“No matter how you cut it, a rainforest left standing is worth more.” That’s the motto of the ecolodge Lapa Rios, a 1,000-acre preserve and resort that’s become a model for ecotourism in Costa Rica. Co-founder Karen Lewis shares her vision for the lodge, and her plans to keep it thriving into the future.
Marissa Brown, Executive Director for the Democracy Initiative, joined members of Rachel’s Network to talk about her work to combat money’s influence on government. We asked Marissa to elaborate on the movement’s recent victories and how the environmental community and funders can get involved.
People’s thirst for alternatives to our current economic system has propelled Rachel’s Network & Ashoka Fellow Janelle Orsi into the spotlight. Through her nonprofit, the Sustainable Economies Law Center, Janelle’s developing legal infrastructure that supports this new economy. Here’s what she’s been up to over the last year.
It’s no great surprise that funders have taken up the fossil fuel divestment cause. For many, unloading these stocks and investing in positive social and environmental projects goes hand-in-hand with good grantmaking. As environmental funders, a number of Rachel’s Network members have made a commitment to divest from fossil fuels, both personally and through the foundations they direct. As we celebrate Global Divestment Day, they offer tips for those ready to move their money.
In her travels across Africa over the last decade, Diane Brinkmann has come to deeply appreciate and love elephants. Here she shares her experiences at an elephant camp in the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya with Elephant Watch, and the dire need to protect these magnificent creatures from illegal wildlife trafficking.
Rachel’s Network Advisor Debbie Walsh is among the 21 Leaders for the 21st Century recognized by Women’s eNews. The publication cites Walsh for her commitment to “changing the gender profile of those running for office and pushing for more women in every level of government.”
