The This is My Earth project allows anyone to contribute to the acquisition of sensitive natural areas and their transformation into reserves through a scientific and collaborative approach.
We talk about animals losing their habitats, about the fact that a record was broken on Purim, and that there was a heat wave here that we haven't seen in a long time. In general, the trend in our world is quite negative in terms of climate. In honor of International Day of Forests, which takes place on March 21 and is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests, we stopped by for a conversation. Prof. Uri Shaines, conservation zoologist fromDepartment of Biology and Environment at the University of Haifa. Prof. Shaines, together with his partner, Prof. Alon Tal, founded the international organization This is My Earth (TiME) The goal is to acquire sensitive areas and turn them into nature reserves, while recruiting millions of people around the world to donate each according to their ability and become partners in protecting the planet.
“The initiative to establish the organization began after I had taught a course in nature conservation for a few years in my undergraduate degree. It was only when I started teaching that I also began to understand the magnitude of the catastrophe the world was facing,” shares Shaynes about the reasons for establishing the organization. “My background is in intensive activity in environmental organizations. I was on the team that founded ‘Adam Teva Ve Din’, I initiated and stood for years in the struggle against the Trans-Israel Highway, I was on the board of directors of the Society for the Protection of Nature and the plenary session of the Nature and Parks Authority. This is in addition to my academic career. So my mind did not remain in theory but also in practice. After studying and teaching the great problem of global nature conservation, I began to think about what could be done in addition to teaching and researching, and so after a lot of thought I came up with the idea for the organization. The idea brewed in my head for about 10 years until I implemented it.”
How does the fact that over 50% of sensitive areas are in private hands affect global nature conservation efforts?
“The idea of purchasing sensitive areas from private individuals is not unique to TiME. There are other organizations and private individuals who purchase natural areas around the world. What makes TiME unique is the accessibility of this activity to everyone, the scientific basis, and the empowerment of local people and organizations.”
What does turning an area into a nature reserve mean in terms of preserving its biodiversity?
“Turning areas into nature reserves is the most effective way to preserve biodiversity. Diversity can only be preserved if all the connections between all organisms are also preserved. The reserves need to be large to accommodate all the components, so we try to purchase areas where there are already reserves and expand them or connect reserves.”The area in Colombia that the organization wants to save this year
Where do we go from here?
It’s not easy to choose an area to rescue. Do you spin the globe, close your eyes, and choose an area to rescue? Apparently, the answer is far from arbitrary. “To date, we have purchased mainly in South America and a little in Africa. We really want to succeed in Asia as well. This year we received over 100 requests for support and, in addition to two areas in South America, we prioritized one area in the Philippines,” shares Shaynes.
“The connection with local populations is important to us, and we emphasize cooperation with locals and indigenous groups. The land in the Philippines was purchased together with an indigenous group. On our website, you can vote this year for the purchase of land in Colombia that will be given to a local group of Indians. This group was abused and evicted from every area where it tried to settle. We want to give them land so that they can make a living from it through sustainable agriculture. In addition, this group receives biodiversity credit (a new concept similar to carbon credits) for every photo they take with trail cameras of a rare species. So they have an incentive to preserve the area. In Colombia, there is a law that allows the area to be given its own rights. It is called the right of nature. If we succeed in purchasing this land for the group, the land will receive this special status and the group will receive the status of forest guardians.”
What can be learned from the success of the TiME model regarding public involvement in nature conservation issues?
“We try to show and educate from a young age that it is possible to succeed in nature conservation activities. TiME’s educational program can be adapted to any age and level, from kindergarten to university. In my personal experience, there have been many failures and few successes, and at TiME we show everyone that if they just want to, they can succeed. We want to provide an experience of success in nature conservation to encourage as many people as possible to get involved.”
How do you see the development of the field of nature conservation in the coming decade, and what is the role of initiatives like TiME?
“The field of nature conservation will become increasingly important as the world recognizes that harming nature leads to catastrophes, and preserving nature is linked to food, health, and personal security. Initiatives like TiME are important to educate and encourage citizens and politicians to engage in the issue.”
What has been a big surprise or significant learning you have experienced since the organization was founded?
“My biggest surprise was how difficult this field of fundraising is and requires professionalism, which I don’t have because I come from a different field. I was surprised that even though I made it a principle that you can become a partner for just one dollar, it’s not enough to inspire people to become partners. That’s why I have to recruit professionals to help us. The more pleasant surprise was that over the years of activity, it turned out that every dollar saves 24 square meters of tropical forest, which I think is amazing in terms of efficiency.”
How can an ordinary person contribute to nature conservation efforts, beyond supporting organizations like TiME?
“Each person’s personal contribution, beyond supporting TiME or other organizations, should be in the personal sphere of consumerism. We have a great influence in our consumer decisions. I personally became a vegetarian years ago because of the enormous negative impact of meat consumption on nature conservation. Our personal decisions have just as much impact as our decision to vote on election day, even though the impact of a single vote is supposedly small. If we don’t vote, there will be no democracy. Our personal decisions, which have an impact on the environment, also have a cumulative impact. We need to be smart consumers and think twice about whether to buy and what to buy, when to use a car and when to use public transportation, when we can reuse what we have already bought.”
Finally, what is the main message you would like the public to receive regarding the importance of preserving nature?
“I want the public to know that preserving nature, or more precisely preserving biodiversity, is a basic need for our existence. The reason we don’t preserve nature is a lack of knowledge and awareness. In order to preserve global biodiversity, between 0.7 and 0.9 percent of the world’s gross domestic product is needed annually. The world invests an order of magnitude of these resources in the production and trade of tobacco. The world invests more than twice as many resources in subsidies for activities that harm biodiversity. It’s a real shame, because the future of humanity depends on preserving nature.”
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