Dear {FIRST_NAME},

Great News for the Holidays from Friends of Calakmul! Last week, Friends of Calakmul (FOC) got news of an incredible opportunity for adding 118,000 acres of land to the area we’re currently protecting in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (CBR). This land, when our agreement is finalized in January, will represent not only an enormous victory for conservation and jaguars, but also an even greater success than we’d anticipated. “We didn’t expect to negotiate an agreement with an ejido called Conhuas because half their land is outside the reserve,” said FOC Executive Director, Cheri Sugal. “However, since creating our original plan we’ve found that jaguar habitat in Conhuas is just as important and biologically intact as it is in the other ejido lands” FOC had been working out a different agreement with the Conhuas community, an agreement to use only part of their land to build a biological research station. However, during these discussions, Conhuas decided they wanted to partner with FOC to permanently protect their lands by giving up all logging rights in exchange for annual payments and training in pro-active conservation activities. Thanks to our members, and a grant from Conservation International’s Global Conservation Fund, FOC has been focusing its efforts on protecting four properties totaling 182,000 acres in the buffer zone of the CBR. Now, we have the opportunity to expand this goal further guaranteeing the long term survival of the jaguar and its rainforest habitat. With your continued support FOC is now just one agreement away - which we hope to sign early next year - from protecting all the remaining threatened lands in the entire 2 million-acre reserve!

How you can help This holiday season during a time of consume, consume, consume you can give a gift that conserves, conserves, conserves! Thanks to our members we’ve been able to exceed our goal of protecting 350,000 acres in the CBR. However, with our success comes an even greater need for your support. By purchasing a $45 gift certificate by December 21st you can help support us in finalizing agreements with ejido Conhuas (70,000 acres). In return your friends and family will receive a special holiday e-certificate and you’ll receive an email confirmation of this special gift. What better way to show a friend or loved one that you care about them than by giving the gift that saves life on earth? To make a contribution click on the link below: Click here