Deforestation is driving threatened bird species found only in the Philippines toward extinction.
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Species at Risk
Mindoro Hornbill (EN), Mindoro Racquet-tail (VU), Mindoro Boobook (VU)
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Carbon stored
3,899,305 mT*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines (CCI-PH)
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75,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation
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Project Cost: $506,107
75,000
Deforestation is driving threatened bird species found only in the Philippines toward extinction.
-
Species at Risk
Mindoro Hornbill (EN), Mindoro Racquet-tail (VU), Mindoro Boobook (VU)
-
Carbon stored
3,899,305 mT*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines (CCI-PH)
-
75,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation
-
Project Cost: £401,672
75,000
Did you know?
species were recently counted in the project area
Forty percent of the species identified in the Philippines are found only there, making the entire archipelago a top conservation priority for Rainforest Trust. On the island of Mindoro, in the west-central region, deforestation is impacting a biodiversity “hotspot” in the tropical rainforest that runs along the rugged central mountain spine. This remaining, highly intact rainforest encompasses a global Key Biodiversity Area and an Important Bird Area.
The surviving forests overlap with the ancestral domain of the Iraya Mangyan Indigenous Peoples. Rainforest Trust and our partner, Center for Conservation Innovations Philippines (CCI-PH), are supporting two Indigenous communities to secure title to 75,000 acres of their lands through Ancestral Domain Land Title designation. These lands may then be established as an Indigenous Community Conserved Area (ICCA) to prevent forest and biodiversity loss.
Header photo: Philippine Hanging Parrot, courtesy of CCI-PH
Explore Mindoro Island
Mindoro Boobook, by Forest Jarvis/Wikimedia Commons
Mindoro Racket-tail, by Ronet Santos Wikimedia/CC
Mindoro Hornbill, by Ronet Santos Wikimedia/CC
Pristine river in Mindoro, Philippines, courtesy of CCI-PH
Ashy Thrush, by John Bibar of CCI-PH
Landscape of Mindoro, Philippines, courtesy of CCI-PH
Landscape of Mindoro, Philippines, courtesy of CCI-PH
Landscape of Mindoro, Philippines, courtesy of CCI-PH
Stop Commercial Land-grabbing and Destruction of Endemic Bird Habitat
The newly established conserved area will be protected from widespread land-grabbing and legal conflicts that threaten the Iraya Mangyan’s water source, food security, livelihoods, and culture. Large-scale, commercial extractive activities will be prohibited, safeguarding forest habitat. The project site will contribute to the Mindoro Biodiversity Corridor, creating contiguous protection from the north of the island to its southern reaches.
Among the 350 species recently documented within the project area are the Endangered Mindoro Hornbill and Vulnerable Mindoro Racquet-tail. Future biological surveys are expected to confirm the presence of two of the world’s rarest birds, the Critically Endangered Mindoro Bleeding-heart and the Critically Endangered Black-hooded Coucal, which have been documented in a nearby forest.
Safeguard Ancestral Forests and Biodiversity in the Philippines
The Iraya Mangyan Indigenous Peoples will continue to have access to the forest products they rely on for traditional craft making, and the new Mindoro ICAA will allow only sustainable agroforestry and logging, along with low-impact ecotourism activities.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT >>
Conservation work is critical, challenging, and can be costly. We work hard to ensure we raise only the funds needed for each project. In the rare case we raise more money than needed or a project comes in under budget, excess monies will be transferred to the Conservation Action Fund. This fund supports our important conservation work throughout the tropics.
Project Modifications
Rainforest Trust conducts extensive research and due diligence on each of the projects that we support, so that once a project is offered for public support we believe it will succeed. We work closely with our project implementers, offer support, and regularly monitor their progress. Given the nature of the work, projects may not progress exactly as intended and may be unable to meet all objectives. To respond dynamically to the needs of our project implementers and the realities of the landscapes in which they operate, Rainforest Trust expressly reserves the right to modify a project as it deems necessary, provided that donor intent is honored by ensuring that that the original project objectives are diligently pursued and that project funds continue to benefit the landscape and species identified in the project overview. Project modifications that we may need to make in certain circumstances include the specific project implementer, the size of the landscape to be protected, the type of protection to be afforded to the landscape, and the development of sustainability mechanisms.
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Partnering to Save Rainforest
Our partners’ ability to work with their governments and build strong connections with local communities ensures the successful implementation of our projects.
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