actionreport VOLUNTEER SURVEILLANCE TEAMS DEPLOYED IN GULF

VICTORY HELPS PROTECT FORESTS NWF has scored another vic- tory in its push to improve the environmental performance of Brazil’s cattle industry. Last May, the Leather Working Group—a prominent buyers group that includes Puma, Nike, New Balance Athletic Shoe and Clarks Interna- tional—agreed to a new “traceability requirement” to ensure that members’ leather products originating in Brazil have not resulted in further deforestation of the Amazon. Nathalie Walker, manager of

NWF’s Climate Change, Defor- estation & Agriculture Project, who helped bring about the requirement, calls the develop- ment “extremely encouraging. It sends an important message

>>GREEN CONSUMER

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To helpmonitor the impact of the BP oil spill on wildlife populations and habitat, NWF and its gulf state affiliateo h e oma zir t an deploying teams of volunteers to observe the Gulf Coast shoreline. Among other duties, they will help locate ane l ennf oilm o v hen wise injured animals and alert trained rescue teams. For information about the surveillance network, visit wwwwise injured anima s and ale. rt trained

GARDEN FURNITURE SCORECARD RELEASED Annual buyer’s guide shows sustainable products are widely available

NationalWildlife Federation has released its fourth annual garden furniture score- card, a buyer’s guide to products that come from well-managed tropical forests. The scorecard rates retailers and manu-

facturers using the Forest Stewardship Council certification system, which identi- fies sustainable wood products that are harvested in a manner that protects water, soil and wildlife habitat, as well as com- munity and indigenous peoples’ interests. “The scorecard is a clear and essential

guide that helps people make Earth- friendly furniture purchases for their gar- den or backyard,” says Stacy Brown, NWF’s northeast forest climate manager. Companies received a rating of up to five

>>BE OUT THERE

stars based on the percentage of their prod- ucts that are made from sustainably har- vested tropical wood. This year’s rankings included more companies than ever rated at four or five stars. To learn more, go to www.nwf.org/gardenfurniture.

Click HERE to download the scorecard!

VICTORY HELPS PROTECT FORESTS NWF has scored another vic- tory in its push to improve the environmental performance of Brazil’s cattle industry. Last May, the Leather Working Group—a prominent buyers group that includes Puma, Nike, New Balance Athletic Shoe and Clarks Interna- tional—agreed to a new “traceability requirement” to ensure that members’ leather products originating in Brazil have not resulted in further deforestation of the Amazon. Nathalie Walker, manager of

NWF’s Climate Change, Defor- estation & Agriculture Project, who helped bring about the requirement, calls the develop- ment “extremely encouraging. It sends an important message

OFF THE COUCH AND INTO NATURE Organizations work together to promote physical activity and more time outdoors

to other producers in the Ama- zon that there is strong inter- national demand for forest- friendly leather.” Promoting better ranching

practices—which require less land—is critical: Half of all tropical deforestation on Earth takes place in the Brazilian Amazon, where 80 percent of deforested land is turned into cattle pasture. Ranching is also the largest source of greenhouse gases in Brazil. To learn more, go to www.nwf.org/deforestation.

| 44 | NATIONAL WILDLIFE

“There’s strength in numbers,” the old adage goes. So NWF is collaborating with a diverse community of businesses and nonprofits to ensure the movement to get kids off the couch and into nature is a success. In June NWF partnered with YMCA

of the USA, REI, Sierra Club, Izaak Walton League of America, The Out- door Foundation, National Recreation and Park Association and the Children & Nature Network to form the Out- doors Alliance for Kids. The coalition seeks to “strengthen the connections between land conservation and time spent outdoors, empower youth leaders to advance the reconnecting with nature movement, and promote resources and events that help people reconnect with

the great outdoors,” says Patrick

efforts at www.outo other producers in the Ama- NWF is also part of the broad coali- tion that helped tno draft and will be implementing thfre recently released National Physical Activity Plan, a sweeping initiative to improve public health. The plan ilancludes strategies for motivating peoplte in every community to become and stay physically active and for removing the barriers that may stand in their way. Togetperhcer with Sierra Club, NWF is leading efforts to advocate for more opportunities for physical activity in open spaces ansd community outdoor recreation areas. For more information,to visit www.physicawlactivityplan.org.

Fitzgerald, NWF’s director of education advocacy. Learn more about the group’s doorsallianceforkids.org. zon tha there is strong nter- ational demand for forest- iendly leather.”

Promoting better ranching practices—which require less nd—is critical: Half of all ropical deforestation on Earth takes place in the

Brazilian Amazon, where 80 ent of deforested land is

turned into cattle pasture. Ranching is also the largest ource of greenhouse gases in Brazil. To learn more, g

ww.nwf.org/deforestation. | 44 | NATIONAL WILDLIFE >

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LEFT, RACHEL KRAMER (NWF); RIGHT, GARDINER’S SUPPLY COMPANY

LEFT, RACHEL KRAMER (NWF); RIGHT, GARDINER’S SUPPLY COMPANY