The Sierra del Divisor © Diego Perez/CEDIA

One rainforest acre stores 200 tons of CO2 © CEDIA

Amazon wildlife: Red Uakari Monkey © Aaron Martin

November 3, 2014

Rainforest Trust is launching a new pledge drive that will allow participants to save Amazon acres by signing an online pledge. Each signer will have one acre protected in his or her honor thanks to a supporting gift from Ann Kruglak of Mystic Dreamer Art.

The “Save-an-Acre” pledge will help protect 500 acres, an area one and a half times the size of the National Mall, in Peru’s Sierra del Divisor Mountain Range.

Located in the heart of the Amazon Basin, the Sierra del Divisor protects a biological community rich in rare, endemic, and threatened species. Its position in the center of a ten-million-acre multinational wildlife corridor makes its preservation critical. The area is also home to several uncontacted indigenous tribes.

The Sierra del Divisor faces imminent threats from oil and mining development, road and pipeline construction, and illegal logging. To permanently protect the mountain range and the biodiverse forests surrounding it, Rainforest Trust is working with Peruvian partner CEDIA to establish two protected areas with a buffer zone that will span 5.9 million acres.

“The degraded state of our rainforests is an issue that affects all life on the planet,” said Christine Hodgdon, Rainforest Trust’s International Conservation Manager. “Signing the ‘Save-an-Acre’ pledge is an easy way to become a part of the solution. Each acre we save really does make a difference.”

The Amazon Rainforest plays a critical role in maintaining the earth’s natural systems. It produces approximately 20% of the planet’s air and holds two-thirds of the world’s freshwater. Protecting the Amazon is an effective way to fight against climate change. Each rainforest acre protected prevents the release of 200 tons of CO2 emissions, an amount equal to the annual emissions of 57 U.S. autos.

Ann Kruglak creates a range of eco-friendly artwork to help save rainforest and all proceeds from the sales of Mystic Dream Art are donated to Rainforest Trust. To date, she has helped protect more than 130,000 acres.

“This pledge will allow the Rainforest Trust communities on social media to get engaged with rainforest conservation in a new way,” said Kevin McAleese, Rainforest Trust’s Conservation Outreach Officer. “The word-of-mouth nature of social media is an essential part of the pledge. We will be using a new ‘signal boosting’ platform called Thunderclap  which will allow signers to amplify their message and help spread the word about the “Save an Acre” pledge to their own social networks.”

Visit Rainforest Trust’s “Save-an-Acre” page to sign the pledge.