Following a Memorandum of Understanding and a Declaration of Intent between the Global Ecovillage Network and the Chiang Mai government, Ecovillage Transition Asia (ETA) was formed as a new body consolidating the ecovillage initiatives in South East Asia. ETA has a pilot ecovillage project in Ontai which covers 11 villages transitioning from traditional villages to ecovillages just outside Chiang Mai.   The local people have been engaged with the ecovillage design process including an Ecovillage Festival in August, 2013 attended by thousands.   They already have community forests and intact traditional worldviews that support the ecovillage ethos.   They are looking to transition their economy and technology to reduce their carbon footprint and increase organic sustainable agriculture.  The ETA team has also been approached to support the transition of a further 50 villages in Lampang, a neighbouring province.  ETA is also planning ecovillage design education courses for local villagers and other stakeholders. Donations will be used for a short Ecovillage Design course for local villagers or solar panels for drinking water pumping from the well.  The villagers already have prepared the basic structure. 

  Improving Environment protection consciousness and responsible tourism Within Natura 2000 protected areas common promotion (starting from 4 pilot areas into the European union) we plan to build  a common platform for tourism and residential best practices and policies to live near a protected area (urban relationships), and eco-friendly touristic activities, related to the areas, to help local sustainability and environment protection. The project will work via 3 steps. 1) Platform set up, and basic communication and content provisioning. (6 months) 2) Analysis period (12 months) to choose the main practices in use regarding  Environment protection project development, monitoring and evaluation activities, eco-friendly best practices, sustainability, tourism. In this period a team visiting sharing experiences could work for better touristic sustainable activities, and project improving methods and practices. 3) Promotion and Partnership opening (other areas and partners) (12 months) Communication step to promote areas best practice, sustainable activities, carbon emission reduction, responsible tourism rules and suggestions, and related report system.

Climate Change is a global challenge. WWF South Africa believes that this challenge should be addressed by supporting the transition of the South African economy towards sustainable energy and resource consumption. In this regard, climate innovations can play a key role in bringing about the desired transition. Accordingly, WWF-SA has decided to launch the Climate Solver platform in South Africa to promote the use of innovative low-carbon technologies that reduce carbon emissions, as well as sustainable clean energy solutions that enhance energy access.  Climate Solver was launched by WWF-Sweden in 2008 and has subsequently been launched in China and India, as part of its endeavour to create an international platform that displays the best technologies worldwide. These country platforms allow for the diffusion of technologies that serve to reduce carbon emissions or support energy access. They also create a general awareness of the value of innovation as an immediate and practical solution to climate change. 

Crystal Waters is an environmentally and socially responsible rural subdivision, designed using permaculture principles. With a community of over 200 people living in the village, it is continually evolving, physically and socially. The property covers 650 acres, of which 20% is made up of 83 residential and 2 lots for the Crystal Waters Community Co-operative which provides facilities & services for the social & economic aspirations of the community. The remaining 80% is the best land and is owned in common. It can be licensed for agriculture, forestry, recreation and habitat projects. The Village Green is the social hub of the community, with plenty of open space for people to meet, talk and play together. Surrounding the Green are The Kitchen and The Deck, which are used regularly for markets and concerts, and a variety of privately owned businesses. They all form a part of the Village Centre which is an area right at the entrance to Crystal Waters zoned for commerce, light industry, tourism and educational activities.

  In Ecuador, WCS participates in landscape-scale conservation at the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. At Yasuni, we conduct wildlife research and partner with local NGOs, universities, grassroots organizations, government institutions, and oil companies to promote conservation. WCS also helps train members of the Kichwa and Waorani indigenous groups in conservation science and works to conserve wildlife through community-based management plans. WCS research efforts focus on the black caiman, giant river otter, jaguar, white-lipped peccary, and lowland tapir. WCS’s Amazon-Andes Conservation program works to protect seven massive Amazonian landscapes in five countries: one in Ecuador, two each in Bolivia and Brazil, and one each in Peru and Venezuela. Together, these landscapes comprise almost 86,000 square miles, or 3 percent of the Amazon Basin.

Forest Friends Ireland were founded in May 2000 to provide an alternative to a rampant monoculture forestry policy. We value forests because of their essential role in maintaining the fragile ecosystems which preserve the earth's rich biological and cultural diversity. We are guided by our Strategic Objectives to plant our native trees, insist on the preservation of our native woodlands, and see to it that our native trees are planted in preference to the present Government policy of planting monocultures of non-native exotic species. The principles of biodiversity set out at the Earth Summit in Rio 1992 should underpin action at all levels. The most precious thing on earth is the earth's rich diversity of species, yet that is what is being systematically destroyed, to the detriment of all. Forest Friends Ireland/Cairde na Coille have prioritised three main projects. The "Neart" project is well underway. Some elements of the Cross Border Project are already in place. The Centre for Forest Biodiversity is a project at the initial stages.  

The Trust owns wild land to protect it from inappropriate development, to repair the damage that humans have done to wild land and to prevent future harm. The John Muir Trust currently owns and cares for some of the finest wild areas in the UK including Ben Nevis, Schiehallion, Sandwood Bay, part of the Cuillin on Skye, Quinag in Assynt and 3,000 acres on the remote Knoydart peninsula. These properties include beautiful coastline, dramatic peaks, remote moorland, tumbling waterfalls and ancient woodland. They are a rich part of this country’s history and identity. Helping nature flourish on Trust land is a long-term process. Wherever possible, it means letting nature take its own course and heal itself. By restoring and enhancing key habitats – especially native woodland and peatland – the Trust encourages the return of native species. We manage the numbers of grazing deer so that seedlings survive. This gives trees the chance to regenerate naturally, with birds, animals and wind spreading the seeds. Our staff and volunteers also clear invasive plants to create opportunities for native ones to return. We manage our properties according to our wild land management standards, which focus on habitat improvement and encouraging a more natural landscape and ecosystem.  

The Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club is actively working to reduce the impacts of global climate change by encouraging the development of clean renewable energy, reducing the use of fossil fuels, and ensuring our fragile native habitat is protected from harm.  Thanks to your support, we've accomplished a number of longstanding goals: establishing a beverage container recycling program (HI-5), a mandatory solar hot water heater on all new homes, and funding to preserve and protect natural resources.

  World Nature Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to nature conservation and environmental awareness. Our work is based on constructive and positive actions always collaborating with people, government, companies and universities. Nowadays we are developing a project called WORLD NATURE HAVENS FOR WILDLIFE. It is an innovative project that is intended to bring awareness towards urban nature as "getting to know is getting to love”. We believe that any green spot in the city (a balcony, green roof or garden) may become a haven for wildlife and help in danger species like sparrows or some butterflies. Thus, we propose people to conduct practical, simple and entertaining actions which favors urban nature conservation. The objective is to create a net of micro “World Nature Havens for Wildlife”, connecting every refuge to its neighbors and consequently transforming the cities and villages in “Urban Reserves for Biodiversity”. The target number of havens for 2014 is 600, and your support will certainly help us to reach our objective! (photo by Tlcoles)

The community of Santa Elena borders the Monteverde Conservation Area. Within this region, 310 hectares (765 acres) have been permanently leased by the Santa Elena community high school. The original vision was to use this land for agricultural research and education in Monteverde. However, the farming proved to be unsuccessful, and in 1989, the land was converted into a cloud forest reserve. Together with Youth Challenge International, a Canadian based non-profit organization, the community established an ecotourism reserve, which officially opened on March 1, 1992. The reserve was created out of the community's desire to both preserve the cloud forest and use tourism as a means to benefit community development. Entrance fees go to protecting and managing the reserve, as well as providing higher quality education for the schools of Monteverde. The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde is one of the first community administered reserves in the country (in the sense that it is not a national park, but under the protection of the Arenal Conservation Area). It is an excellent example of what people can do to preserve – and learn from – the environment they live in.