It is surreal for me to now be sitting in Miami International airport awaiting my flight to the Salta Province of Argentina.  Quite a few years of diligence, patience, and taking chances have led me to this day, where I’m about to commence a 9-month Fulbright-Hays research grant to work on forest conservation in northwestern Argentina’s deforestation frontier.  Almost 2 years ago, I was working in this region to carry out my master’s research studying wildlife conservation and landscape connectivity.  But I never foresaw that I would receive funding to return and continue to pursue conservation work there again!  Indeed, this is a unique opportunity for me to follow through on my objective to support on-the-ground conservation in a region of the world that desperately needs this support.

Development pressure in the forested northwest of Argentina, primarily for soybean cultivation and cattle grazing, is on the rise.  Meanwhile, planning efforts to promote more sustainable land use practices appear stagnated by conflicting government policies and the apparent inability of local government to control illegal land clearing.  My colleagues, Argentine conservationists who deal with the challenge of balancing development and conservation demands, are working feverishly to stall a troubling development trajectory, as they witness new and large land clearings appearing in the aerial imagery they review each year.  There simply aren’t enough people on the ground with experience, time, and materials to keep pace with the agricultural industry’s expanding infrastructure and development plans.

My work is intended to complement the existing efforts of conservation scientists I have partnered with from the non-profit, Fundación CEBio (Foundation for the Study and Conservation of Biodiversity).  They have been working in a landscape linkage that connects the subtropical Yungas and Chaco forests, conducting research, and promoting education in local communities, in support of sustainable development and forest conservation.  My particular focus in this upcoming grant work will be engaging private landowners of large-scale cultivation operations in conservation action.  I believe there has been very little engagement that has occurred to date with this robust and powerful landholding group.  The land rights of all, even those who do not hold formal title, is important in my work.  However, to move beyond traditional governmental (top-down) approaches, we will need the support of large producers at the table to make rubber hit the road.

After having the privilege of working for ClearSky Climate Solutions for the past 8 months on REDD project development, I believe I see a viable pathway that may offer financial incentives appropriate for this case in Argentina.  Forest-based carbon offsets produced within the voluntary carbon credit market may provide sufficient financing to secure voluntary land conservation agreements in strategic locations within the forested corridor that links the Yungas and Chaco forests.  I seek to interconnect protected parks and reserves with private lands in this zone.  The bulk of my work to come will be observing the needs, ideas, and preferences of large landholding producers of this region, and commence socialization of forest conservation pathways (whether it be REDD and/or some other conservation tools).  It is my hope that in this process I will identify critical leverage points that may bring conservation and development into a better state of balance than it is today.  Let’s hope.

For now, I’m elated to return to a beautiful and fantastic country known for its vast open spaces and incredible landscapes, diverse array of flora and fauna, to-die-for beef, savory empanadas, fine wines, and great people.

And so it begins…

Lorie Baker

ClearSky Climate Solution’s CEO, Keegan Eisenstadt, recently visited Kenya .  We would like to share a few photos from his trip.

This sign greets everyone at the main gate to the Kenya Forest Service office in Nairobi. It is accompanied by an anonymous ‘suggestion box’ where anyone can describe incidents of corruption or impropriety and they are expected to get attention. A sign may not change a culture, but it is at least a beginning!

Adult Masai Giraffe with the Nairobi city skyline in the background. It was one of a herd of 18 giraffes – the biggest herd of giraffes Keegan had ever seen. He could hear them chewing!

Nature’s confusing camouflage, where does one zebra end and the other start?

Wetland area in Nairobi National Park. This area is frequented by hippo and is less than 1000 meters from an apartment complex.

A very shy black Rhino! Keegan saw him from about 400 meters. The second he stopped to look, this rhino went for the cover of nearby bushes and did not come out again.

ClearSky Climate Solution’s CEO, Keegan Eisenstadt, recently visited Madagascar.  We would like to share a few photos from his trip.

Dancing Sifaka Lemurs at a lemur sanctuary near Antananarivo, Madagascar. They bound about with an energy and precision that is astounding and inspiring!

First stages of mining activity in Madagascar. Forests are cleared for access to subsurface minerals. Trees are hand-felled at a slow daily rate to encourage biodiversity to relocate. Wood is then given to the communities that control the area. It is a gentle approach, but the outcome is still a destroyed forest.

Uneven aged, native species restoration trials in the highlands of Central Madagascar. Looking to rehabilitate a large deforestation event has led to field trials of various tree and grass species, as well as ‘foster ecosystem habitats’ for amphibians and reptiles. The lava rock pile is home to hand-transplanted reptiles and native epiphytes.

Village in the central highlands of Madagascar, as seen from the foundations of their new forest tree nursery. The community is part of a stakeholder engagement activity that could play a role in REDD+.

Last month, ClearSky Climate Solutions taught a two-day course, Carbon Offsets 101.  The class covered the entire start-to-finish process of creating a carbon offset project.  Course instructors, Stephen and Molly, began with teaching how to scope a potential idea, determine eligibility under the various carbon standards and trading markets, and what financing options exist for performing the necessary work.  They covered the analysis and modeling necessary to determine the carbon benefits of a project, the validation and verification process, and on-going project monitoring.  The second day was devoted to current events and group work, including a Climate Action Reserve webinar and a workshop to begin initial prefeasibility of participants’ projects.

The course was attended by individuals working within academia, environmental consulting, energy industry, conservation, and international development.  Participants thought, “It was a very good introductory course, it was well worthy my time and fun!” and, “It was one of the best trainings I’ve been to!”

Climate Ride California, was a success!  Keegan Eisenstadt, ClearSky CEO, and Devin Trainor, ClearSky’s new intern, cycled together as part of the first California Climate Ride.  Over 100 riders rolled along the northern coast of California as part of a fundraising bike ride for climate change awareness and bike advocacy.

Here Devin reports on his experience:

It took a full week of dedication and extreme logistics but we pulled it off!  The sleep deprivation and sweat was well worth it.  Each rider raised $2,400 for the event.  This money was donated to 1 Sky, Rails to Trails Conservancy, and Green America.  Riders were cyclists, non-cyclists, educators, students, business people, advocates, young, and old.  The ride was a forum for creating climate action connections through an untraditional platform – the bicycle.   The bicycle took us through the impressive coastal redwoods.  Cycling 320 miles created a common experience for all of us to struggle through.  As we were pushing up hills, a comparative simile came to mind of the climate policy struggle our nation has been pushing on Capitol Hill.  We endured these long hills and full days to contemplate, connect, raise money, and raise awareness.

The ride is best summarized by day 3:  A 100 mile day.

• A 7am departure,
• A 10 hour ride,
• Devoured every edible part of a pasta dinner,
• Listened to captivating lectures from University of Pennsylvania’s, Dan Garofalo, and an internationally acclaimed photographer, Chris Jordan,
• With images of decaying seabirds and colorful plastics piles where their stomachs should have been, the riders set up camp and go to sleep while the staff summoned energy to plan the entire next day.

As part of my ClearSky internship, I am positioned to gain a foot into the complex world of current climate action.  The issues are immense and often intimidating.  Educating oneself goes as far as your mind is willing to participate, then what?  Information does not act on its own, it must be translated into action.  Climate Ride is one approach, and it all adds up!