A Rocha
Encyclopedia
A Rocha is an international environmental organization
with a Christian ethos. A Rocha, which means "the rock" in Portuguese (see entry Rocha
), was founded in Portugal in 1983 by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda. It is completely interdenominational, governed by a Board of Trustees with wide qualifications in life sciences, relief and development, and financial and risk management.
As of 2010, A Rocha is working in 19 countries: Brazil
, Bulgaria
, Canada
, Czech Republic
, Finland
, France
, Ghana
, India
, Kenya
, Lebanon
, Netherlands
, New Zealand/Aotearoa
, Peru
, Portugal
, South Africa
, Switzerland
, Uganda
, United Kingdom
, and USA. Local networks are being built up with a view of creating a national A Rocha in another nine countries.
and Manitoba
), France, India (near Bangalore
), Kenya (in Watamu
), Portugal and the UK (in Southall
, West London
). These serve primarily as a base for A Rocha’s and other organizations’ field studies and for environmental education, but some also offer accommodation for visitors.
There are also long-term study sites in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon (the Aammiq Wetland
) and other major watersheds and bird migration corridors like the Pembina Valley
(Canada). Studies in progress include wetland ecosystems, avoided deforestation, and collection of long-term census data on birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, freshwater invertebrates and fish, and plants.
Current carbon-quantified tree planting projects are located in Damongo, Ghana, and Pietermaritzburg
, South Africa, with other tree-planting projects, e.g. in the Huarango forests of Peru, awaiting research to start quantifying carbon sequestration.
sending or receiving agency.
is based on five guiding principles: Christian, Conservation, Community, Cooperation, and Cross-Cultural. They further state that Christian involvement in nature conservation stems from a Biblical understanding
of love
, obedience
, justice
and hope
.
A Rocha is a legally separate entity in each country where it works. A Rocha International is a charity registered in England with the aim of supporting the national organizations, and beginning new A Rocha initiatives in new countries.
A Rocha is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos
Coalition, and a signatory of Countdown 2010.
, and its Council of Reference includes geneticist
RJ ‘Sam’ Berry, James Jones
the Bishop of Liverpool
, theologian John Stott
, and writer
and clergyman Chris Wright
.
Environmental organization
An environmental organization is an organization that seeks to protect, analyze or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation or lobby for these goals....
with a Christian ethos. A Rocha, which means "the rock" in Portuguese (see entry Rocha
Rocha
Rocha is a Portuguese family name. It literally means “rock” or “boulder” in Portuguese; for instance, “rochas sedimentares, metamórficas e magmáticas” means “sedimentary, metamorphic and magmatic rocks”...
), was founded in Portugal in 1983 by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda. It is completely interdenominational, governed by a Board of Trustees with wide qualifications in life sciences, relief and development, and financial and risk management.
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”.As of 2010, A Rocha is working in 19 countries: Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, New Zealand/Aotearoa
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and USA. Local networks are being built up with a view of creating a national A Rocha in another nine countries.
Centers and sites
A Rocha operates field study centers in Canada (in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
), France, India (near Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
), Kenya (in Watamu
Watamu
Watamu is a beach resort on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It lies on a small headland, between the Blue Lagoon and Watamu Bay. Its main industries are tourism and fishing...
), Portugal and the UK (in Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
, West London
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
). These serve primarily as a base for A Rocha’s and other organizations’ field studies and for environmental education, but some also offer accommodation for visitors.
There are also long-term study sites in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon (the Aammiq Wetland
Aammiq Wetland
The Aammiq Wetland is the largest remaining freshwater wetland in Lebanon, a remnant of much more extensive marshes and lakes that once existed in the Bekaa Valley...
) and other major watersheds and bird migration corridors like the Pembina Valley
Pembina Valley Region, Manitoba
The Pembina Valley is the name given to the south-central region of the province of Manitoba, Canada. It is named for its major geographical feature - the Pembina Valley which runs through the southwestern part of the region....
(Canada). Studies in progress include wetland ecosystems, avoided deforestation, and collection of long-term census data on birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, insects, freshwater invertebrates and fish, and plants.
Carbon mitigation
A Rocha runs Climate Stewards, a global programme which accepts donations for community-based tree planting projects, as well as offering practical tips for reducing carbon emissions. Projects are designed according to international standards for benefits to biodiversity and the local community. Climate Stewards ranks 13th in the non-profit providers listing at carboncatalog.org.Current carbon-quantified tree planting projects are located in Damongo, Ghana, and Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, South Africa, with other tree-planting projects, e.g. in the Huarango forests of Peru, awaiting research to start quantifying carbon sequestration.
Living lightly
A Rocha encourages people to make great or small changes to their lifestyle to make it "lighter" – more sustainable. In the UK this takes shape as the Living Lightly campaign.Other work
A Rocha performs other kind of work around the world like city center vegetable patches, trash cleanups, water sanitation and hygiene, and speaking engagements in universities and churches about why Christians should care for the environment. A Rocha also serves as a European Voluntary ServiceEuropean Voluntary Service
European Voluntary Service is the European Commission's project that allows a young person to become a volunteer in another country for a specified period, normally between 2–12 months...
sending or receiving agency.
Ethos
A Rocha's modus operandiModus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
is based on five guiding principles: Christian, Conservation, Community, Cooperation, and Cross-Cultural. They further state that Christian involvement in nature conservation stems from a Biblical understanding
Biblical Theology
Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament...
of love
Charity (virtue)
In Christian theology charity, or love , means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others.The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.- Caritas: altruistic love :...
, obedience
Obedience (human behavior)
In human behavior, obedience is the quality of being obedient, which describes the act of carrying-out commands or being actuated. Obedience differs from compliance, which is behavior influenced by peers, and from conformity, which is behavior intended to match that of the majority. Obedience can...
, justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
and hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
.
A Rocha is a legally separate entity in each country where it works. A Rocha International is a charity registered in England with the aim of supporting the national organizations, and beginning new A Rocha initiatives in new countries.
Partnerships
A Rocha works in partnership with a wide range of people and organizations:- Conservation organizations, like the IUCN, Conservation InternationalConservation InternationalConservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
and BirdLife InternationalBirdLife InternationalBirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
. - Universities and colleges, like Trinity Western UniversityTrinity Western UniversityTrinity Western University is a private, Christian liberal arts university located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.The school was founded in 1962 as Trinity Junior College, and now enrolls approximately 4000 students and sits on a campus....
(Canada), Cardiff UniversityCardiff UniversityCardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
(Wales) and University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(USA); - Relief and development organizations, like World VisionWorld VisionWorld Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
, Micah Network (q.v. Integral missionIntegral missionIntegral Mission is a term coined in Spanish as misión integral in the 1970s by members of the Latin American Theological Fellowship to describe an understanding of Christian mission which embraces both the proclamation and the demonstration of the Gospel...
), and the International Institute for Environment and DevelopmentInternational Institute for Environment and DevelopmentThe International Institute for Environment and Development is a London-based policy research centre and think tank.- History :IIED was established by the economist Barbara Ward in 1971...
; - Governments and government bodies, like the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
's DG EnvironmentDirectorate-General for the Environment (European Commission)The Directorate-General for the Environment is a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the European Union policy area of the environment....
through the European Habitats Forum., KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
State Forest (India), MsunduziMsunduziMsunduzi can refer to:*The Msunduzi River, in KwaZulu-Natal*The Msunduzi Local Municipality, named after the river....
Municipality (South Africa), and the Institute for Nature Conservation and BiodiversityInstitute for Nature Conservation and BiodiversityThe Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity , ICNB, is a Portuguese government agency responsible for the Protected areas of Portugal....
(Portugal); - Private landowners, for instance in Lebanon, France and the UK.
A Rocha is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos
Stop Climate Chaos
Stop Climate Chaos is a climate change coalition of primarily environmental and international development NGOs that was formed in September 2005. The coalition ran the big I Count campaign in 2006–07 and organised The Wave - a campaign focused on the climatic impacts of energy production which...
Coalition, and a signatory of Countdown 2010.
People
A Rocha International is chaired by botanist Prof Sir Ghillean PranceGhillean Prance
Sir Ghillean Tolmie Prance FRS VMH is a prominent British botanist and ecologist.He has published extensively on the taxonomy of families such as Chrysobalanaceae and Lecythidaceae, but he perhaps drew more attention in documenting the pollination ecology of Victoria amazonica...
, and its Council of Reference includes geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
RJ ‘Sam’ Berry, James Jones
James Stuart Jones
James Stuart Jones is a British Anglican bishop. He is currently the Bishop of Liverpool.The son of Major Stuart Jones and Helen Jones, he was educated in the Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover and Exeter University, where received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology in 1970...
the Bishop of Liverpool
Bishop of Liverpool
The Bishop of Liverpool is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool in the Province of York.The diocese stretches from Southport in the north, to Widnes in the south, and from the River Mersey to Wigan in the east. Its see is in the City of Liverpool at the Cathedral Church of...
, theologian John Stott
John Stott
John Robert Walmsley Stott CBE was an English Christian leader and Anglican cleric who was noted as a leader of the worldwide Evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974...
, and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and clergyman Chris Wright
Christopher J. H. Wright
Christopher J. H. Wright, is an Anglican clergyman and an Old Testament scholar. He is currently the director of Langham Partnership International. He was the principal of All Nations Christian College. He is an honorary member of the All Souls Church, Langham Place in London, UK.-Childhood and...
.