Between 1 November and 28 February, 500 grant applications were submitted for consideration. That’s more applications than the Fund has received in any other grant period. Applications were submitted from more than 100 different countries on the behalf of every type of species. We have $500,000 up for grabs in this round of funding and $1.5 million for all of 2013. Obviously, the popularity of the Fund continues and the demand on our resources is great. Given this huge demand on our limited resources, it’s likely that only 10%of applications will receive funding. Over the next few months our Board of Advisors will review each request and make recommendations to the Fund before the end of May. Successful grant applications should receive notifications and financial support in June. Mark your calendars; the next grant application deadline is 30 June 2013.

The Hindus of eastern India release turtles in temple ponds upon the occasion of a child’s birth believing that this will extend the longevity of the newborn child. The temple ponds contain turtle species which are critically endangered in the wild. With support from the Fund, biologists will survey the temple ponds of Assam, India to identify the resident turtle populations and assess the threats to their survival.

We redesigned our website. It’s simple. It’s visual. Grant recipients manage their grants and tell their story to the world with video and photography. And it’s all under one address: www.speciesconservation.org Every grant recipient can create their own case study microsite featuring their own multimedia content. Take a look around. We think you will enjoy the journey.

Dedicated conservationists working with crocodiles in Sri Lanka, zebras in Kenya, birds and plants in Hawaii, hammerhead sharks in Costa Rica, frogs in Ghana, fish in Mexico, and chimpanzees in Uganda will form the cast of an exciting film about the Fund and its grant recipients. The conservationists and their species featured in the film represent the species diversity and global impact of the Fund. The film is a celebration of the hard work, dedication, and personalities of global conservation. The project will be completed in 2013. Stay tuned.

The Fund donated $1.5m to species conservation projects in 2012. It supported more than 250 projects in more than 100 different countries. From mushrooms in Greece, saola in Vietnam, vultures in Pakistan, palm trees in New Caledonia, and frogs in South America, the Fund continued its strong support globally of people getting their hands dirty and putting their boots on the ground for threatened species. Continuing this strong tradition, the Fund has earmarked another $1.5m for species conservation in 2013.

Researchers are elated to find the sparrow-sized New Zealand storm petrel, thought extinct until 2003, is breeding on Little Barrier Island Hauturu in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. The team of researchers is led by Chris Gaskin and Dr. Matt Rayner from the University of Auckland.

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