Project Funding

Preservation & Rehabilitation

Wildlife medicine continues to be our day-to-day focus. Wild4Ever’s veterinarians provide free wildlife medical care for Stark Parks, Summit Metro Parks, Project Orphan, and any number of wildlife good Samaritans. Wild4Ever’s veterinary staff provide emergency medical care for 500+ wildlife cases yearly and donates more than $100,000 annually in in-kind donated services for emergency care, hospitalization, medical care, diagnostics, medication, and surgical services to wildlife in need. We are also funding a multi-year CT study of raptors suffering head injuries. We hope to use our findings to better direct proper treatments and care for these commonly injured birds of prey. Thanks to our supporters, Wild4Ever is also proud to have provided funding for the now fully operational flight rehabilitation facility at Stark Parks. This large flight facility helps us diagnose and treat bird injuries and gives injured birds their best chance of survival to be strong flighted when they are released to the wild.

Local Wildlife

Monitoring Project

As a keystone predator, jaguar are known to significantly influence the tropical forested and savanna ecosystems. Threats to jaguar include habitat destruction from cattle ranching, agriculture, logging and extraction activities. Northwest Nazarene University in partnership with Osa Conservacion, La Amastad Wildlife Refuges and Organization for Tropical Studies will be monitoring jaguar populations in southern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula and in Talamanca in the La Amistad southwestern region. Osa Peninsula is home to at least half of all species living in Costa Rica, much of which is a protected wildlife forest preserve. The Talamanca mountain forests are an important eco-system for many plant, bird and animal species including large mammals such as jaguar, puma and tapir.

Forty remote cameras will be set in June/July 2014 to consistently monitor the jaguars. This method is non-invasive and efficient at capturing large amounts of data. Working in collaboration with Costa Rican researchers on long-term data collection, tracking stations will be set to better document jaguar and their potential prey in areas most likely to be travelled by them. The project also includes workshops in local communities of Osa Peninsula and Talamancas to better understand the perceptions, attitudes and activities related to jaguar-human interactions in this part of Costa Rica. Wild4Ever is proud to be a major contributor in this very important project which will lay the groundwork for more intense efforts in 2015 and years to follow. If you’d like to contribute to Jaguar Preservation, select the tab upon checkout on our donation page.

STATUS UPDATE:  The Costa Rica Jaguar Monitoring Project enjoyed a very productive start-up year. The research group which includes Dr. Leslie Hay, Associate Professor of Biology at Northwest Nazarene University, faculty staff, undergraduate students and local Costa Rican naturalists, were able to establish multiple data collection sites in two wildlife refuges that generated data collection throughout the year to aid in wildlife conservation and local community wildlife education efforts. Information is also being presented by the students at a wildlife conservation conference.

Forty cameras were used continuously since June 2014 in two high and low elevation sites in Costa Rica. The preliminary results indicate differential frequencies of felids and other mammals between high and low elevations. Felids demonstrate higher abundance in the high elevation location. Prey species show different species composition between the two sites, with larger mammalian prey in higher abundance in the lower elevation sites. Another low elevation site was added at the end of 2014 by relocating some cameras, which will provide some comparisons between forest types, as well as landscape fragmentation. Scent lures at the trail camera stations demonstrated that numerous wildlife species are interested in the lures. This camera monitoring project provides important information to document the presence of all five species of Felids, as well as the complement of other forest mammals including prey. The research group also visited two schools and distributed school supplies to enhance student education and also developed a longer-term plan with environmental education outreach for assisting the schools with supplies. After site visits and meetings with station managers and environmental education specialists a draft community outreach poster for jaguar conservation in Costa Rica was developed to be translated and dispersed in May 2015.

Costa Rica Jaguar and Forest

Monitoring Project

As a keystone predator, jaguar are known to significantly influence the tropical forested and savanna ecosystems. Threats to jaguar include habitat destruction from cattle ranching, agriculture, logging and extraction activities. Northwest Nazarene University in partnership with Osa Conservacion, La Amastad Wildlife Refuges and Organization for Tropical Studies will be monitoring jaguar populations in southern Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula and in Talamanca in the La Amistad southwestern region. Osa Peninsula is home to at least half of all species living in Costa Rica, much of which is a protected wildlife forest preserve. The Talamanca mountain forests are an important eco-system for many plant, bird and animal species including large mammals such as jaguar, puma and tapir.

Forty remote cameras will be set in June/July 2014 to consistently monitor the jaguars. This method is non-invasive and efficient at capturing large amounts of data. Working in collaboration with Costa Rican researchers on long-term data collection, tracking stations will be set to better document jaguar and their potential prey in areas most likely to be travelled by them. The project also includes workshops in local communities of Osa Peninsula and Talamancas to better understand the perceptions, attitudes and activities related to jaguar-human interactions in this part of Costa Rica. Wild4Ever is proud to be a major contributor in this very important project which will lay the groundwork for more intense efforts in 2015 and years to follow. If you’d like to contribute to Jaguar Preservation, select the tab upon checkout on our donation page.

STATUS UPDATE:  The Costa Rica Jaguar Monitoring Project enjoyed a very productive start-up year. The research group which includes Dr. Leslie Hay, Associate Professor of Biology at Northwest Nazarene University, faculty staff, undergraduate students and local Costa Rican naturalists, were able to establish multiple data collection sites in two wildlife refuges that generated data collection throughout the year to aid in wildlife conservation and local community wildlife education efforts. Information is also being presented by the students at a wildlife conservation conference.

Forty cameras were used continuously since June 2014 in two high and low elevation sites in Costa Rica. The preliminary results indicate differential frequencies of felids and other mammals between high and low elevations. Felids demonstrate higher abundance in the high elevation location. Prey species show different species composition between the two sites, with larger mammalian prey in higher abundance in the lower elevation sites. Another low elevation site was added at the end of 2014 by relocating some cameras, which will provide some comparisons between forest types, as well as landscape fragmentation. Scent lures at the trail camera stations demonstrated that numerous wildlife species are interested in the lures. This camera monitoring project provides important information to document the presence of all five species of Felids, as well as the complement of other forest mammals including prey. The research group also visited two schools and distributed school supplies to enhance student education and also developed a longer-term plan with environmental education outreach for assisting the schools with supplies. After site visits and meetings with station managers and environmental education specialists a draft community outreach poster for jaguar conservation in Costa Rica was developed to be translated and dispersed in May 2015.

Costa Rica Jaguar and Forest

Fuel Project

Wild4Ever is a supporter of the Kibale Fuel Wood Project. Since 2006, New Nature Foundation has been working to protect Kibale National Park from encroachment and improve park/people relations by facilitating energy stability in surrounding villages. Kibale National Park is home to the densest primate population in all of Africa, over 300 bird species and many other mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish species that are facing severe threat due to deforestation.Wood and charcoal are the sole sources of energy for more than 98% of the people around Kibale. Fuel efficient stoves are having a major impact on the amount of wood being used by villagers saving over 3.3 million pounds of wood per year that would have otherwise been cut down. Today, many are constructing their own stoves without assistance. Equally important is educating locals to use their own homegrown firewood, native fast growing trees that provide immense amounts of fuel wood, plays an important role in protecting KNP and it’s wildlife.

Kibale Wood

Reforestation

Health In Harmony’s Reforestation project studies methods to reverse the trend of forest loss and also educates communities about the value of rainforest while providing them opportunities to participate in restoring damaged areas. Now in their fifth year of reforestation, areas inside Gunung Palung National Park that were once denuded and dominated by invasive grass are successfully supporting native tree regeneration.The planting process increases scientific knowledge, while providing productive paid employment for villagers in preparing, planting, and caring for the seedlings to ensure the area grows into lush, green forest. Working with villagers around a devastated area where a logging company illegally cleared over 100 hectares (250 acres) of rainforest, twenty years ago they have replanted twenty hectares of this area in the past 4 years, and 6 more hectares in 2012 to restore a key “orangutan corridor” – a reforested bridge between larger habitat areas – that will once again allow these and other animals free movement and the opportunity to breed.

UPDATE: Sedahan, where the ASRI reforestation team planted 2 hectares of trees in 2012 to reconnect 2 pieces of the Gunung Palung forest, is now home to orangutan nests! This piece of land was identified as a critical corridor for allowing groups to move between habitats. Nests have been spotted in the trees in Sedahan, showing that all the hard work and investment has paid off and orangutans are traveling through the reforestation site!

Wild4ever

Diurnal Raptors in Venezuela

Health In Harmony’s Reforestation project studies methods to reverse the trend of forest loss and also educates communities about the value of rainforest while providing them opportunities to participate in restoring damaged areas. Now in their fifth year of reforestation, areas inside Gunung Palung National Park that were once denuded and dominated by invasive grass are successfully supporting native tree regeneration.The planting process increases scientific knowledge, while providing productive paid employment for villagers in preparing, planting, and caring for the seedlings to ensure the area grows into lush, green forest. Working with villagers around a devastated area where a logging company illegally cleared over 100 hectares (250 acres) of rainforest, twenty years ago they have replanted twenty hectares of this area in the past 4 years, and 6 more hectares in 2012 to restore a key “orangutan corridor” – a reforested bridge between larger habitat areas – that will once again allow these and other animals free movement and the opportunity to breed.

UPDATE: Sedahan, where the ASRI reforestation team planted 2 hectares of trees in 2012 to reconnect 2 pieces of the Gunung Palung forest, is now home to orangutan nests! This piece of land was identified as a critical corridor for allowing groups to move between habitats. Nests have been spotted in the trees in Sedahan, showing that all the hard work and investment has paid off and orangutans are traveling through the reforestation site!

Biogeography and Conservation Status of

Jaguar Preservation

Wild4Ever was a project contributor for trail camera surveillance project to prevent habitat destruction by demonstrating the jaguar and other wildlife’s utilization of the habitat.Panama: Wild4Ever contributed funding to aid jaguar conservationists in relocating jaguars in danger of destruction to safe long-term habitats. Wild4Ever was also a charter contributor to the construction of MUNDO JAGUAR – an exotic felid conservation facility open to the public that can serve as a base for collaboration for the various conservationists and researchers in Central America. The grand opening of the facility was met with long lines of people anxious to visit the facility.

Guatemala & Nicaragua: Wild4Ever sponsored the Wildlife Conservation Society’s JAGUARS FOREVER Environmental Education Workshop. These three-day workshops were held in Guatemala, and on the edge of the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in Nicaragua. They were attended by school teachers from Nicaragua and Guatemala for three day training courses on the WCS’S JAGUARS FOREVER curriculum. This curriculum teaches human-jaguar coexistence in areas of historical jaguar hunting. Over 30 school teachers from 11 communities attended each workshop that will aid jaguar conservation for years to come by educating the children of today and adults of tomorrow. The lesson plans reinforce the benefits and pride to be had by preserving local wildlife and wild areas.

Ecuador: The WCS JAGUARS FOREVER Program is a 3-day intensive training workshop held in El Coca, Ecuadorian Amazon. Like the previous years’ programs, JAGUARS FOREVER is an important workshop to instruct regional teachers how to incorporate jaguar conservation ideas into their lesson plans and also teaches local park rangers the importance of jaguar conservation issues in areas where they co-exist with people on both sides of the Andes.  Additionally, Wild4Ever funded the production of written jaguar conservation materials and posters to use throughout Ecuador. Participants from Pambilar Wildlife Refuge organized two subsequent workshops training local teachers and high school students. The result of these workshops produced the Ecuador National Jaguar Plan for the conservation of jaguar in Ecuador.

Costa Rica: Wild4Ever continues its jaguar conservation mission as the primary funder for the Costa Rica Jaguar and Forest Monitoring Project.  The program run by Northwest Nazarene University works with students and local NGO’s for a combined jaguar survey and local conservation education program. We hope to establish sufficient documentation of jaguar population as well as adequate prey population in the areas surveyed to appeal for land preservation.  More information on this ongoing project at top of page.

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Bornean Sun Bear Conservation

Sun Bears, at only 3.5 ft tall when standing, are the worlds smallest bears. With a continuing 30% decline in population over the last 30 years, sun bears are one of the six bear species threatened with extinction. Major threats to this unique animal are illegal poaching, habitat destruction and maiming for body parts and bile. Currently there are very few conservation efforts ongoing to help this critically endangered species. Wild4Ever is helping to support the start-up of a dedicated Sun Bear conservation facility in Borneo that will address the needs of orphaned animals, support habitat preservation and produce educational projects aimed at alerting the local populations to the critical nature of the Sun Bear’s situation.

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