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The Connecticut Audubon Society conserves Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats. Founded in 1898, the Connecticut Audubon Society operates nature facilities in Fairfield, Milford, Glastonbury, Pomfret, Hampton, and Sherman, a center in Old Lyme, and an EcoTravel office in Essex. Connecticut Audubon manages 20 wildlife sanctuaries encompassing almost 3,300 acres of open space in Connecticut, and educates over 200,000 children and adults annually. Connecticut Audubon is an independent organization, not affiliated with any national or governmental group. Connecticut Audubon Society’s scientists, educators, citizen scientists, and volunteers work to preserve birds and their environments in Connecticut. Our work includes sanctuary management, advocacy, environmental education and activities at our centers, scientific studies, and our annual Connecticut State of the Birds report.

The Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment (CREATE!) was established in 2008 to help rural populations in the developing world prepare for water, food, and fuel shortages resulting from the impact of climate change on their communities. CREATE! operates on the principle that all people have a right to water, food, shelter, energy, and the means to earn a living. We work with village populations to meet these needs through a culturally respectful, participatory process grounded in our belief that people must have a stake in their development and contribute towards solving their own problems. The cooperative groups in our beneficiary villages have already demonstrated the validity of this approach. CREATE! currently operates in Senegal. Senegal is representative of many Sub-Saharan African countries that are hardest hit by the increasingly disastrous effects of global climate change. CREATE! responds to the inter-connected crises generated by climate change with strategies that decrease dependence on fossil fuels, conserve natural resources, and increase the use of appropriate technologies. Our programs produce sustainable, human needs-based development at the village level while forging resilient and vibrant communities across rural Senegal. CREATE! seeks to face these challenges and assist rural Senegalese residents with small-scale, accessible, and "appropriate" technologies - technologies that are adapted to, and fit, their local conditions - and with human needs-based strategies that can both better their lives and build their capacity to meet these inter-connected challenges. CREATE! works in six villages in two regions of Senegal. One region is in the rural north of Senegal, centered around Linguere in the Louga Region, where CREATE! implements programs in the village of Ouarkhokh. The other region is in the central-west of Senegal, centered around Gossas in the Fatick Region. CREATE! implements program activities in five villages in this region. The total beneficiary population of the six villages is approximately 12,000 people, comprised of both agricultural and pastoral peoples. The average per capita annual income of the population in these villages is approximately $350 a year. In each of these villages, CREATE! staff work closely with local and traditional authorities, including village chiefs and imams, in addition to other community leaders, families, and public schools. CREATE! values the expertise and input of community members and strives to incorporate their knowledge and participation into each stage of our programs. As a registered NGO in Senegal, CREATE! works with government officials from the regional office of the Department of Water and Forestry. CREATE! also respects the Senegalese government's strategic development goals for rural communities. Although CREATE!'s administrative office is located in the United States, CREATE! relies on local Senegalese staff and volunteers to plan and implement successful development interventions. Barry Wheeler, CREATE! Founder and Executive Director, has spent the past 27 years working to alleviate suffering and to provide basic human needs for rural villagers, displaced persons, and refugees in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. After serving in the Peace Corps for six years as an Improved Cook Stove and Appropriate Technology volunteer, trainer, and technical advisor in Togo, Barry earned a Master's degree in International Agriculture and Rural Development from Cornell University. Barry has served as Country Director for the American Refugee Committee's programs in Uganda, Sudan, and Rwanda; as a consultant for UNICEF and UNHCR; and as a team leader and training coordinator in local capacity building, renewable and appropriate technology, and sustainable rural development. CREATE! Chief Operations Officer Louise Ruhr has more than 30 years of private sector and nonprofit management experience and has spent the past eight years working with international NGOs, including the American Refugee Committee, to support women's cooperative groups in Rwanda and Senegal. CREATE! Country Director Omar Ndiaye Seck oversees program activities and conducts site visits in CREATE! communities. He also manages CREATE!'s finances and staff in Senegal. Omar closely collaborates with local and traditional authorities, community volunteers, and CREATE! staff to achieve both organizational and village goals.

Vaga Lume Association is a Brazilian non-profit organization founded in 2001 grounded in the belief that investing in people is the best way to transform a reality. Its mission is to create opportunities for cultural exchange by reading, writing and orality, valuing the empowerment of people and rural communities of the Brazilian Legal Amazon region. Vaga Lume works in 160 rural communities (indigenous, riverside, roadside, rural settlement people or quilombolas - Brazilian with African descent) of 23 municipalities in the Brazilian Legal Amazon region, which encompasses nine federal states (Acre, Amapa, Amazonas, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Para, Rondonia, Roraima and Tocantins), occupies 59% of the Brazilian territory and has 20 million people (12% of the Brazilian population). Despite the fact that education and culture are basic social rights, protected by the Brazilian Constitution and under human rights international treaties ratified by Brazil, its access and implementation in the Amazon region are very limited. It is one of the poverty zones in Brazil - with a GDP per capita 30% lower than the national value - where 42% of the population survives with less than US$ 5.00 a day. Due to the outstanding impact of Vaga Lume's work in the region, the organization is recognized by many international and national awards such as the Juscelino Kubitschek Award of Merit for Regional Development in Latin America and the Caribbean given by the Inter-American Development Bank (2009); the Millennium Development Goals Award, conferred by the United Nations and the Brazilian government (2005); the Vivaleitura Award, from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education (2008); and the Chico Mendes Environment Award, given by the Ministry of Environment (2006 and 2008). In 2011, Vaga Lume received its most important recognition: the 4th place at the Intercultural Innovation Award, conferred by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group. As an awardee, in 2012, Vaga Lume was welcomed to the World Intercultural Facility for Innovation (WIFI), a network formed by the UNAOC, the BMW Group and the ten 2011 winners. Through this network, the UNAOC and the BMW Group challenged all winners to replicate and scale up their actions to promote intercultural dialogue and offered training, consultancy and institutional support to assist organizations to accomplish such results.

Founded in 1981 in Seattle, WA, the Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the snow leopard and its mountain ecosystem through a balanced approach that addresses the needs of the local people and the environment. Snow leopards range over two million square kilometers of mountain in Central Asia, including the formidable Himalayas. Experts currently estimate as few as 3,500 exist in the wild, fewer than the world's tiger population. As an "umbrella" or keystone species, snow leopard conservation has far-reaching importance as it leads to the protection of hundreds of other plants and animals sharing the cat's ecosystem. The International Snow Leopard Trust is the oldest and largest organization focused solely on saving this important species. The Trust works nationally and internationally to raise awareness about endangered species, and to empower people living within snow leopard range to become stewards of their environment. To this end, the Trust conducts educational outreach, scientific research, and community-based conservation.

Our mission is to promote dignity, community, and self-sufficiency by working with marginalized populations in rural Honduras on a long-term basis, facilitating access to health care, education, and livable wages. Our comprehensive approach to grassroots community development promotes local traditions, encourages community leadership, and emphasizes collective ownership. Un Mundo seeks to improve the present and future socio-economic conditions and the quality of life of the families in rural Honduras who are living in extreme poverty by providing them with tools and resources to be self-sufficient and unified. Our work began from spontaneous relief actions after Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras in 1998, and we grew to gain 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2001. Initially, the organization was sustained by the generosity of international volunteers, but we have gradually evolved such that more and more of our project work is managed by local Honduran leaders. Within a few years, we expect that we will be able to realize our vision of seeing equitable, fruitful, life-giving projects in the Cangrejal River Valley being 100% run by the local communities.

Biosphere Expeditions is an award-winning not-for-profit conservation organisation, and a member of IUCN and the UN's Environment Programme. For us successful conservation is the collective effort of individuals. We invite everyone to join us on our wildlife and wilderness projects all over the world. Whether young or old, become a citizen scientist for one or two weeks, or more. The foundation of our work is science and local need. We focus on sustainable conservation projects that target clearly defined, critical issues that humankind has the power to change. You, our international volunteers, work hand-in-hand with local biologists and communities to drive positive outcomes for biodiversity - the creation of a protected area for snow leopards in the Altai is just one recent example. Biosphere Expeditions is a member of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum. Achievements include the implementation of our conservation recommendations and species protection plans by numerous national and regional governments and NGOs, the creation of protected areas on four continents, scientific and lay publications, as well as capacity-building, training and education all over the world.

With the goal of helping under-served communities in India, Nepal, and Tibet receive the vital services they need, Karuna-Shechen was founded in 2000 by Matthieu Ricard (www.matthieuricard.org), renown TED speaker, author, and humanitarian. We strive to reduce inequalities and work toward a fairer and more compassionate world. We trust that communities can be lifted out of poverty, that change is possible, and that the well-being of every individual, regardless of race, gender, class, or caste, is essential. We believe that building on local strengths and knowledge is the most efficient way to respond to the specific needs and aspirations of our beneficiaries. Rooted in the ideal of "compassion in action", we serve others with joy and determination by cultivating altruism in our hearts and actions. We provide vulnerable and disadvantaged populations access to health care, education and vocational training, clean water, solar electricity, and other sustainable solutions that offer options to find a livelihood and a better life. We work with a grassroots network of local partners, and give special attention to the education and empowerment of girls and women. Karuna-Shechen's name expresses its mission while paying homage to its roots: Karuna means "compassion" in Sanskrit, and Shechen is the name of a major monastery in Tibet.

California Waterfowl is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve California’s waterfowl, wetlands, and our hunting heritage. Our goals include (1) generating sufficient abundance and dispersion of waterfowl throughout California and the Pacific Flyway; and (2) sustaining hunting through protection, opportunity, training, and education. California Waterfowl was founded in 1945 to influence hunting regulations and government activities that affect waterfowl in California. In the early 1980’s, we recognized that the challenges faced by our founders had greatly expanded. In 1985, California Waterfowl initiated waterfowl studies in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to determine the factors that limit waterfowl populations in California and the Pacific Flyway. Study results provided the basis for targeted habitat enhancement projects that began in 1989. By 1991, the Association had begun introducing youngsters to hunting & the outdoors through educational outreach programs. California Waterfowl uses three core departments including; Conservation Programs, Fund and Membership Development, and Public Policy to accomplish our mission of conserving California's waterfowl, wetlands, and our hunting heritage. Conservation Programs, including waterfowl, wetlands, and education, focus on waterfowl population monitoring and the protection, restoration, enhancement, and stewardship of wetlands, riparian, and grassland habitats. To achieve our overall mission, our educational messages promotes to hunters and non-hunters alike, proper stewardship, responsible hunting as a link to nature, the outdoors, conservation, and a healthy and sustainable environment. Public Policy concentrates on legislative, regulatory, and administrative policy decisions that affect waterfowl, wetlands and our hunting traditions. The Fund and Membership Development Department’s objective is to enhance and promote California Waterfowl’s mission by increasing membership and funding support for the Association and the many programs that California Waterfowl offers. These departments act on the best available science, and when combined, these core strengths provide specialists in habitat, waterfowl population dynamics, political advocacy, and public education. This balanced approached allows California Waterfowl to serve as a single and strong voice for waterfowl enthusiast and conservationist alike. The delivery of our mission to our 18,500 members requires the use of extensive partnerships and a large network of active volunteers. California Waterfowl believes that people and wildlife both suffer when a “leave it alone” philosophy attempts to separate humans from nature. Instead, we believe that the best way to build stewardship values is to participate in nature, resulting in mutual benefits for both wildlife and humans. We maintain that this is why hunters have served as such strong leaders in the conservation of waterfowl and wetlands. California Waterfowl has protected, restored, or enhanced more than 430,000 acres to provide wildlife habitat for millions of birds and animals. Projects deliver the full range of habitat requirements for waterfowl and more than 200 other species of wildlife. Interactive programs have introduced more than 275,000 children to the wonders of the great outdoors. California Waterfowl finds its strength in a set of clear core values. These values define our organization and guide us in our hunt for a better California. Stewardship: Finding Common Ground California Waterfowl serves as a bridge to connect hunters and non-hunters, public and private interests, young and old toward a common goal of conserving and enjoying our natural resources. By building strong partnerships and family involvement, the Association is connecting with Californians of all interests to inspire stewardship of our wetlands and wildlife resources. Heritage: Hunter Driven California Waterfowl believes that hunting deeply connects people to the natural world and generates the knowledge and commitment to conserve our treasured resources. This passion for active involvement in nature motivates hunters to make vital investments in conserving California for our children and grandchildren. Education: Focused on the Future California Waterfowl stimulates youths and adults to value waterfowl and wetlands through unique outdoor exploration, hands-on learning, and active conservation. These experiences have the power to introduce new family traditions for getting outdoors and result in a legacy of abundant wildlife and healthy habitats for future generations. Advocacy: Results Oriented California Waterfowl is an influential force advocating for healthy wetlands, waterfowl, &the preservation of the hunting lifestyle. The Assoc. brings together passionate people who rely on science while taking innovative actions to benefit California.

Our mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. TU is a national organization with about 300,000 members and supporters organized into over 400 chapters and councils from Maine to Montana to Alaska. This dedicated grassroots army is matched by a respected staff of lawyers, policy experts and scientists, who work out of more than 30 offices nationwide. These conservation professionals ensure that TU is at the forefront of fisheries restoration work at the local, state and national levels. The organization remains committed to applying "the very best information and thinking available" in its conservation work and has developed cutting-edge tools such as the Conservation Success Index (CSI), a sophisticated framework for assessing the health of coldwater fish species throughout their native range. The CSI enables TU to measure its progress in achieving the bold goals laid out in its mission and vision. These goals require the organization to work at increasingly larger scales, and to collaborate with other conservation interests, local communities and state and federal partners to begin to rebuild the natural resiliency of watersheds. Such efforts are crucial if North America's trout and salmon are to survive climate change and the host of threats facing them at the start of the 21st century. Nearly 50 years after its founding, no other conservation organization is as well placed as TU to make a difference for the nation's coldwater fisheries.

WeConservePA helps people care for, wisely use, and enjoy what nature offers. We advocate for pro-conservation, life-sustaining governmental policy and assist individuals and organizations in effectively and efficiently conserving land, advancing sustainable practices, and connecting people to the outdoors. WeConservePA is a community of conservation volunteers, professionals, and supporters. United around common interests and needs, we present a powerful force for conservation, and in sharing our knowledge and experiences, we are better equipped to make more and better conservation happen. WeConservePA started in 1991 as an informal gathering of land trust leaders seeking to advance common interests. These leaders incorporated the “Pennsylvania Land Trust Association” in 1995 to address and focus on the broad needs of land trusts—to take on initiatives and activities that no single organization could effectively handle or wish to handle on its own. Since the 1990s, the organization’s mission has expanded to help people protect, wisely use, and enjoy what nature offers, whether that is through land trusts, local government open space programs, environmental advisory councils, trail groups, or other organizations. Today, WeConservePA is made up of 70 dues-paying, voting conservation organizations as well as hundreds of individuals who contribute their time, energy, and money to the organization’s endeavors. The voting organizations elect the board and set WeConservePA’s purposes. (The organizations in turn count more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians as members and contributors.) WeConservePA is registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations and has held 501(c)3 tax status with the Internal Revenue Service since 1996. The organization adopted its present name with a vote of the member organizations and an amendment of its articles of incorporation in 2020.

Renew Missouri was formed in 2006 to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy policy in Missouri. Our State lags far behind other states in terms of renewable generation (at less than 2%) and it is ranked 44th out of 50 in energy efficiency according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). To see why the ACEEE ranks Missouri 44th, click here. Renew Missouri’s mission is to transform Missouri into a leading state in both efficiency and renewable energy by the year 2016. In 2007, Renew Missouri advocated for true net metering and simple interconnection practices for small solar and wind systems. As a result, the Missouri legislature adopted the “Easy Connection Act,” allowing all Missourians to interconnect solar panels and small wind turbines to their utility grid free of charge and to receive full retail credit for any energy put back on the grid. In 2008, Renew Missouri helped Missouri become the 27th state to enact a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) and only the 3rd state to pass an RES through the ballot initiative process. The RES requires Missouri’s largest utilities to get 15% of their energy from renewables by 2021, with 2% of that energy coming from solar. The RES also includes a $2 per watt solar rebate program, which has proven to be a huge success. To address Missouri’s ranking in energy efficiency, Renew Missouri is also advocating before the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) for proven state efficiency policies that will create in-state jobs, lower electric bills, and reduce carbon emissions. Renew Missouri’s approach to advancing policy is to bring stakeholders for energy issues together to educate & facilitate productive dialogue. We educate legislators and other policy makers while also promoting renewables and energy efficiency to the public. We evaluate what energy policies Missouri could implement and guide stakeholders as they use the policies that are put in place. In September 2011, Renew Missouri reached out to the environmental non-profit Earth Island Institute, applying to become one of many organizations they sponsor. The fiscal sponsorship relationship that was formed gave Renew Missouri administrative support to better serve Missourians and to continue the pursuit of the clean, renewable energy they need. Then, in December 2016, Renew Missouri became our own independent 501(c)3 organization.

Who We Are: The need for a grassroots organization that would galvanize communities across Africa to positively contribute towards sustainable management of natural resources was an idea born out of a discussion by a group of environment and natural resource management practitioners gathered in Arusha Tanzania in 2010. The idea was subsequently shared with other like-minded individuals and culminated in the formation and subsequent registration of Africa Nature Organization as Non-Governmental Organization on the World Wetlands Day 2nd February 2012 in Kenya. Our focus has been to promote sustainable environmental and natural resource management best practices among grassroots communities working closely with civil society organizations, private sector actors and Government. Our Vision: A well-managed environment and natural resource base benefiting People and Wildlife. Our Mission: To enhance sustainable management of environment and natural resources by empowering grassroots communities, supporting development of effective natural resource management instruments, promotion of green innovations and the advancement of wise-use practices. Programmes: Our work is organized around three themes. These are conservation, people's organizations and livelihoods. 1. Environmental Education and Awareness Sustained environmental education and awareness campaigns have been known to change the behavior and attitudes of stakeholders towards environment and natural resources. Africa Nature Organization environmental education and awareness campaigns target both the young and the old through targeted campaigns such as the Young People4Nature Initiative, environmental demonstrations, environmental days, cross-site visits, workshops and seminars are some of the activities in this category. 2. Conservation of Species and Habitats With the threat of species extinction and habitat loss aggravated by climate change, Africa Nature Organization has taken a special interest in the conservation of species and habitats through rehabilitation, restoration and protection. Afforestation on terrestrial areas, coral transplant in marine ecosystems, dyke construction, development of management plans, support for community guards to protect and monitor species and habitats are some of the activities undertaken to reduce species and habitat loss. 3. Enterprise-led Conservation (ECO) Communities for ages have depended on natural resources for their livelihoods. However, with dwindling natural resource base due to extraction of natural resources for commercial purposes, population increase and climate changes, communities have trapped in a vicious cycle of destroying environment and natural resources for survival. To stem this downward spiral, Africa Nature Organization works with grassroots communities to empower them with business skills and knowledge to initiate nature-friendly enterprises and link them with markets. 4. Research and Innovation for Conservation (RI-Conserve): Relevant information to undertake important decisions regarding natural resources has been an impediment to sustainable management of environment and natural resources. This has been more profound with grassroots communities and organizations, including government, working to empower them to sustainably manage environment and natural resources. To bridge the information gap, Africa Nature Organization undertakes research and develops innovative ways of overcoming environmental challenges facing communities, civil society organizations, private organizations and governments. Baseline surveys, environmental impact assessments, documentation of indigenous knowledge on biological resources, and innovative mobile technology for conservation are some of the activities undertaken in this category. 5. Conservation Communication (COCO): Communicating conservation information to relevant stakeholders is key in to their engagement and involvement in our conservation effort. Conservation Communication maintains stakeholder interest through: Newsletter, Development and distribution of environmental documentaries, Production of other education, information and communication materials.