We protect and restore tropical forests

Here are just a few examples of A Rocha’s community projects which contribute to the conservation of tropical forests.

A Rocha Ghana: saving upland rainforest from mining

Atewa Range Forest Reserve is internationally recognized as one of the highest priority ecosystems in West Africa for its wildlife diversity (e.g. over 700 butterfly species recorded) and a high number of species found nowhere else in the world. In fact, a newly discovered critically endangered frog species found nowhere else in the world beyond the Atewa Range Forest Reserve was described and published in 2021 – the Atewa Slippery Frog.

Atewa Slippery Frog Conraua sagyimase. Photo: Dr Caleb Ofori Boateng

In addition, the three great rivers which rise in the forest provide five million people with water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use − it could hardly be more important! Despite its incalculable value, the forest is under threat from bauxite mining and other human activities. A Rocha is running major awareness-raising and advocacy activities as part of a process towards designating Atewa Forest as a National Park. Read more

A Rocha Uganda: Reducing deforestation and improving human health

Bio-sand water filters are a cheap and easy to use (and make!) technology to produce clean and safe drinking water. Over 600 bio-sand water filters have been distributed, making safe water available to over 15,000 people and eliminating their need to boil water over charcoal. For every five families, 30 fewer bags of charcoal are bought each year. For 15,000 people, that’s 18,000 bags! One felled tree makes two bags of charcoal, so that’s at least 9,000 trees that are still growing, still absorbing carbon and providing wildlife habitat because of the filters. Read more

PLEASE HELP! Through ‘Gifts With a Difference’ at shop.arocha.org you could give the gift of clean water through a bio-sand water filter for a family in need.

A Rocha Kenya: forest conservation through school eco-bursaries

Our field study centre is close to one of Kenya’s most wildlife-rich forests, which is vulnerable to logging and poaching. By linking secondary school bursaries to forest education with parents as well as students, we have seen attitudes change and  communities commit to protecting the forest for future generations. Watch our 19 minute video ‘ASSETS: a story of hope’ and read more.

Protecting tropical forests is a priority for A Rocha because of their importance for the planet’s climate, forest-dependent human communities and the fabulously biodiverse fauna and flora. This is an Ayres’ Hawk-eagle in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya. (Ben Porter)

A Rocha Peru: Restoring dry forest in arid regions

In January 2014, A Rocha started a four-year project to restore Peruvian dry forest − one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world − and promote social development in and around a wind farm in Talara. Visit the project through a set of videos, Harvesting Hope.