An Idiot’s Guide to Fundraising - 1st Edition
Category: Raising Funds to End Charcoal | Date: Mar 16 2008 | By: admin
Having only held two fundraisers, this is really more of a guide written by an idiot for an audience of non-idiots. What follows are the lessons that I learned putting together the Boulder and Denver events.
1. Get help ASAP. These events take a lot of work and you will stack the odds against yourself if you try to go it alone. For example, in Boulder, I had help from Douglas Scheffer of the Highland City Club. He invited me to several lunches to speak to members about the mountain gorillas and the alternative fuels project. He also convinced the owner to put up the $260.00 for the venue, the Boulder Public Library auditorium. They also paid for the Boulder poster printing. My good friend Lisa Busch, an amazing graphic designer, designed the poster (which you can use for your fundraisers). Another friend, John Turkle, a production guy, helped me put the presentation together (also available). Another friend, Pippa, had worked with the Boulder Camera and knew a reporter that was interested in environmental issues. She gave me the person’s name, I contacted her, and the next thing I knew, I was doing a phone interview (I’m available for this, if you would rather not) — and that Sunday, we made the front page. Another friend is a photographer for the Denver Post. She gave me a name, I called and got an interview, and we were in the online edition the next day. During the event itself, my community of friends helped with the setup, charging for tickets, selling t-shirts, etc. So, as you can see, it “takes a village”.
2. Make sure your volunteers are committed. People won’t want to disappoint you, so you need to make sure that they understand what they are committing to. In Denver, a seemingly committed person took on much of the responsibility of promoting the event, such as putting up posters, speaking with professors at the University of Denver, creating a public service announcement for radio stations, and networking via email. Two days before the event, this person told me that they “just didn’t get to it”. By that time, it was too late for me to remedy the situation. As a result, we had only 19 people in attendance. Luckily, they were a very generous group. The lesson here is not only that you need to be sure of a person’s commitment, but you also have to put some kind of feedback mechanism in place so you can monitor their progress and effectiveness. I was naive to just assume that it was all getting done.
3. Choose your venue wisely. It’s tempting to want to pick the most glamorous venue, but only do so if it is affordable (donated or given at a reduced rate). You don’t want to have a big nut to crack when trying to break even with the take at the door. Remember, people know that they aren’t coming to the Academy Awards. Having said that, though, I wouldn’t hold an event in a school cafeteria. You really want to hit the right balance between cost and quality.
4. Make the price of admission reasonable. In Boulder and Denver, we set the ticket price at $5.00 and we all agreed that this was too low. Given that movies cost at least $10.00 these days, we figure we should have set the price at around $12.00. At anything below $15.00, we felt people would still be willing to make a donation above and beyond the price of admission. And, at only $5.00, it may have implied that it was going to be a bush-league presentation, which it was not.
5. Choose your approach for newspapers, radio, and TV. It’s a good idea to have your message well-crafted before approaching the media. My approach was to pitch the story as a local effort that was having a significant impact on a major international crisis. Aside from talking about the inevitable extinction of the mountain gorilla if something wasn’t (isn’t) done immediately — by ordinary citizens, I also talked about how the alternative fuels project would get at the root cause of the crisis and how it could be THE key to saving the gorillas. Whatever your pitch, you’ll want to be concise and make sure to cover the who, what, why, where, and when. Also, leverage the coverage that WildlifeDirect and the mountain gorillas have already received in the international press: Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic, Newsweek, Smithsonian, US News & World Report, CNN, 60 Minutes… With this kind of coverage and a local angle, the story places well. Be careful not to try placing the story too far in advance. I started working on the media coverage two weeks prior to the event. You can, however, start doing the legwork of finding out the names and numbers of the various editors and features writers well in advance of that. In addition, craft a public service announcement. Newspapers and radio stations will often place these for free. These are bare bones blurbs that give just enough information about the event. Lastly, don’t be afraid to follow-up on your contacts. If they don’t call you back, call them back.
6. No need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to print materials. I have all the digital files for the poster and donation letter. These can be customized for any fundraiser. And, when it comes to printing, go to Fedex-Kinkos and ask for their “non-profit” 25% discount.
7. Check up on your poster placements regularly. Don’t put up your posters and forget about them. Check every few days to make sure they are still up
8. Work email promotion. This may be the best way to get people to your event. Try to get each of your friends to bring five of their friends. Also, follow up with reminder emails as the event draws near.
I hope this helps. I’ll think about this some more, and add to it as ideas come up. Feel free to raise more questions and remember, I’m still learning, too!
Fall Fundraiser Plans Gaining Momentum
Category: Raising Funds to End Charcoal | Date: Mar 14 2008 | By: admin
Thank you all for your interest in holding fundraisers. This is how it all happens!! When Emmanuel was here last week, we chose the September ‘08 cities by their fundraising potential — and by where I had friends that would let us sleep on the floor. That list included: Berkeley, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, New York City, and Boston. We have a two week window and are willing to add more shows, so if you are serious about taking on an event, please let us know. Also, if you have contacts in any of those cities that would be interested in helping, please bring them on board. From your comments on the blog, it sounds as though we have the possibility of adding events in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Tucson, Washington, DC, and possibly in Florida. If you want to get your feet wet — or are ready to just dive in, let me know and we can start seriously exploring the possibility of holding a fundraiser in your area. As I said to Nancy, I think the best strategy for filling these events is the grassroots approach whereby you contact your friends and see if you can convince them to bring five of their friends, and they do the same with their friends. I we do this, in addition to a media blitz, we should be able to fill our venues.
Our goal is to secure three years of funding for the Ending Charcoal project. We are going to be investing in a number of different stove technologies and that will require some significant funds. Luckily, the people attending the Boulder and Denver fundraisers shared our vision and donated generously, which has given us the funds needed to begin bringing new stove technologies to Goma. Our first step, though, is a thorough cost/benefit analysis on the various stove technologies.
Finding a Solution Amidst the Chaos
Category: Alternative energy | Date: Mar 13 2008 | By: admin
It’s time for all of us to do a little brainstorming.
There is a fuel crisis that is about to hit critical mass. With all the checkpoints erected around the park, the flow of charcoal has been dramatically reduced and prices have climbed substantially. Understandably, a lot of people are unhappy. Politicians as well as a lobby of charcoal traders are putting pressure on the Provincial Governor to remove the checkpoint at Kibati. They argue that Kibati is only serving to harass people and put pressure on the “little guy”. Although the checkpoints now have the buy-in of the top brass in the Army, as well as the backing of the civilian and military court officials, the Provincial Governor may bow to the pressure to release the checkpoints in order to avoid popular revolt. And this is coming at a time when the Minister of the Environment is considering erecting another checkpoint at Mugunga. Everyone seems to be moving in a different direction.
As much as we want to stop deforestation, there needs to be alternatives in place before shutting down the charcoal trade completely. Clearly, we are not going to win people over to conservation by taking away their only fuel source.
So where to from here?
Just brainstorming here, but I think it is high time that all the parties come together in one place to find a holistic solution. I’m thinking of a WildlifeDirect sponsored Alternative Energy Summit to be held in Goma. Every stakeholder would have a place at the table… experts from the international community would be invited to share their expertise… big philanthopies would be asked to help… Former President Clinton would be asked to open and close the summit… Pie in the sky? Not to my thinking, but I want to hear from you.
Please join this brainstorming session. I’ve got to believe there is a way forward.
.
The Latest News on the Charcoal Interdiction Effort
Category: Illegal charcoal trade | Date: Mar 12 2008 | By: admin
Ephrem has supplied this latest report. He sent this report to me in French so I think he is having a good chuckle right now. Here is my best attempt at translating what he said:
Charcoal Interdiction at the Kibati Checkpoint
A few days before the arrival of the ICCN Advanced Force, 200 sacks of charcoal were being seized daily at Kibati. With the Advanced Force now manning the Kibati checkpoint, approximately 70 bags are being seized on a daily basis. Despite this reduction in charcoal coming through Kibati, the charcoal ovens continue to burn inside the Virunga NP.
ICCN Advanced Ranger Force Encounters FDLR
Since the ICCN Advanced Ranger Force made contact with the FDLR, and I mean “contact” in a negative way, they have not been able to conduct any patrols in the gorilla sector. They have essentially been limited to stopping the flow of charcoal across the Kibati checkpoint. Emmanuel will be meeting with members of the UN in New York in the following days to try and secure UN approval for regular joint ICCN-Monuc patrols in the gorilla sector. Because Monuc has considerable firepower and strong air support, their presence on ranger patrols will all but guarantee that the rangers will be allowed back into the park to do their vital work. For now, though, the rangers must wait.
Flow of Illegal Charcoal to Rwanda Reduced
The flow of charcoal coming out of the park and going into Rwanda has diminished with enforcement measures taken on the Rwandan side. Actually, it was the security measures put in place during President Bush’s trip to Rwanda that slowed the charcoal traffic. Although Bush is long gone, the security measures continue to pay dividends. The Rwandan government remains intent on controlling the flow of information between the FDLR and their contacts in Rwanda, which is actually beneficial for the Virunga NP because it constrains the FDLR. Meanwhile, charcoal trafficking continues in the camps for displaced people, which are becoming even more numerous around the park. At this time, there are camps at Rumangabo, Bushenge, Rugari, and Kibumba.
Illegal Charcoal Production on the Rise at Kirolirwe
Charcoal production is now concentrated in the Kirolirwe sector. In December 2007, charcoal production was not active at Kirolirwe because of the war and because the route to Mwesso was cut off. This inactivity was short lived. The combined effect of the conference in Goma and blocking of the Goma – Kibumba – Rumangabo axis caused the cost of charcoal to rocket to $25 a sack, which attracted new players into the market. Sadly, these new players were none other than Nkunda’s National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). Now, there is a new charcoal mafia in the park and here is how it works:
1. CNDP rebels secure existing charcoal ovens and hire the local charcoal makers
2. CNDP hires supervisors to oversee production operations
3. All charcoal produced is put into sacks and warehoused in CNDP-guarded depots at Kirolirwe
4. CNDP sells loads directly to merchants who come form Goma. It is an efficient and streamlined operation that cuts out the middlemen and maximizes profits for CNDP.
5. In Goma, charcoal is sold out of depots at Alanine and TMK
Ephrem is going to do more research to find out the quantity and price of the charcoal being sold at these depots. He hopes to infer from this how many CNDP are involved in this illegal trafficking operation.
Nkunda Works the Supply-Demand Curve to His Advantage
The charcoal embargo across the north has affected both the FARDC and the FDLR, however, Nkunda’s CNDP has profited handsomely from their activity at Kirolirwe. This is because the embargo has constricted supply and increased demand. The natural fallout from such a market condition is increased prices. Now Nkunda is making money hand over fist with mountain gorilla tours at Jomba and charcoal production at Kirolirwe.
Filling in the Gaps
It is imperative that other checkpoints be established across the southwest axis around Mugunga. However, this must be meticulously planned because these measures will dramatically reduce Nkunda’s cash flow coming from charcoal. Again, there is a need for Monuc participation because their presence will deter attacks on the checkpoints that prevent illegal charcoal from making it to market.
Colorado Fundraisers a Success
Category: Raising Funds to End Charcoal | Date: Mar 10 2008 | By: admin
Dearest Coloradans,
Thank you for showing up for the mountain gorillas! It is very heartening to know how much you care and are willing to sacrifice to help these Great Apes.
Donations
A special “THANK YOU!!” goes out to Joan H. and John N. who each donated $5000.00 as well as to Linda N. who donated $1000.00, Summer K.
and Laura and Jerry G. who donated $500, my wife Michelle who donated $300, Boulder artist Mike Brouse who donated a beautiful painting for auction, Siva S. who donated $150, Nick and Sara R., Alison K. and Jenny K. who donated $100 and Helen R. who donated $75. Thanks also go out to the many people that donated lesser amounts. You all are a part of the solution to this terrible problem.
I have yet to get a report on the web donations, so stay tuned…
If you are interested on holding your own fundraiser, this poster art is available to you!
Local Press and Radio Coverage
We managed to get some nice press for these events, thanks the old 6 degrees of separation truism — and often with only one or two degrees. On March 2nd we landed on the front page of the Boulder Daily Camera and on March 4th, made it into the Denver Post. Emmanuel and I also managed to get a quick interview in at Boulder’s public radio station, KGNU. Poor Emmanuel hadn’t even been off the plane for an hour before he was wisked into the KGNU studios. I’ll be posting that interview later.
As all good efforts go, it “took a village”. If it weren’t for the efforts of our volunteers, we never would have been as successful. In the fall, Emmanuel and I will be going back on the road to do two weeks of back-to-back fundraisers in cities across the United States. If you would like to be involved, please let us know. We would love to have you on our team!
Next Post: How these funds will go to work to save the last mountain gorillas
ICCN Advanced Force Arrives – New Cooperation with FARDC
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 01 2008 | By: admin
ICCN advanced force joins forces with FARDC
There is some good new on the charcoal interdiction front. Ephrem was present a few days when Robert Muir of FZS, ICCN, and high-ranking members of FARDC
(Forces Armées de la Republic Democratic du Congo) met to work out a plan for working together to stop military involvement in the illegal charcoal trade. The FARDC Commander in Chief in Goma authorized a joint patrol with the 14 members of the Elite ranger force, led by Aloma Major. A clear order has been made to arrest all military personnel found to be involved in the illegal charcoal trade. Apparently, the original edict to stop military involvement, mentioned in one of my recent posts, is starting to have an impact. Ephrem reports that no military trucks have crossed the checkpoint during the three last days.
Joining forces: Rob Muir of FZS meets with High Commanders of FARDC and ICCN Commanders at a meeting in Kibati
Major Poka briefing ICCN Advanced Force, Kibati patrol post rangers, and Military Police
Working to implement the decision to set up joint FARDC and ICCN patrols to stop military involvement in the illegal charcoal trade
Activity in Eastern Virunga NP
The charcoal traffic to Rwanda has also been slowed thanks to a deployment of soldiers along Congolese boarder. Part of this surge in troop levels was due to U.S. President Bush’s visit to Rwanda. It is interesting to note that Bush talked about Darfur, but made no mention of the DRC and the loss of 5.5 million lives since 1998, despite being virtually next door. In addition to transporting charcoal to Rwanda, traffickers also act as mail carriers, ferrying mail between FDLR rebels and their friends and relatives in Rwanda. The FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda) or Interahamwe has been based in eastern Congo since they were run out of Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.
Activity in Southern and Western Virunga NP
Because of the increased interdiction effort in the Nyamulagira sector on the eastern side of Virunga NP, people are now cutting more charcoal on the southern and western side. While the peace agreement was being forged in Goma, there was no military deployment in the park, so the odd adage, “While the cat is away, the mice will play,” applied perfectly. In this area, though, these new arrivals have to contend with Laurent Nkunda’s rebels who control these sectors and who are involved in illegal charcoal production themselves.
Caught: This trucker tried to hide charcoal under a load of potatoes
Send a Stove – Save a Mountain Gorilla
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Feb 19 2008 | By: admin
This is quickly becoming the slogan for the fundraiser that I am heading up in Boulder, Colorado. More and more, it is becoming clear that without an alternative to charcoal, it is going to be very difficult to save the mountain gorillas of the Congo. I want to talk more about this, but first, I’d like to address your comments from the last post.
“Can the Elite Rangers help the other rangers enter the park to protect the mountain gorillas?
At this time, the answer is, no. Despite being highly trained and effective, the Elite force is massively outnumbered and outgunned by the rebels. Going head to head with the rebels would only start a war within a war, and it would be a war the rangers would die fighting. The only viable path to getting the rangers back into the Virunga NP is negotiation. It is going to take international pressure and the UN to uphold the cease-fire to make the return of the rangers possible.
With ICCN’s Nobert Mushenzi essentially being denied access to the park by a former ranger and now rebel, who sees himself as the Director of National Parks for rebel held territories, where is the hope?
It was clearly a shock for Mushenzi and his rangers to be denied access to the gorillas, given the cease-fire and their UN escort. This is terrible news, but I think there is reason for optimism. Nkunda, the rebel leader, seems to realize that the mountain gorillas are worth more to them alive than dead. As was pointed out in the Gorilla Protection blog, there are reports of the rebels taking tourists, coming from Rwanda, to see the gorillas. While the international community is working to get the rebels to lay down their weapons and leave the park, it is good news that the rebels see a reason not to kill the mountain gorillas for bushmeat, target practice, or to clear the way to make more charcoal.
Doesn’t the DRC government value the gorillas? Don’t they know that the governments of Rwanda and Uganda are making significant amounts of money from gorilla tourism?
I believe the DRC government is well aware of this, but unlike the governments of Rwanda and Uganda, the DRC governing body doesn’t have control over all of its territories, namely the Virunga NP. Nor do the various arms of government function as a unified body that obeys its own rules and regulations. Once the rebels agree to lay down their arms and leave the park, and the army shifts from running illegal charcoal to enforcing existing laws to shut down the illegal trade, I believe there will be the possibility of a Rwandan or Ugandan-style gorilla eco-tourism industry.
The Boulder Fundraiser
I’ve never put one on before, but on March 5th, I’ll be giving it a “go”. As a volunteer half way around the world from the Congo, this seemed like a great way to make a contribution. “Mountain Gorillas at the Brink of Extinction: Boulder Throws a Vital Lifeline”, is the name of the event and it is fast becoming a reality thanks to the Boulder Highland City Club’s generous sponsorship and their tireless GM, Douglas Scheffer. Behind the scenes at WildlifeDirect, Virginia Echavarria has been pulling all of the presentation materials together and has been infecting me with her boundless enthusiasm. And then there are the friends, and friends of friends, that are helping out… Our goal is to raise $30,000, but we all believe we can surpass that mark. I will let you all know how it turns out. In the meantime, please consider hosting an event like this where you live. I will gladly share all of the materials we used, including poster and invitation artwork, as well as lessons learned. Know that I am available to help you in any way I can — after March 5th.
Deforestation of Mountain Gorilla Habitat Slowed – but Not Stopped
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Feb 15 2008 | By: admin
Your generous donations
I would like to begin today’s post with a sincere “Thank you!” to Nancy, who donated $250, the largest donation yet to our effort to end the illegal charcoal trade. Many thanks also go out to Rodger l ($50), Theresa S ($25) and Tim M ($20). Thank you for sharing in the vision.
Charcoal traffickers get creative
Recently, Ephrem and I reported on the initial efforts to interdict illegal charcoal shipments coming out of the gorilla sector and the Virunga NP in general. At the time of our last report, efforts were going well, but the charcoal runners were starting to get creative.
Ephrem, who is based out of Mutsora, DRC recently visited the ICCN checkpoint in Kibati and found that charcoal runners have started using just about every kind of vehicle imaginable to try and smuggle their loads past the rangers. Open, flatbed trucks have now been replaced by closed container vehicles - vehicles traditionally used for imported goods. Smaller loads are being carried around checkpoints on wooden bikes called, “chukudus”.
More and more frequently, ICCN rangers are finding charcoal loads smuggled on military vehicles. Despite the edict that all military personnel are supposed to be involved in halting the illegal charcoal trade, apparently, the message hasn’t reached all levels of the military - or it is being ignored. It would be naïve to think that the new official edict would end military involvement overnight. This will probably take quite some time because most military personnel receive an extremely minimal salary. They make ends meet by “unofficial” means. There is very informative, albeit disturbing, video presentation by Markus Beasdale that describes the humanitarian crisis in the DRC and how that impacts efforts to effect positive change in Congo. After seeing this, it will be easier to understand why it will take time to convince the military to support environmental laws that protect the gorillas’ habitat. To view this, choose “Crisis in Congo” in the upper left and make sure to view the “Full mulitmedia presentation”. Be forwarned, some of the images are disturbing.
The Rwandan Factor
As if it weren’t bad enough that the Congolese are cutting down the forests within the gorillas habitat, so too are Rwandan charcoal traffickers. From Kibati to Kibumba, there are 13 footpaths used by Rwandans to enter into the Virunga NP. These are monitored by the Congolese army, but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of confiscating the illegal charcoal and arresting the smugglers, soldiers see this foot traffic as a means to supplement their minimal government wages. For a small fee, soldiers let the smugglers pass right on by. Today, as Ephrem was coming back from Rumangabo on bike, he passed a group of ten women hauling illegal charcoal Rwanda.
The smugglers (Rwandans and Congolese as well) have also changed the dynamics of selling illegal charcoal. Instead of Ruhunda being the main market, now they are selling their charcoal to Congolese displaced people in the Kibumba camp on the backside of the park, near the Rwandan border. With so many people concentrated in a small area, the traffickers can reduce the transportation costs associated with getting their illegal product to market. After all, why carry the charcoal all the way to Rwanda if they can unload it in the DRC, but a significant part of this charcoal still go to Rwanda. To make matters worse, the lucrative charcoal trade has attracted many of the refugees themselves into the business. Many of these refugees are from the villages of Rugari and Gisigari, which were attacked in September 2007 by the Tutsi rebel group led by Laurent Nkunda. Sadly, all of this translates into even more pressure on the mountain gorillas’ habitat.
Fixing the problem
To fix this problem, at least two things need to happen. First, the Congolese Army needs to enforce the new environmental laws that forbid charcoal production in the Virunga NP. Second, there needs to be cooperation between the Rwandan and Congolese governments. Unfortunately, the Rwandans have little motivation to do so because, under the current arrangement, they are getting charcoal without incurring any damage to there own forests.
The dedicated ICCN rangers
The ICCN rangers have an incredibly difficult task in stopping the illegal charcoal trade. They are taking numerous actions, such as seizing trucks at the checkpoints, patrolling along the roads trying to catch the smaller smuggling operations, patrolling within the park in order to discover charcoal production operations and supply networks, raising awareness at public meetings, and lobbying stakeholders (local and national government officials, military officers, etc.) So far, the trade around Rumangabo, on the eastern side of the Nyiragongo volcano, has been reduced, but new networks continue to pop up along the southern and western sides of the volcano. Thankfully, 16 members of ICCN’s Elite Ranger force are arriving this weekend to try and put a stop to all this new activity. We will keep you posted on their efforts.
First Donation to the Ending Charcoal Project
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Feb 12 2008 | By: admin
Thank you Judy, for your generous $30 monthly donation to this project! Help from people like you is vital to our success. It’s great to have you on the team. I apologize, but I don’t have a definitive answer to your question about reforesting the areas in the gorilla sector that were cleared by the charcoal producers. It is safe to assume, however, that nothing is being done at this time because of the security situation. Although it is improving day to day, even the rangers have yet to return to their posts.
I just returned from another virtual visit to the Working Villages International site, specifically the Ruzizi project. What a great concept. Thanks for the heads up, Pam. As we move into the agricultural phase of this project, I hope we can leverage off of what has been learned at Ruzizi. Thank you for your offer to look into contacts with World Bank. This would be a huge leg up, as would hearing about any of the lessons learned in the process of working with them.
Dipesh, great information about the plant, moringa oleifera. I am contacting BSH to see if they have any experience with using it as a fuel. I’m also trying to find out the yield per hectare, so I can compare moringa oleifera to the other plant oil fuels. I will report back when I have an answer. This truly is an amazing plant. Virtually every part of the plant is usable.
Raising Funds for the Ending Charcoal Project
Category: Raising Funds to End Charcoal | Date: Feb 08 2008 | By: admin
The 2-5 year goal of this project is to eventually reach 100,000 households in the Goma area, which is the primary demand center for illegal charcoal coming out of Virunga NP. As such, one of the main parts of this initiative is fundraising to support the scope of this project. As Pam suggested, it will be vital to tap into the microfinance arena. Even beyond this, we are looking for ways to catch the attention of organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. If you know of anyone with connections or expertise related to working with microfinance entities or the bigger institutions, please look into those. I always come back my 6 degrees of separation philosophy…
With respect to raising funds on the Charcoal blog, Ephrem and I will be using the information garnered in his research to decide on the best donation categories for the blog. At this time, general donations will be earmarked for helping indigent families purchase plant oil and preheating fuel. We also need to start raising funds for when we get past our initial 100 stoves that BSH has generously offered to donate — to assist families that cannot afford the stoves outright. It is unlikely that we will be giving many stoves away for free because it is important for people to feel as though they have a stake in the project. In speaking with people that have done this kind of thing, the recurrent theme is that people are more likely to follow through if they have some of their own money invested.
The Jatropha/Vanilla Synergy
Paula, it would be a great help if you could dig up your study on Jatropha oil. Jatropha has the third highest yield per hectare of all the oils that the stoves can burn, producing on average, 1728 liters of oil per hectare per year. In contrast, soybeans produce just 408 liters of oil per hectare per year. Jatropha’s high yield and synergy with vanilla make it a top candidate.
Networking with Other Blogs
In the next several weeks I will be working on tying into other blogs, and most certainly, will look into the food blog networks. This is one of the best ways for us to expand our reach.
Have a great weekend!
-Robert
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100% of your donation, minus a small bank fee, will go to your intended purpose.
Donations made here are safe.
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Mountain Gorilla News- Rebels threaten gorilla reserve - ITV.com
- Congo rebel attack threatens gorilla park rangers - Reuters South Africa
- Uganda wildlife park gets new gorilla family - AFP
- Miza's rescue brings hope to mountain gorillas - Independent
- Uganda to prepare more mountain gorillas for contact with humans - Vancouver Sun
- Virunga National Park
- Rebels threaten gorilla reserve - ITV.com
- (Source: Deseret News (Salt Lake City))Mexico: Emergency spending - istockAnalyst.com (press release)
- Bwindi park gets new gorilla family - New Vision
- Miza's rescue brings hope to mountain gorillas - Independent
- Congo’s rare okapi photographed in wild for the first time - Daily Times