A Rocha International News issue 38: April 2005

Environmental Education in Lebanon

You can often hear the school bus before seeing it as the sound of the Debake (drums held between the knees and capable of putting out a powerful rhythm) and the boisterous singing announce the arrival of the latest visitors to the marsh. The children pour onto the rocks by the road, a gaggle of enthusiasm. And then the hubbub dies to be replaced with first one and then several squeals of fright. more >>

Adventures in India

Dave Bookless, the Director of A Rocha UK, is just back from a two-month tour of India with his family. We asked Anne and the girls to tell us about it. more >>

Community-based conservation at Mole National Park

Nyame ho ye hu! ‘God is wonderful!’ were the words uttered by Kwadwo Danso, our driver, as he surveyed the miles of savannah forest in front of us at the Mole National Park. The same words had been on all of our lips earlier as A Rocha Ghana’s dispersed team and the visiting International Scientific Director met up for the first time at the A Rocha Ghana office in the nearby town of Damongo. more >>

Investing in conservation

Why is A Rocha setting up so many field study centres? Peter Harris, Director of A Rocha International, explains their importance. more >>

A Rocha movies

Melissa Ong is an award-winning director/writer from Singapore who has produced documentaries and TV programmes focused on heritage, natural history and environmental issues. She and her husband, Daniel Tay, have just begun to serve as volunteers with A Rocha for a year. We’ve asked Mel to explain their roving brief. more >>

A Rocha exchange visits

A Rocha International encourages team members to share their expertise with colleagues from other national organisations and to learn from, and support each other. more >>

Special Species: The Monarch Danaus plexippus

The Monarch is one of the world’s most charismatic insects. Native to the Americas, since the 19th century it has become increasingly cosmopolitan. The sporadic records in Western Europe were first attributed to vagrants from across the Atlantic: then colonies were confirmed in the Canary Islands and later in Iberia. This expansion has speculatively been linked to global warming, but more certainly is due to the arrival of other colonists: milkweeds, such as the Bristly-fruited Silkweed from South Africa. Milkweeds are the food plants of Monarch larvae and their juices make the Monarch poisonous to predatory birds. The bright orange of the butterfly is really a warning: keep off! more >>

Seeing both sides of the coin — supporting A Rocha

Gerry Rawcliffe was introduced to A Rocha in 1991 when he was identified as a potential Treasurer. He later became a Trustee and in the mid 90s, helped us become a truly international organisation. On the first of many visits to Cruzinha, the centre in Portugal, he started his training as a bird ringer. Since he knows A Rocha inside-out, as accountant and donor, we asked him about both perspectives: more >>