Buy Jewelry. Save Endangered Lemurs from Fire. Create Jobs Protecting Rainforest. Change Lives

Urgent Danger for the Lost Forest

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There are a lot of things you could do with a dollar today, but not a lot of them can save endangered lemurs, protect the rainforest, change the lives of hundreds of people in one of the poorest countries on Earth, AND add some unique, meaningful jewelry to your wardrobe.This is an emergency fundraiser for The Phoenix Conservancy to prevent the total destruction of a newly-discovered rainforest in Madagascar by creating jobs restoring and protecting the forest. As a great bonus, this is also a chance to buy unique, handmade jewelry that makes this work possible!Dubbed "The Lost Forest", the forest of Ivohiboro totals only 3,000 acres in size, yet houses numerous species of plants and animals only discovered in 2016.Shielded by huge, crystal mountains of quartzite, the forest hosts many species that are so unknown that they are undescribed by science. Among these are Mouse Lemurs (See photo above), Dwarf Lemurs, and a unique population of the critically endangered Ring-tailed Lemur. Ivohiboro is the only place where they are found, in an island of crystal and forest surrounded by degraded grassland.But plants and animals aren’t the only things that are at risk in the forest.The Ihosy region is also home to the Bara ethnic group, who requested formal protection of Ivohiboro in a petition signed by more than 300 prominent representatives and local authorities. The people that call this region home depend on the forest as the region’s source of water through the long dry season, whether for growing rice as their main food source or for cooking and drinking water. Most of our friends in the region make less than $100 per year, and without this life-giving water, they have few other ways to make a living.This Lost Forest is sadly in extreme danger of being destroyed every season by the great threat to Madagascar's future: Fire.An estimated 70-80% of Madagascar is swept by fire, and has the potential to completely destroy this forest, any day, every day. In spite of being recently protected, fires set to trigger new grass growth push against the forest’s borders, preventing it from regenerating and threatening it with total destruction. Ultimately, saving the forest means not only saving Madagascar’s vanishing forests but also its deeply threatened people.The Orana Collection: Necklace (left), Keychain (center), and Bracelet (right). "Orana" translates to "Rain" in Malagasy.The Mpiaro Collection: Necklace (left), Keychain (center), and Bracelet (right). "Mpiaro" translates to "Protector" in Malagasy.We're teaming up with local jewelry makers to make handmade quartz jewelry as a thank you for being a part of our work. These raw, elegant pieces are made from the same type of crystal that makes up the mountains that shield Ivohiboro from destruction, and form the glittering soil in which the rainforest grows.For your donation, we want you to have one of these pieces of jewelry, as a symbol that you are helping to protect and restore some of the world’s most desperately endangered rainforest and wildlife.It also symbolizes your commitment to protecting the people that call the area home, and provide new jobs and opportunities for some of the most deserving and endangered people on Earth.We can’t thank you enough for being a part of our fundraiser. With your help, Ivohiboro will not only survive, but grow and expand, and the lives of hundreds of people will be immediately changed for the better.From the whole team here at The Phoenix Conservancy, thank you, andWe have three major goals with this project:We are setting our project goal at $5,000 to fund this initial phase of the project. At a minimum, that is enough to protect the forest’s most vulnerable sections from fires and give 300 people a 10-30% raise on their income for a year, all in less than a few days. Each dollar you donate has a massive reach and goes a long ways for creating a brighter future for the Bara and the forest.The Phoenix Conservancy was founded in 2016 by Washington State University graduate students and alumni. Our mission is to regenerate and improve the health of endangered ecosystems using a collaborative approach. Each of our projects seeks to maximize long-term impact while increasing local economic opportunities and stewardship of endangered ecosystems.We work to restore degraded, endangered ecosystems for the sake of both biodiversity and the people that depend on them. Our symbol is the Phoenix for a great reason; we work to restore ecosystems from the ashes of their destruction, just like the fiery bird of legend.Madagascar is the perfect place for a Phoenix, and we appreciate your help in bringing Madagascar's priceless rainforests (quite literally) back from the ashes!