A Rocha is an international network of environmental organizations with Christian ethos. A Rocha means "the rock" in Portuguese.
History
A Rocha International was founded in Portugal in 1983. The A Rocha Worldwide Covenant defines the rights and responsibilities of each A Rocha entity to the others.
A Rocha has five core commitments: Christian, Conservation, Community, Collaboration, and Cultural diversity.
Work
A Rocha aims to protect the environment through local, community-based conservation, scientific research, and environmental education, and they have “a track record of successes”.
A bird ringer ageing a hoopoe at the Cruzinha field studies centre, Portugal
A Rocha operates field study centres in Canada (two centres), France (two centres), India, Kenya, Portugal and in the Czech Republic. These serve primarily as a base for A Rocha's and other organisations’ field studies and for environmental education, and most also offer accommodation for visitors.
Habitat and species restoration projects, such as mangrove restoration projects in Ghana, and improving breeding chances for Grey-faced petrels by eradicating invasive mammals, restoring habitats and deploying artificial nests in Raglan, New Zealand, control of invasive Indian House crow in Kenya
Setting up private or public parks and reserves such as the Kirosa Scott Reserve in Kenya, and Foxearth Reserve and Minet Country Park in the UK
Enlarging and campaigning for the safeguarding of existing natural and protected areas, such as the Atewa Forest in Ghana, and the Alvor Estuary in Portugal
Bridging biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods, such as via sustainable agriculture and community garden projects across Canada; the Arabuko-Sokoke Schools and Eco-tourism Scheme in Kenya; the establishment of CREMAs (community resource management areas) around Mole National Park and Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana; and training community members in Uganda to construct bio-sand water filters
Environmental education activities and resources, such as the Wild Lebanon website in Lebanon and "creation care camps" in the USA
Carbon footprint reduction and mitigation projects, such as producing charcoal briquettes from waste in Uganda, the "Eco Church" church greening programme in the UK, and running "Climate Stewards", a global programme which encourages people to reduce their carbon footprint, and accepts donations to offset emissions via community forestry and cookstove projects in Ghana, Kenya and Mexico
Cooperating worldwide for nature conservation, such as being a member of IUCN and IUCN's European Habitats Forum
Engaging Christian communities with the relevance of nature conservation to the Christian faith, through conferences, speaking engagements, books and papers, and partnerships such as the Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network
↑Stelmach, Lorne (17 June 2013). "Record raptor counts in the valley". The Morden Times. Morden, Manitoba. Retrieved 26 October 2016– via pembinatoday.ca.
↑Vaglio Laurin G, Chan JC-W, Chen Q, Lindsell JA, Coomes DA, Guerriero L, et al. (2014) Biodiversity Mapping in a Tropical West African Forest with Airborne Hyperspectral Data. PLOS ONE 9(6): e97910. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0097910. Published 17 June 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
