The Rainforest Alliance announces the launch of a new, bilingual Web site that provides a fast, informative and user-friendly resource for information on conservation initiatives underway in Mexico and Central America. The Eco-Index (www.eco-index.org), is an electronic almanac of conservation projects in the region, serving conservationists, journalists, funders, and other interested parties worldwide. With the launch of the "Eco-Index" the Rainforest Alliance's Conservation Media Center leads the conservation community in a trend toward innovative and comprehensive information sharing via the Internet.

The Eco-Index is a one-of-a-kind source providing users with the information they need in both English and Spanish. The site's principle feature is a search engine that makes the pertinent but succinct project information easy to retrieve. Users may search by project category, location, organization, funder, or keywords. The compiled project information includes annual budget, funders, objectives, achievements, anticipated accomplishments, lessons learned, and summaries of available reports. According to Diane Jukofsky, the director of the media center, "The Internet is the obvious place to catalogue this knowledge, and the Alliance's media center ­ long active in disseminating information about conservation in Latin America through our workshops and publications ­ has the contacts and experience to tackle the job."

An additional service that will prove especially useful for journalists covering conservation news is a bilingual listserv called the "Monthly Update," an emailed list of all projects added to the Eco-Index in the previous 30 days, with direct links to project descriptions. As of January 30, the site's database includes information about more than 70 projects of conservation groups, individual researchers, and government agencies. More projects are added each week as project directors complete 20-question surveys and email them to the media center, where they are carefully edited for clarity, translated into English or Spanish, and loaded into the database.

According to Tinker Foundation Program Officer Meg Cushing, "The Eco-Index is an essential resource on conservation initiatives that will not only prevent duplication of effort, but also delight every Web surfer who has ever waded through thousands of hits to find those precious few pertinent sites."

The Rainforest Alliance, based in New York City, is an international nonprofit organization. Its mission is to develop and promote economically viable and socially desirable alternatives to the destruction of tropical forests. It pursues this mission through education, research and partnerships with businesses, governments, and local peoples.

News
Upcoming Events
Current News | News Archives | Expert Sources
The Canopy | Eco-Exchange/Ambien-Tema
Rainforest Matters | Our Background | Facts & Figures

About	Programs	Join	Market	Kids	Resources	Links

Search | Site Map | Home

Contact the Rainforest Alliance: canopy@ra.org