Her Excellency Mrs. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak appealed to the public to help the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund protect the world’s biodiversity and reverse the global extinction crisis.

In a lecture yesterday evening at the Majlis Mohamed bin Zayed, Mrs. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and Secretary General of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, outlined the successes of the MBZ Fund over the last 10 years and demonstrated how the people of Abu Dhabi and the UAE can help end the global biodiversity crisis.

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While on a bird watching trip to Umm Al Quwain in the north of the United Arab Emirates, a teacher at the British School Al Kubairat in Abu Dhabi spotted an Endangered wading bird with a leg band marked ‘E1’. After further investigation, it was discovered that the bird, a Great knot, had been ringed an astonishing 13,000 miles away by a scientist in Russia.

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For the 2nd round of grants in 2017, the Fund distributed more than $500k in support of the world’s most endangered species. This is the second of 3 rounds of funding planned for 2017.

The Fund supported 58 more conservation projects with $500,003 bringing the total amount donated to species conservation to $ 15,992,639 in 9 years. Here is a short sample of the 50+ projects in the latest round of grant giving.

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The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund is issuing its 2016 Annual Report today.

Whether it’s surveying fungi in Far Eastern Russia or working with local communities and wildlife rangers to reduce elephant-human conflict in India the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund continues to support individuals in the villages, field stations, laboratories and homes, who are committed to conserving their local (and the world’s global) threatened species.

The Fund supported 172 species conservation projects in 69 countries with more than $1.52 million in 2016. These funds were distributed globally among conservation projects to some of the most endangered species including fish, mammals, plants, reptiles and even fungi.

The annual report is available for download here: http://www.speciesconservation.org/media-center/downloads

Our friends at ZSL’s EDGE of Existence programme (www.edgeofexistence.org) are calling for applications for its fellowship programme.

The EDGE fellowship programme may be an exciting opportunity for many of our grant recipients. The unique programme focuses on evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species across a variety of species types and locatoins.

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For the 2nd round of grants in 2016, the Fund distributed more than $500k in support of the world’s most endangered species. This is the second of 3 rounds of funding planned for 2016.

The Fund supported 51 more conservation projects with $508,340 bringing the total amount donated to species conservation to $14,485,278 in 7 years. Here is a short sample of the 50+ projects in the latest round of grant giving.

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We have an open door policy. Conservationists seeking grants are welcome to knock anytime – day or night. To be more specific, each year the Fund opens three windows (or doors) and as one closes, another opens.

The deadlines for grant proposals come at the end of February, end of June and end of October.

During each of these three periods we receive hundreds of applications from species conservationists.

Our advisory board, then, reviews the applications – making decisions to support some and reject others. Our advisory board is efficient, effective and decisive.

For those grant applications received before the end of February, the Fund will announce its decisions before the end of May. For those grant applications received by the end of June, grant recipients are informed in September. For those received before October’s end, awards will be made by the end of the year.

The Fund looks forward to reading through your applications and funding exciting projects throughout the year.

Whether it’s searching for a rare dragonfly along the eastern coast of the UAE and Oman or trekking the Himalayas to document the existence of a small wildcat or scrambling to hastily relocate dozens of wild crocodiles to avoid the impending floodwaters caused by the construction of a new hydroelectric dam, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund continues to support individuals in the villages, field stations, laboratories and homes, who are committed to conserving their local (and the world’s global) threatened species.

Read more…

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund is issuing its Annual Report today.

Whether it’s searching for a rare dragonfly along the eastern coast of the UAE or trekking the Himalayas to document the existence of a small wildcat, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund continues to support individuals in the villages, field stations, laboratories and homes, who are committed to conserving their local (and the world’s global) threatened species.

The Fund supported 185 species conservation projects in more than 70 countries with more than $1.55 million in 2014. These funds were distributed globally among conservation projects to some of the most endangered species including fish, mammals, plants, reptiles and even fungi.

The annual report is available for download here: http://www.speciesconservation.org/media-center/downloads

(cc) Ryan Trachtenberg

A terrific example of how several small grants can cumulatively further the conservation of a species can be found in the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund’s support for the Endangered Black-capped petrel. Answering the questions of where this species nests and forages are key to identifying conservation actions needed to conserve this declining species. However, until recently, because of the Black-capped petrel’s nocturnal behavior and small population size, little was known. Read more…