Rainforest Trust is a US-based nonprofit environmental organization focused on the purchase and protection of tropical lands to strategically conserve threatened species.[2] Founded in 1988, Rainforest Trust was formerly known as World Parks Endowment. In 2006, then World Parks Endowment affiliated itself with World Land Trust, a UK-based nonprofit environmental organization, and became World Land Trust-US, as both organizations were dedicated to minimizing their costs in order to allow donated funds to flow to habitat conservation projects on the ground.[3] On September 16, 2013, because of diverging modus operandi, and as part of celebrating the organization's 25th anniversary, the World Land Trust-US changed its name to Rainforest Trust.[4]

Rainforest Trust
FormationDecember 8, 1988; 35 years ago (1988-12-08)[1]
Founded atNew York[1]
HeadquartersWarrenton, Virginia, United States
Dr. Eric Veach (Board Chair) Edith McBean (Board Vice-Chair)
Key people
James C. Deutsch (CEO)
Revenue (2019)
$24.1 million
Expenses (2019)$20.6 million
Websitewww.rainforesttrust.org
Formerly called
  • World Parks Endowment
  • World Land Trust-US

Rainforest Trust supports the purchase of large tracts of land by local NGOs working across tropical Asia, Africa, and Latin America for the purposes of protecting it, in a fashion similar to the Nature Conservancy by making use of land trusts. The organization also seeks to help in-situ conservation measures by providing training, capital and equipment for environmental stewardship in economically impoverished areas.

Most acres are permanently protected for an average of less than $100 per acre. As of 2018, Rainforest Trust has helped protect 20,000,000 acres (81,000 km2) of habitat.[5]

Byron Swift was the CEO of the organization from 1988 until 2012 when Paul Salaman became the CEO. In 2020, James C. Deutsch became the CEO.[6]

Robert S. Ridgely, President Emeritus, is an expert on neotropical birds, on which he has published several books, is a longtime conservationist, and is the co-discoverer of the jocotoco antpitta.

Project examples

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Certificate of Incorporation of World Parks Endowment, Inc" (PDF). Rainforest Trust. 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  2. ^ Editor, Anita L. Sherman Community (2 July 2018). "Saving the world's forests 1 acre at a time". Fauquier Times. Retrieved 2020-06-18. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ "October 2006 - World Parks Endowment becomes World Land Trust-US". World Land Trust-US. October 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  4. ^ Salaman, Paul (2013). "World Land Trust-US Becomes Rainforest Trust". Rainforest Trust. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  5. ^ "History". Rainforest Trust Saves Rainforest. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  6. ^ "Rainforest Trust Appoints James Deutsch CEO". PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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