Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine » school projects

Teachers and Students in Nepal Celebrate World Environment Day with Rhino Conservation Event

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:46:24 +0000

In recognition of World Environment Day, six Chitwan schools participated in a grassroots rhino conservation awareness event.

Teachers and students in Nepal sent a strong message to would-be rhino poachers on World Environment Day by holding a rhino conservation awareness event in the heart of where four rhinos had been shot dead by poachers just one month prior.

The Role of Students in One-Horned Rhino Conservation was organized by the Environment Conservation Teachers’ Forum, Chitwan, and held at Shree Secondary School – which is located right in the pocket where poachers killed four rhinos last month.

This educational event was chaired by Mr. Durga Prasas Bhatta, president of the Environment Conservation Teacher’s Forum, Chitwan.

Six schools participated in the event, which featured a speech competition about The Role of Students in One-Horned Rhino Conservation. Over 100 students and 15 teachers attended the event, which featured 11 contestants!

Nepal’s future conservationists presented some great ideas for raising rhino conservation awareness at the grassroots level:

Communication: Use speeches, essays, quizzes, street dramas, magazine publications, conservation campaigns and lobbying to spread the word about rhino conservation
Know your neighbors: Be on the lookout for poachers by taking notice of new faces in the village
Encourage adults to lead the way: Talk to teachers and parents about local involvement in rhino conservation
Help the idea grow: Join hands with other conservationists and organizations to raise awareness
Improve the local environment: Plant trees for habitat management

In addition, Mr. Devraj Paudel, a teacher from Shree Secondary School, provided entertainment by performing a rhino and tiger conservation song, joined by his students!

Check out more Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal) events:

To learn more, please visit Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal).

Saving Rhinos helps Partnership for Rhino Conservation, Nepal by selling rhino t-shirts. The proceeds help pay for PARC’s educational materials and sponsoring PARC’s public awareness events.

Photos courtesy of Suman Bhattarai, Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal).

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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Rhino Conservation Groups Help Young Environmentalists Celebrate International Biodiversity Day with Campus Clean-up Event

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:36:42 +0000

International Biodiversity Day 2010 was celebrated by the conservation-minded students of Pokhara’s Institute of Forestry.

In recognition of International Biodiversity Day 2010, a successful Dust Bin Replacement and Cleaning Program was held at the Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal. Self Help Environment Awareness Camp (SHEAC), a student-led organization, created and implemented the campus clean-up event.

Turnout for the day was excellent: 68 students participated by installing dust bins, cleaning the surrounding areas, and collecting trash.

The program helped future conservationists raise environmental awareness by encouraging others to keep the campus clean through the use of appropriate trash containers.

Students also tidied up the area surrounding the campus with a thorough sweeping and collection of debris.

At the end of the day, the Institute of Forestry campus environment was declared neat, clean, and beautiful!

Self Help Environment Awareness Camp (SHEAC) is run solely by the efforts and inspiration of the Institute of Forestry students, and is supported by Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal) and Saving Rhinos.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Rhino Conservation Awareness Event Reaches Over 5,000 People in Chitwan, Nepal

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:52:01 +0000

Local groups – Partnership for Rhino Conservation and Hands for Conservation – recently held a successful public awareness event in Chitwan, Nepal.

March 27, 2010 was an exciting day for Chitwan’s local conservationists and communities, as multiple conservation groups joined forces in an awareness-raising event that took off with a cycle rally and featured a number of theatrical presentations along the way.

Over 2,000 locals throughout the Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone area enjoyed the public awareness event presented by Nepal’s Partnership for Rhino Conservation and Hands for Conservation – while media coverage extended the program’s reach to an additional 3,000 people.

And according the Mr. Suman Bhattarai, Team Leader of Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal), the outcome was “fantastic!”

Cycle rally: Over 25 kilometers of education – and entertainment!

Over 100 people participated in the cycle rally, which included 25 motor bikes – and two tractors for the performers. More than 2,000 people watched as the 25-kilometer rally started from Chitwan’s Lothar User Committee and ended at the Mirga Kunja User Committee.

Covering the entire eastern sector of the Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone, the rally passed through the Lothar, Khangendramalli, Budhi Rapti, and Mirga Kunja User Committees.

Singing, dancing – and a taste of the theater!

Spectators were entertained and educated by conservation-themed songs and dances that were performed throughout the rally on portable stages hauled by tractors. They also enjoyed a taste of the theater: A play about the consequences of poaching – and opportunities for conservation – was performed in three different places throughout the day.

The entertainment appealed to locals, encouraging them to participate in nature conservation and biodiversity preservation. 4,000 pamphlets were distributed throughout the event, in hopes of giving people a starting point for their own conservation ideas.

Media coverage reaches an additional 3,000 people!

A news clip of the event was broadcast on the local television channel, and it also received coverage by four local print newspapers. Such coverage extended the program’s reach to another 3,000 people!

Special thanks

Teamwork made this public awareness event a success! Thank you to Mr. Bimal Kanta Dallakoti for coordinating the program, and to Hands for Conservation (HC/Nepal) for organizing the event. Thanks also to Mr. Suman Bhattarai of Partnership for Rhino Conservation, for taking time to discuss the event and provide photos.

Closing ceremony:

Narendra Man Babu Pradhan (Chief Warden of Chitwan National Park)
Tulsi Ram Sharma (Chief Warden of Parsa Wildlife Reserve)
Shiv Raj Bhatta (Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation)
Shanta Raj Jnawali (National Trust for Nature Conservation)
B.R. Upreti (Chairman of Mirgakunja user Committee and Former Director of General, Department of Wildlife Conservation)

Supporters:

National Trust for Nature Conservation (Major Funding)
Partnership for Rhino Conservation, Nepal (PARC/Nepal)
Saving Rhinos LLC
Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation
Nagao Natural Environment Foundation
Sea World Busch Garden Conservation Fund
Terai Arc Land – WWF
Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone Lothar User Committee
Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone Khangendramalli User Committee
Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone Budhi Rapti User Committee
Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone Mirga Kunja User Committee

To learn more, please visit Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC/Nepal).

Saving Rhinos helps Partnership for Rhino Conservation by selling rhino t-shirts. The proceeds help pay for printing PARC’s educational materials and sponsoring PARC’s public awareness events.

Buy a rhino t-shirt to help support PARC

Photos courtesy of Suman Bhattarai, Partnership for Rhino Conservation, Nepal

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Book of the Week: ‘Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution’ by Caroline Fraser

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:54:01 +0000

This week’s book is Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution by Caroline Fraser.

Book Summary: Rewilding the World is an inspiring report from the front lines of the visionary conservation strategy known as rewilding, developed to protect species against the impending wave of human-caused extinctions. The concept of rewilding emerged following the realization that parks and protected zones are actually too fragmented and too small to offer a long-term solution to save species from extinction.

At the heart of rewilding are the “three C’s”: Cores, Corridors, and Carnivores.

Core protected areas enlarge habitat; corridors connect protected wilderness in order to allow migration and other forms of movement to prevent genetic bottlenecks; and carnivores – large predators or “keystone” species – regulate the ecosystem, ensuring stable relationships throughout the food chain.

Why this book is important: Rewilding the World is a call to action – with a blueprint. In great detail, the author covers the successes – and failures – of this visionary approach to conservation. The successes inspire us to leap into the revolution now – to start making a difference. The failures are also key: Mistakes serve as critical learning experiences and cautionary tales. One of the central themes is action. The leaders of the “rewilding revolution” are not choked by the bureaucracy, paperwork, and political bottlenecks that clog “business as usual” conservation methods (which, tragically, no longer seem to be working). Time and again, it is the unprecedented vision of small teams that has led to extraordinary accomplishments, such as Lewa’s Craig family and Area de Conservación Guanacaste ACG’s Dan Janzen. Rewilding the World compels us to answer the call – and join the revolution!

Quotable moment:

The biodiversity crisis, which presents us with dangers as profound and costly as climate change does, demands the creation of an equal and corresponding political will to act. The environment is the economy. No problem – not proverty, not climate changes, not the economic downturn – can be addressed without simultaneously restoring the systems that are life itself.

We must look to what is left of our planet. In rewilding, we have dreamed up the ways and means to keep it alive. Now, we must only connect.

Also notable is Dan Janzen’s decision to raise money for ACG without the help of NGOs:

“These NGOs were largely surviving on the fund-raising message of ‘help us save the tropical rain forest now before it is cut, because once cut, it is gone forever.’ We were told that the donor public was not sufficiently sophisticated to be able to handle both a conservation and a restoration message.”

Undeterred, Janzen set out to publicize his work and raise money without the aid of NGOs, presenting his elaborate, colorful stories about tropical species and their complex interactions. Later he would say, “I was told that it’s too complicated and a lot of people won’t understand it. Bullshit. They can understand it perfectly well.”

Where to purchase ‘Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution’

You can purchase Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the Conservation Revolution online at Amazon.com.

Learn more about ‘Rewilding the World’

To learn more:

Rewilding the World website: rewildingtheworld.com
Caroline Fraser’s website: carolinefraser.net

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Rhino Horn is Not Medicine: Public Awareness Video

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:14:06 +0000

The latest video from Saving Rhinos: Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine

Saving Rhinos has created a new public awareness video, based on our flagship poster Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine. Thank you for helping us share the truth about rhino horn.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Saving Rhinos: Raising Public Awareness About Illegal Trade in Rhino Horn, Rhino Conservation

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:18:17 +0000

For anyone who has ever wondered who we are and what we are up to, Saving Rhinos answers your most frequently asked questions!

What does Saving Rhinos do for rhinos?

Saving Rhinos LLC is a public awareness program focused on bringing attention to the illegal rhino horn trade and rhino conservation. We do this by developing and publishing educational content about rhinos, such as articles and essays about the illegal trade in rhino horn, and creating free communication materials for you and your organization to share. We also work behind the scenes to provide content, research and data to agencies, media, and other organizations.

The Saving Rhinos LLC website and companion blog (rhinoconservation.org) provide a wealth of public awareness materials and educational content to schools, organizations and individuals all over the world.

As part of our public awareness program strategy, Saving Rhinos LLC maintains a social media presence that currently includes Facebook® and Twitter. Our Facebook® page is comprised of an international community of fans, including South Africa, Kenya, the United States, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, the Netherlands – and more!

How do you know people are finding and using Saving Rhinos’ public awareness materials?

In any given month, our websites receive traffic from 50 – 100 countries, adding up to thousands of visits – and our content has been translated into several languages by website users and researchers. Additionally, our public awareness and educational materials have been downloaded and utilized in educational projects all over the world.

Because the Saving Rhinos LLC website and companion blog were developed – and are maintained – by a search engine marketing professional, we are able to consistently capture and monitor a significant share of the search market via Google™, Yahoo!®, Bing™, and others.

Can a public awareness program really make a difference?

Yes! One of the most encouraging examples is the rhino horn public awareness campaign conducted in Yemen nearly ten years ago by Dr. Esmond Bradley Martin and Lucy Vigne.

Because of the campaign, Yemen’s illegal trade in rhino horn has not re-surfaced as a threat to rhinoceros populations. Read the full article: Yemen No Longer Major Destination for illegal Rhino Horn.

Do people from China – or other places where rhino horn is sold as medicine – visit the Saving Rhinos website?

Yes, they do. And the results are encouraging: Our visitors from China and Vietnam are mostly from schools and universities – and usually arrive at our website looking for information about how to help rhinos and how to save rhinos from extinction.

Who is Saving Rhinos?

Saving Rhinos LLC is a public awareness program launched and directed by writer/activist/designer Rhishja Larson, a Stanford Certified Project Manager (Stanford University).

Rhishja has written for Green Options Media, focusing on endangered species protection and illegal wildlife trade. Her articles have been referenced and included in both print and online publications, such as Science News (Asian vultures), National Wind Watch (California condors), WildAid (elephant poaching), Bush Warriors (rhino poaching), The Rhino Print (Asian Rhino Project), International Zoo News (Javan rhino), and The Zimbabwean (rhino poaching).

Does Saving Rhinos accept donations?

Saving Rhinos LLC does NOT accept donations. However, funds raised from rhino t-shirt sales are contributed to specific projects. We are currently contributing t-shirt proceeds to Partnership for Rhino Conservation (PARC), Nepal.

Should I contribute directly to rhino conservation organizations?

YES! Our goal is to raise awareness for all rhino conservation efforts, and if our website helps you identify a direct recipient for your funds, that is great! There are many rhino conservation organizations that would benefit from your generosity. Please drop us a line and let us know if we have inspired you.

Would you design a t-shirt, poster or other communication piece for our rhino conservation group?

One of the ways we partner with rhino conservation groups is by designing apparel, posters or other projects. For example, Rhishja created a new t-shirt design for the Asian Rhino Project.

Please contact Saving Rhinos to share ideas.

How would our group partner with Saving Rhinos?

We are open to creating customized public awareness materials and eductional content to conservation groups, providing the primary focus is on rhino conservation. You may contact Saving Rhinos to explore this topic further.

Please contact Rhishja at Saving Rhinos LLC if you have additional questions. Thanks!

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Indian Rhino Featured in ‘My Horn is Not Medicine’ Rhino Poaching Awareness Poster

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:44:28 +0000

An Indian rhino is featured in Saving Rhinos’ latest rhino poaching awareness poster. This new poster is available for you to download, print, and share: “My Horn is NOT Medicine” is the theme.

A majestic Indian rhino is the star of Saving Rhinos’ latest public awareness poster, which features the urgent anti-poaching message My Horn is NOT Medicine.

This rhino poaching awareness poster is free for you to download and print right from your desktop printer. You can also have the poster professionally printed to traditional poster size at 16″ x 20″. Another way to share the poster is to right-click the image above, save to your computer and then post it to your blog, website or Facebook® page.

Download the poster here or visit the Saving Rhinos download page for more rhino poaching awareness posters, rhino species fact sheets, and our free eBook, 10 Essential Facts About Rhinos.

The My Horn is NOT Medicine public awareness poster is also available in the African rhino version, featuring a white rhino. You can get it from the Saving Rhinos download page.

Thank you for sharing this urgent message: Rhino horn is NOT medicine.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Book of the Week: ‘The Return of the Unicorns: The Natural History and Conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros’ by Eric Dinerstein

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:49:57 +0000

This week’s book is The Return of the Unicorns: The Natural History and Conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros by Eric Dinerstein.

Book Summary: The Return of the Unicorns chronicles the recovery of the greater one-horned rhino population in Nepal during the mid-1990′s through early 2000′s, and proposes a blueprint for large mammal conservation in Asia, based on lessons learned in Nepal. The book also features a fascinating study of greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) evolution, biology and behavior – complete with detailed method appendices.

Why this book is important: The Return of the Unicorns is unique in that the author goes beyond sounding the alarm for the greater one-horned rhino (and Asia’s other large mammals) by mapping out innovative conservation strategies. He also discusses controversial conservation measures, such as relocation to habitats in industrialized nations and the Ex Situ/In Situ Debate. Part III of the book The Recovery of Endangered Large Mammal Populations and Their Habitats in Asia serves as inspiration for both emerging and seasoned conservationists searching for workable solutions for protecting the world’s remaining rhinoceros populations.

Quotable moment:

My experience in the conservation field, and Chitwan in particular, has taught me that business-as-usual practices in conserving large Asian mammals offer little braking power against the ongoing extinction crisis.

Many examples show us that we should never be satisfied with the status quo and instead work towards grander goals. In the world of conservation, as in the world of politics, Berlin walls do come down.

Where to purchase ”The Return of the Unicorns’

You can purchase The Return of the Unicorns: The Natural History and Conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros online at Amazon. Although this book retails for USD $75, used copies can be purchased at a reduced price.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Rhino Poaching Awareness Poster [Warning: Graphic Image]

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:12:03 +0000

Saving Rhinos’ latest rhino poaching awareness poster is now available for you to download, print, and share: “This … Not This” is the theme.

Rhino poaching is an ugly issue – and Saving Rhinos’ latest public awareness poster delivers the message with a graphic photo of a greater one-horned rhino murdered by poachers, positioned in sharp contrast with a beautiful photo of a female greater one-horned rhino nuzzling her calf.

The poster is free for you to download and print right from your desktop printer. You can also have the poster professionally printed to traditional poster size at 16″ x 20″. Another way to share the poster is to right-click the image above, save to your computer and then post it to your blog, website or Facebook® page.

Download the poster here or visit the Saving Rhinos download page for more rhino poaching awareness posters, rhino species fact sheets, and our free eBook, 10 Essential Facts About Rhinos.

Thank you for sharing this urgent message: Rhino horn is NOT medicine.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

’10 Essential Facts About Rhinos’ – a Video!

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:39:42 +0000

It’s the video version of our Saving Rhinos eBook 10 Essential Facts About Rhinos – enjoy!

Learn more about the eBook 10 Essential Facts About Rhinos … and help share this urgent message: Rhino horn is NOT medicine.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.