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Greetings!
At about midday on the 2nd of September, an extremely tired but elated group of hikers walked into Cape Vidal bringing to an end the final sector of the Tracks of Giants expedition. It was also the end of the road for this first phase of TRACKS - in the 125 days since their first steps on the 1st May, the team had covered a total of 5,164 kms in their trans-continental journey.
And for those that are wondering as to what comes next - this expedition is only the first stage in the greater TRACKS project. We will within the next month or so get down to the 2nd stage, which is writing a major book and having a film documentary made. We will also be taking much of our work in TRACKS to WILD10 in Spain, October 2013.
Ian McCallum recites his poem, In the Tracks of Giants
"This a one minute marvel...my favorite video." - Vance Martin
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| IUCN World Conservation Congress |
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Cyril's Nature Needs Half presentation
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WILD participated in the IUCN's World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Jeju, South Korea from September 6-15. Held every four years, the WCC is an opportunity to take stock of the latest information on nature conservation via the WCC Forum -- which consists of workshops, "pavilion events" and poster sessions -- and also an opportunity to transact IUCN business via the WCC's general assembly i.e. to approve a new work plan for the upcoming quadrennial and to hold elections for IUCN positions. It's also a critically important venue for networking. This past WCC was especially important for WILD as WILD10 will be a key stepping stone between the WCC in Korea and the World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia in 2014. WILD10 will be a key planning venue and transition point for the World Parks Congress.
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Vance & Alyson with Sutej Hugu at the World National Parks CEO Forum
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WILD staff in attendance included Vance Martin, WILD's president, Cyril Kormos, WILD's VP for Policy, and Alyson Duffey, Associate Director at WILD. Vance also serves as the Chair of the Wilderness Specialist Group within IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas. Cyril was Regional Vice Chair for North America for IUCN WCPA but will be transitioning to a new position of Vice Chair for World Heritage for the next four years. Cyril also serves on the editorial board for IUCN WCPA's Parks Magazine. WILD and WILD10 received excellent exposure during the WCC. Vance presented WILD10 and the NLWC (see below) at the Protected Planet Pavilion and at several other venues including one coordinated by the Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCA) specialist group. Cyril co-organized a workshop on primary forest protection and presented Nature Needs Half during a Protected Areas workshop. Alyson participated fully in the Young Professionals network, and continued to build on the connections between the IUCNs YP network and WILD's intergenerational work before, during, and since WILD9 in Mexico in 2009. WILD also sponsored a number of resolutions which were approved at the WCC, including a resolution on primary forest protection which should help advocacy efforts for wilderness conservation around the world. A long event - and a long way away - but a great success for WILD.
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Native Lands & Wilderness Council
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Deh Cho First Nation member
Samuel Gargan
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This year, 2012, marks the 30-year anniversary of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes' (CSKT) designation of the Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness area by CSKT Tribal Ordinance. In celebration of this important environmental accomplishment, CSKT, the Center for American Indian Policy and Applied Research at Salish Kootenai College, and the WILD Foundation hosted indigenous land managers from North America - members of the international Native Lands and Wilderness Council (NLWC) - at Salish Kootenai College. The gathering took place over September 5-7, 2012 with two days of plenary sessions and one day hiking in the Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness. The NLWC is a partnership between WILD & the CSKT with our many friends and partners in native communities.
> Click here to read more!
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Planning for WILD10 moves ahead on many fronts. Working groups of government and NGO partners in many countries and regions are deep into planning outcomes, positive models, and inspirational activities. In September, WILD10 progress was presented at the IUCN's World Conservation Congress (Jeju, Korea), with thousands of professional conservationists from 150 countries. In Spain, a delegation including WILD's President Vance Martin, Magnus Sylven (co-chairs of WILD10's Executive Committee) and representatives of close collaborators and members of the ExCo in Spain -- Fundación Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and Fundación Catalunya Caixa -- had a very successful and upbeat audience with HM Queen Sofía at Palacio de la Zarzuela, to brief her on WILD10's positive implications for Spain. Stay tuned for more updates, and read my blog about my recent trip to Madrid!
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Magnus Sylven, Vance Martin & members of the ExCo with Queen Sofía
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