Freeland Foundation
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| Founded | early 2000 |
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| Type | non-governmental not-for-profit organization |
| Focus | illegal wildlife trade, human trafficking, law enforcement capacity building training, preservation of biodiversity |
| Location |
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Area served | Southeast Asia |
| Website | www.freeland.org |
Formerly called | WildAid, PeunPa |
The Freeland Foundation (rendered FREELAND Foundation by the foundation) is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Asia which works in Asia on environmental conservation and on human rights and is headquartered in Asia. The organization intends to stop wildlife and human trafficking.
The organization combats the illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction. Its environmental conservation programs are designed to address imminent threats to endangered flora and fauna. This includes poaching and logging in protected areas, smuggling, and the subsequent sale and consumption of wildlife across the region and worldwide. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Freeland Foundation provides expertise and support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network), a regional inter-governmental initiative to combat wildlife smuggling.
Overall aims
Freeland intends to increase wildlife protection, combat illegal wildlife trafficking, and reduce global consumption of and demand for endangered species. It intends to combat human slavery and wildlife trafficking by increasing law enforcement capacity, supporting vulnerable communities and raising awareness.
Anti-crime work
Freeland provides training and technical assistance to police, customs and environmental agencies in the ASEAN region to combat poaching, illegal logging and human trafficking. It cooperates with government task forces and facilitates cross-border inter-agency co-operation and civil society action. The organization’s trainers are former government enforcement officers.
Community work
Freeland helps vulnerable rural communities to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly businesses, such as plant nurseries, fish and mushroom farms. the organization also supports communities to develop renewable energy sources and reforestation projects.
Awareness campaigns
Freeland's public awareness campaigns focus on the roles that consumer demand and apathy play in wildlife and human trafficking, while also highlighting the threats these crimes pose to natural ecosystems, and global biodiversity. One such campaign is Piece of Responsibility.[1]
History
Freeland Foundation was founded in 2000. It works in partnership with governments, communities, corporations, and other NGOs. It was previously known as WildAid (Thailand) and changed its name to Freeland Foundation in early 2009.
Programs
Training
Freeland's training programs are in Southeast Asia, aimed at local staff and communities. Freeland offered capacity building and support programs include: Protected Area Training Program; the Investigations Training Program; the Border Inspection and Controlled Delivery Program; the Judicial and Prosecutor Awareness Program; and the Poachers to Protectors Alternative Livelihoods Program.[2]
Intervention
Reforestation
Freeland works with park authorities, local communities, schools and private sector partners in reforestation.
Alternative Livelihoods
Freeland's community outreach team encourages villagers to give up illegal poaching and logging activities through a combination of environmental awareness and the development of their own small-scale income generating sustainable and environmentally friendly businesses. Farming activities, such as organic mushroom cultivation, improve villagers’ standard of living and consequently reduce poaching and habitat destruction. This, in turn, helps maintain a healthy ecosystem for both people and wildlife. Freeland's community outreach projects are a model for rural community engagement promoting sustainable alternative livelihoods and forest stewardship. Freeland is working to expand these pilot projects and facilitate their replication across Southeast and South Asia.
Law Enforcement Support
Freeland provides direct training and technical assistance to police, customs and environmental agencies to combat poaching, illegal logging, illegal wildlife trade and human trafficking. This includes extensive region-wide training for park rangers and protected area managers to help them safely and effectively protect national parks and reserves. Freeland is helping governments form task forces and facilitates cross-border inter-agency co-operation and civil society action.
Surviving Together Wildlife Monitoring & Mobile Education Unit
Freeland conducts wildlife monitoring efforts under its Surviving Together program focusing on Central Thailand’s the Dong Phayayen - Khao Yai Forest Complex, one of Southeast Asia’s largest and most important intact forest corridors. Freeland's wildlife biologists work with local park staff to survey areas, where little is known about wildlife populations. This work helps evaluate the effectiveness of patrols and identify where park protection efforts should focus. The Surviving Together program also incorporates youth education. Freeland's Mobile Education Unit visits thousands of rural school children every year to emphasize the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation through fun, hands-on activities, songs and games. These efforts are encouraging rural families to live more harmoniously with nature and nurture the next generation of wildlife conservationists.
ASEAN-WEN Support Program
Freeland Foundation, together with TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, implements a USAID-funded Support Program to the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN). The Support Program conducts national assessments, helped set up the structure of ASEAN-WEN and its Secretariat (Program Coordination Unit), and provides trainings and workshops to enhance capacity among ASEAN Member Countries’ wildlife law enforcement officials, prosecutors and the judiciary to counter wildlife crime. The Support Program promotes is helping governments form task forces and facilitates cross-border inter-agency co-operation and civil society action. It has also developed key resources including species identification guides and training manuals to help authorities institutionalize further capacity building efforts.[3]
Partners
Freeland Foundation works with local communities and a wide variety of local and international agencies, organizations, governments, donors and private sector groups across the world to implement and enhance projects to protect biodiversity and human rights. Freeland has a strong track record for bringing diverse stakeholders together to form consensus and plan joint action, for example the development of the “Pattaya Manifesto on Combatting Wildlife Crime in Asia” in 2009.[4] Key partners include: the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Department of State, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and various other U.S. Government agencies, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Thai Government and departments, Blue Moon Fund, Free the Bears Fund, Care for the Wild International, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Wildlife Alliance, Smithsonian Institution, Save the Tiger Fund, Global Tiger Initiative, creative advertising agency JWT and AsiaWorks Television.
