Search to Save the Rainforest

Ecosia is a search engine that saves about 2 square metres of rainforest for every search you make!

They earn money from clicks on the sponsored links, which are displayed next to the generic search results. Each click on one of these sponsored links generates a few cents of revenue. About two percent of the search requests end up with a click on a sponsored link.

Ecosia donates at least 80% of this money to a rainforest protection project run by the WWF in Juruena National Park in Brazil.

So far, according to their website, they have over 48,000 active users who have helped to protect 21,006,450m² of rainforest.

You can help save the rainforest for free by using Ecosia for all your internet searches - and by spreading the word about Ecosia. The more people using it the more money they can make.

Help Turn the Tide on Global Deforestation

Image via Wikipedia

The "Replant The Rainforests" pilot program is launching this year! Created by the Eco Preservation Society, the pilot program's goal is to raise $1 Million by April 25th, 2009 to begin the process of creating Sustainably Managed, Permanent Rainforest Habitats around the world and to prepare for the launch of the 2010 ten year goal program, "Turning The Tide".

Sponsorship funds raised during the 2009 pilot program support the following Sustainably Managed, Permanent Rainforest Habitat projects:

Project: Reforesting Costa Rica's Playa El Rey - Cause: Saving Mono Titi

Project: Borneo Reforestation - Cause: Habitat for Displaced Orangutans

Project: Belize Plantation Reforestation - Cause: Save the Jaguar

You can contribute by taking part in the 'Earth Day Birthday' campaign. Its an ambitious goal, but if we all donate a small amount together we can effect change on a grand scale! Donate today, or simply spread the word.

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• Willie Smits is saving Borneo, one orangutan at a time (ethanzuckerman.com)
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• Regrowing Borneo's Rainforest--Tree by Tree (sciam.com)

Pledge your Support for the Rainforest Foundation

Around the world, there are millions of people living in rainforests whose livelihoods and cultures depend on their natural environment. In many cases, the basic rights of these people are threatened or undermined by forest destruction, land theft and resource exploitation. The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is working to ensure the long-term protection of rainforests by securing the rights of indigenous communities to land, life and livelihoods.
- The Rainforest Foundation

My 2008/09 Giving Project

Over the last few months I have been working on raising awareness - and ultimately funds - for SALVEASERRA, an organisation in Brazil that is working to reduce poverty, encourage sustainable land use and restore part of the Atlantic Forest (possibly the most engdangered tropical forest area in the world).


I am primarily using the internet to achieve my goal for this project - which is to raise the full amount required for their GlobalGiving 'Trees and Education' project - $60,000. Given that I am a fundraising novice, this is a fairly ambitious target.

I have been using Razoo without a great deal of success. It seems like a site with great potential, but is very quiet and there doesn't seem to be a lot happening there or many active members.

I have also been trying Zazengo. Its a great platform, and it also has the fantastic widget you see in my sidebar. But once again, there isn't a great deal of action/discussion/networking going on.

The other platform I have been using is Care2. I have been a member of Care2 for years and I love the site! I have recently joined several discussion groups related to both fundraising and rainforest protection. I post something at least once a week to try and stimulate discussion. I also have the RSS feed of my How to Make a Difference blog directed there.

So far, these platforms haven't generated a lot of response. But they have meant that SALVEASERRA has a much greater presence in the search engines - which can't be all bad.

I have also created a great toolbar for How to Make a Difference that links to the site and will - when enough people download it - generate a monthly donation for SALVEASERRA. You can download it here.

My other fundraising campaign at the moment is selling fantastic organic cotton t-shirts from WE ADD UP. I have signed up to their affiliate programme and have used a free Google Adwords credit to advertise. It has been moderately successful so far - but I have yet to achieve the $50 payout amount.

I was hoping to have been able to make my first contribution to SALVEASERRA (via GlobalGiving) at the end of August. But it hasn't worked out that way. However, I feel that I have made a positive start. Traffic to How to Make a Difference is increasing slowly but steadily which will help the cause even more.

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• Get your own Tree in the Atlantic Forest