 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (January 2019) |
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| Formation | December 8, 1988[1] |
|---|---|
| Founded at | New York[1] |
| Headquarters | Warrenton, Virginia, United States |
| Dr. Eric Veach (Board Chair) Edith McBean (Board Vice-Chair) | |
Key people | James C. Deutsch (CEO) |
Revenue (2019) | $24.1 million |
| Expenses (2019) | $20.6 million |
| Website | www |
Formerly called |
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Rainforest Trust is a US-based nonprofit environmental organization focused on the purchase and protection of tropical lands to strategically conserve threatened species.[2] Founded in 1988, Rainforest Trust was formerly known as World Parks Endowment. In 2006, then World Parks Endowment affiliated itself with World Land Trust, a UK-based nonprofit environmental organization, and became World Land Trust-US, as both organizations were dedicated to minimizing their costs in order to allow donated funds to flow to habitat conservation projects on the ground.[3] On September 16, 2013, because of diverging modus operandi, and as part of celebrating the organization's 25th anniversary, the World Land Trust-US changed its name to Rainforest Trust.[4]
Rainforest Trust supports the purchase of large tracts of land by local NGOs working across tropical Asia, Africa, and Latin America for the purposes of protecting it, in a fashion similar to the Nature Conservancy by making use of land trusts. The organization also seeks to help in-situ conservation measures by providing training, capital and equipment for environmental stewardship in economically impoverished areas.
Most acres are permanently protected for an average of less than $100 per acre. As of 2018, Rainforest Trust has helped protect 20,000,000 acres (81,000 km2) of habitat.[5]
Byron Swift was the CEO of the organization from 1988 until 2012 when Paul Salaman became the CEO. In 2020, James C. Deutsch became the CEO.[6]
Robert S. Ridgely, President Emeritus, is an expert on neotropical birds, on which he has published several books, is a longtime conservationist, and is the co-discoverer of the jocotoco antpitta.
- ^ a b "Certificate of Incorporation of World Parks Endowment, Inc" (PDF). Rainforest Trust. 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- ^ "Saving the world's forests 1 acre at a time". Fauquier Times. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
- ^ "October 2006 - World Parks Endowment becomes World Land Trust-US". World Land Trust-US. October 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- ^ Salaman, Paul (2013). "World Land Trust-US Becomes Rainforest Trust". Rainforest Trust. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- ^ "History". Rainforest Trust Saves Rainforest. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ^ "Rainforest Trust Appoints James Deutsch CEO". PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 3 June 2020.