A Rocha International News, Issue 31: July 2003

Lebanon in the Middle East and the Far East...

Despite being affected by the recent political troubles in the region, A Rocha Lebanon has grasped new opportunities. This spring they hosted a Soaring Birds identification course for Lebanese wildlife managers and attended the World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan. more >>

Going under for Eelgrass

Slipping into the cold waters off the pier in White Rock we quickly lost site of our diving partners, as visibility was initially limited to inches. Disoriented for a few minutes, I was wondering what A Rocha member Hans Forsander and I had gotten ourselves into. We had volunteered to be a part of a dive team that was transplanting Eelgrass Zostera marina from healthy meadows to an area of seabed that had been disturbed by dredging. Eventually we found ourselves swimming in thick beds of Eelgrass. My imagination quickly took over and I was a wild Pacific Salmon looking for dinner as I glided effortlessly through the waving grass-like blades. Spread before me was a smorgasbord of algae, amphipods, isopods, snails, nudibranchs and shrimps. I was jolted into reality when a large Dungeness Crab scampered from under my hand as I pushed off the muddy bottom. more >>

Training guides in Kenya

A good wildlife guide, whether working on the open plains or in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest or Mida Creek, can help visitors to have an unforgettable experience of wilderness. But before a guide can touch anyone's soul he or she must have some basic skills. The "Creek and Forest Guide's Certificate Training Course" initiated by A Rocha Kenya is the initial step in enabling forest and creek guides to realise some of their goals. more >>

Special Species

A new series in which we'll focus on just one species of particular interest to an A Rocha team. more >>

A Centre for A Rocha UK

Sometimes, with A Rocha, it's possible to plan several steps ahead. At other times opportunities occur suddenly and unexpectedly - and we have to choose whether to ignore them (because we hadn't planned for them) or to grab them with both hands, even when there are big risks involved. It's a bit like surfing, when you're a beginner and a large wave looms up do you swim for shore? Or climb on your board and ride the challenge! more >>

A first for A Rocha Bulgaria

In May the Bulgarian committee ran their first A Rocha Members' Holiday, warmly welcoming birdwatchers from the Netherlands and the UK. Some of the Bulgarian committee - Joro Petcov, Olya Lazarova and Sasha Alexandrova - travelled with the group all week, while others joined in during the first weekend. Stoyan Bogdanov, the Chair of the Committee, spent Sunday showing us spectacular cliffs, meadows and waterfalls and brought us up to date with their plans. All the group live in Sofia, and so the next stage is to work locally, improving some of the parks for wildlife and in time, open an office in the city where visitors can enjoy displays about A Rocha, the country's rich diversity of wildlife and the conservation challenges. Fund-raising, perhaps partly through eco-tourism, and through building up a network of supportive individuals and churches are high on the agenda. more >>

News in brief

A Rocha International - India - France - USA - Environmental Education more >>