staff at the Alexander -von- Humboldt National Park
• Guatemala: land acquisition, reforestation and environmental education in the National Park Sierra del Lacandón
• Honduras: Reforestation in Patuca National Park ( Parque Nacional Patuca ), support of the local population with drinking water management and environmental education
• Ecuador: support of people living in Sarayaku Kichwa Indians in their opposition to the development of their home area for oil production as well as in the fields of education, development and strengthening of cultural identity
• Venezuela: reforestation of degraded areas in one of the last mountain cloud forests on the Paria Peninsula, environmental education with the local population
• Central America (Nicaragua, Cuba and Dominican Republic): collaboration with Welthungerhilfe to improve the nutritional and living conditions of the population in border areas of three national parks in order to win this for a sustainable lifestyle
• Indonesia: conservation and protection of biodiversity in the archipelago of Raja Ampat with the help of forest mapping and monitoring. Development and introduction of alternative and sustainable sources of income.

National projects

In Germany, the focus is on environmental education and information about tropical forests and on the promotion of information exchange between conservation organizations, industry, science and politics. Currently there are projects in the following areas:

• Forest & Climate: The tropical rain forests store large amounts of carbon in its biomass. Therefore, up to 17 % of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation and degradation of forests. Thus, forest protection is always climate. The project is intended to serve, in this connection, to learn about forest carbon projects to evaluate existing certification standards and develop guidelines for companies and individual investors.

• Environmental Education: Under the auspices of the bestselling author Sabine Kuegler ( " Jungle Child " ) is the pilot project "Because we 're worth it! ", Which is specifically aimed at socially disadvantaged secondary and special students. These are practical with reference to their everyday lives to the issue of tropical forest protection introduced (eg graffiti, rap or hip -hop ) and learn about the links between their consumption and the destruction of the rainforest. The project was awarded by UNESCO within the framework of the UN Decade "Education for sustainable development ". From the experience gained during the pilot phase of "Because we 're worth it! " Diverse teaching materials were developed for use in the classroom. In addition, offers OroVerde materials for other types of schools.

• The annual competition "Student protect rainforests " calls children and young people to get involved with actions for the protection of the rainforest.
• Policy and networking: international trade policy and subsidies have considerable influence on the tropical countries. This includes, for example, the wood import, of the soy imports for livestock farming in agriculture and, increasingly, the import of palm oil among other things, to generate energy. Therefore OroVerde brings a form of opinions, attending hearings and meetings with politicians in the political debate.

Financing of projects

In 2010 OroVerde took 1,497,812 euros through funding contributions, donations, money allocations and project funding. The total expenditure amounted to 1,474,472 euros, of which 85 percent were incorporated directly into the project work. Spending on public relations represented a share of total expenditure of 5 per cent. The share of administrative expenditure was 10 percent.