A Rocha

A Rocha International

Founded	13 December 1983
Founder	Miranda and Peter Harris[1]
Type	environmental NGO
Focus	scientific research, environmental education and community-based conservation projects[2]
Location	Cambridge, UK
Origins	Constituted in the UK;[3] first project in Portugal[4]
Area served	Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas
Key people	Rebecca Irvin, chair • Ghillean Prance, former chair[5]
Revenue	GBP 3.0M for ARI,[3] £3.7M globally [6](2012)
Employees	17 (ARI)[1]
Volunteers	1 (ARI)[1]
Slogan	Conservation and Hope
Website	www.arocha.org
Member of IUCN

A Rocha is an international environmental organization with a Christian ethos. A Rocha, which means "the rock" in Portuguese (see entry Rocha), was founded in Portugal in 1983^[7] by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda. It is completely interdenominational, governed by a Board of Trustees with wide qualifications in life sciences, relief and development, and financial and risk management.

Work

A Rocha aims to protect the environment through local, community-based conservation,^[8] scientific research, and environmental education,^[9] and they have “a track record of successes”.^[10][11]

As of 2013, A Rocha is working in 19 countries: Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Netherlands, New Zealand/Aotearoa, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom, and USA.^[12] Local networks are being built up with a view of creating a national A Rocha in another nine countries.^[13]

Centers and sites

A bird ringer aging a Hoopoe at the Cruzinha field centre, Portugal

A Rocha operates field study centers^[14] in Canada (in British Columbia and Manitoba), France, India (near Bangalore^[15]), Kenya (in Watamu), Portugal and the UK (in Southall, West London). These serve primarily as a base for A Rocha’s and other organizations’ field studies and for environmental education, but some also offer accommodation for visitors.

There are also long-term study sites in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon (the Aammiq Wetland^[16]) and other major watersheds and bird migration corridors like the Pembina Valley (Canada). Studies in progress include wetland ecosystems, avoided deforestation, and collection of long-term census data on birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, freshwater invertebrates and fish, and plants.

Carbon mitigation

A Rocha runs Climate Stewards, a global programme which accepts donations for community-based tree planting projects,^[17] as well as offering practical tips for reducing carbon emissions. Projects are designed according to international standards for benefits to biodiversity and the local community. Climate Stewards ranks 13th in the non-profit providers listing at carboncatalog.org.^[18]

Current carbon-quantified tree planting projects are located in Damongo and other locations in Ghana.

Living lightly

A Rocha encourages people to make great or small changes to their lifestyle to make it "lighter" – more sustainable.^[19] In the UK this takes shape as the Living Lightly campaign.^[20]

Other work

A Rocha performs other kind of work around the world like city centre vegetable patches, trash cleanups, water sanitation and hygiene,^[21] and speaking engagements in universities and churches about why Christians should care for the environment.^[22] A Rocha also serves as a European Voluntary Service sending or receiving agency.^[23]

Ethos

A Rocha's modus operandi is based on five guiding principles: Christian, Conservation, Community, Cooperation, and Cross-Cultural.^[2] They further state that Christian involvement in nature conservation stems from a Biblical understanding of love, obedience, justice and hope.^[2]

A Rocha is a legally separate entity in each country where it works.^[24] A Rocha International is a charity registered in England with the aim of supporting the national organizations, and beginning new A Rocha initiatives in new countries.

Partnerships

A Rocha works in partnership with a wide range of people and organizations:^[25]

• Conservation organizations, like the IUCN,^[26] Conservation International^[27] and BirdLife International.
• Universities and colleges, like Trinity Western University (Canada), Cardiff University (Wales) and University of California, Berkeley (USA);
• Relief and development organizations, like World Vision,^[28] Micah Network^[29] (q.v. Integral mission), and the International Institute for Environment and Development;
• Governments and government bodies, like the European Commission's DG Environment through the European Habitats Forum.,^[30] Karnataka State Forest (India), Msunduzi Municipality (South Africa), and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (Portugal);
• Private landowners, for instance in Lebanon, France and the UK.

A Rocha is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition,^[31] and a signatory of Countdown 2010.^[32]

People

A Rocha International is chaired by Rebecca Irvin, and its Council of Reference includes botanist Prof Sir Ghillean Prance, geneticist RJ ‘Sam’ Berry, James Jones the former Bishop of Liverpool, and writer and clergyman Chris Wright.^[5]

In the UK the management team consists of Conservation Director Andy Lester and Theology and Churches Director Ruth Valerio. Both Andy and Ruth speak widely on conservation and faith and can be reached via the UK web site. The current UK Chair is Steve Hughes.

References

1. A Rocha. International team. Retrieved 06 Nov 2013.
2. A Rocha. A Rocha’s Values. Retrieved 17 Feb 2011.
3. Charity Commission. Charity Overview for A Rocha International. Retrieved on 2013-11-06.
4. A Rocha. Our history. Retrieved on 2010-11-11.
5. A Rocha. International trustees. Retrieved 06 Nov 2013.
6. A Rocha. International Review 2012/2013. Retrieved on 2013-11-06.
7. Elsdon, Ron (1992) Greenhouse Theology pp 193-195, Monarch, ISBN 1-85424-153-2.
8. Latin Link. 'Spring in the desert'. Published 1 Mar 2013, retrieved 11 Mar 2013.
9. Johnson, Marina. The Church of England Newspaper August 1, 2008: A Rocha: Spearheading the Green revolution in the church.
10. Awoyemi, S. M. (2008). "The Role of Religion in the HIV/AIDS Intervention in Africa: A Possible Model for Conservation Biology". Conservation Biology 22 (4): 811–813. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01007.x. PMID 18786094.
11. Jackson, M. M.; Naughton-Treves, L. (2012). "Eco-bursaries as incentives for conservation around Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya". Environmental Conservation 39 (4): 347. doi:10.1017/S0376892912000161.
12. A Rocha. Where we work. Retrieved 11 Mar 2013.
13. A Rocha. Future national A Rocha organizations
14. A Rocha. Stay at our field study centres. Retrieved 24 Feb 2011.
15. A Rocha. A Rocha India Field Study Centre. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
16. Walley, Chris; Walley, Alison (1998). "Birding in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon". Sandgrouse 20 (1): 16.
17. Climate Stewards, Projects.
18. carboncatalog.org. Carbon Offset Providers - Non-Profits.
19. Cooper, Lucy, Hope for planet earth in Idea May/June 2008, pp 13-14.
20. arochalivinglightly.org.uk. Welcome to Living Lightly. Retrieved 21 Sept 2009.
21. A Rocha. Our Water Sanitation and Hygiene project (WASH) at Namungoona. Retrieved 21 Sept 2009.
22. Regent College. Regent A Rocha Conference 2006: Keeping Earth in Common: A Just Faith for a Whole World. Retrieved 17 Feb 2011.
23. European Commission—Youth. EVS Accredited Organisations: AR France, AR Netherlands, AR Portugal, AR UK. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
24. A Rocha. Who we are.
25. A Rocha. Partnerships.
26. IUCN. Members database.
27. Conservation International. Partners.
28. World Vision. Partnering for Peace and Well-Being in the Lives of Canadian Children. Accessed 27 April 2011 from Canadian Programs.
29. Micah Network. A Rocha International.
30. IUCN. European Habitats Forum.
31. Stop Climate Chaos. Homepage.
32. Countdown 2010. A Rocha: Faith in Conservation.