Rare

This International Women's Day, we're celebrating the rural women who steward their natural resources, care for their families and communities, and contribute to local economies. Too often, their contributions are overlooked. Learn how Rare advances gender equity and economic empowerment: https://lnkd.in/eZ87MTHk

Last month, Founder and Director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) Ma Jun joined us for a conversation with Director of the Rare Center for Behavior in China Shiyang Li. In their talk, Ma Jun reflected on what he would tell his younger self about the changes he has seen in the cultural norms around environmental transparency and the public's participation in driving corporate responsibility. Read the full recap here: https://lnkd.in/evbapniN

At Rare, having a board that represents the communities we work with around the world matters. That's why we have members from five continents with a diverse set of professional skills, experiences, and affiliations to Rare. This growing network of experts, academics, and advocates supports Rare’s work to accelerate people-centered solutions to conservation challenges. Join us in welcoming our five newest members: ?? CarePay Nigeria Executive Chairman Amaechi Ndili ?? African Wildlife Foundation CEO Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya ?? Rumah Group & Foundation Principal Kathlyn Tan ?? Former Greenville, Mississippi Mayor Heather Toney ?? North Channel Advisors, LLC Portfolio Manager Maud Welles Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eXne6Enq

Worldwide, women are increasingly leading the fight to protect, manage, and restore our natural resources. In Del Carmen, Philippines, Gina Barquilla has spent a decade protecting coastal waters from illegal fishing despite environmental hazards and threats to her safety. Her dedication has led to widespread behavior change across the community and has even helped turn some of the area’s biggest offenders into fierce defenders of the sea: https://lnkd.in/eaWXJiyQ

On #WorldWildlifeDay, we're celebrating the mascots communities we work with have chosen to inspire a more sustainable relationship with nature. Check out the behavioral science behind the role mascots play in community conservation programs: https://lnkd.in/ggC_Btix Image Descriptions 1. Jacquot the St Lucia parrot mascot was created by the St Lucia forestry department and Paul Butler in the 1970s to rally pride in the endemic species, then on the brink of extinction. The success of this campaign inspired the creation of Rare's mascots with Paul joining our team and Jacquot became a mascot for Rare itself. Left: Photo of a St. Lucia parrot. Right: Photo of Rare CEO Brett Jenks dressed as Jacquot, the St. Lucia parrot mascot at our behavioral science conference BE.Hive in Washington, DC by Natalie Upshaw for Rare. 2. Meloy the panther grouper is a mascot for community pride and enforcement for a marine protected area in Inabanga, Philippines. Left: Photo of a Humpback grouper, swimming over a reef in Indonesia by Velvetfish for iStock. Right: Photo of Inabanga’s Meloy mascot at a Pride event. 3. Farmers in our regenerative agriculture program chose Armandilla the armadillo as their mascot to highlight the importance of #biodiversity in their farms. Left: Photo of an armadillo by Suzanne D. Williams for Unsplash. Right: Armandilla at a community event. 4. Bakjuana is the mangrove mascot for the Siargao Island Protected Landscapes and Seascapes(SIPLAS), in the Philippines. She represents Siargao’s rich marine heritage and encourages community members to care for the mangroves, beaches, and fisheries. Left: Photo of Mangroves in Del Carmen, Siargao Islands, Philippines by Ferdz Decena for Rare. Right: Photo of BakJuana at a Coastal 500 meetup event in Siargao, Philippines.

Happy #Seagrass Day! Did you know: ?? 100% of #seagrasses live in coastal waters ?? They provide vital habitat to fish, turtles, and other species and support an estimated 20% of the world’s biggest fisheries ?? They are climate defenders, capturing and storing large quantities of carbon dioxide Image Description: Photo of Sheena, an elementary school principal snorkeling above a seagrass bed looking for clams in Melekeok, Palau by Jesse Alpert for Rare.

This week, we celebrated the next phase of our Small-Scale Fisheries Impact Bond in Jakarta at the Waves of Change: Sustainable Financing Models for Ocean Conservation in Indonesia event. By blending private, public, and philanthropic capital, the SSF Impact Bond channels critical funding towards revitalizing coastal ecosystems, enhancing livelihoods, and driving progress toward #biodiversity goals like #30x30. This milestone is just the beginning, and we have full confidence in staff members Kate Hansen Schweigart, Hari Kushardanto, Tarlan Subarno, and the rest of our Indonesia team to implement this project with excellence and passion. We are deeply grateful to our partners at The Pershing Square Foundation, Minderoo Foundation, Builders Initiative, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs through the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), Walton Family Foundation, Milkywire, Levoca and Reed Smith LLP, for their for their visionary support, invaluable expertise and dedication to making this impact bond a reality.

#OECMs are an alternative to traditional marine reserves where Indigenous Peoples and local communities have access to sustainably fish an area and are often involved in its management. Dr. Anthony Chatwin, VP of Science and Impact at Rare, explains more below, including research on how effective community co-managed areas can be. Learn more about our work in OECMs: https://lnkd.in/e-mxqwXM

Last week, Rare's Shiyang Li had a conversation with Founder and Director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs Ma Jun about driving corporate responsibility and environmental transparency. Our key takeaways are: ?? Environmental transparency empowers the public to pressure lawmakers and businesses to take action ?? Creating pathways for companies to improve and be recognized for their progress is often more successful long-term than levying fines and publicly shaming them ?? Environmental change is most effective when multiple stakeholders — citizens, corporations, and government agencies — are engaged in working together Get the full recap: https://lnkd.in/evbapniN

Last week, Rare CEO Brett Jenks went on the Nurtured by Nature podcast where he and host Fiona Mackay discussed how partnering with local communities in conservation efforts enables both people & nature to thrive.?Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/ePAiPtTZ