A Rocha

Description

A Rocha is a global family of Christian conservation organizations working to care for creation and equip others to do the same.

It was founded in Portugal in 1983, and its name means the rock in Portuguese, after its first field study centre there. It is present in more than 20 countries, each a separate legal entity bound together by a shared vision, mission and covenant. A Rocha International supports the national organizations and publicizes their work internationally.

Its projects respond to biodiversity loss through community-based conservation, ecological monitoring and research, habitat and species restoration, and environmental education. It runs field study centres in several countries, sets up parks and reserves, works on reducing human-wildlife conflict, and links conservation with sustainable livelihoods. It also runs carbon footprint reduction projects and engages Christian communities on the relevance of nature conservation to their faith.

A Rocha organizations are funded by governmental and intergovernmental grants, trust funds, individual donors and churches.