Companies Digest

Communities for Nature already channeling transformational support on education and conservation to communities in the Philippines

Communities for Nature has announced its launch today. The new environmental charity, based in London, will act as a conduit between corporate supporters and communities at the front line of conservation and sustainable development efforts

Founded by conservationist and leader Rhoda Phillips, Communities for Nature offers corporates an opportunity to play their part in action to tackle the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges, and local communities around the world access to vital support.

By bringing together corporate supporters and local communities, Communities for Nature is seeking to reimagine the global approach to conservation funding. Its model sees communities and their supporters co-design projects that will make an impact in environmental education, conservation and regeneration; or around delivering sustainable economic activity, for example on imaginative approaches to agriculture, aquaculture and nature tourism. Every project is bespoke, community-led and action focused.

Communities for Nature has already put in place its first successful partnership, matching LMAX Group, the global financial technology company and the leading independent operator of multiple institutional execution venues for FX and crypto currency trading, with the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. (PRRCFI). The ongoing one-year ‘Actions for Communities and Environment’ partnership has funded sustainability scholarships for young people from local rural communities, youth marine and wildlife camps, and ecotourism training camps, amongst other initiatives.

Rhoda Phillips launched Communities for Nature inspired by personal experience as the Island Manager and Education officer for Danjugan Island, a 43-hectare conservation area at the heart of PRRCFI’s operations. Now based in the UK and a board trustee of PRRCFI, Rhoda founded Communities for Nature to help magnify the principles of education and collaboration at the heart of Danjugan’s programmes and tackle the key issues of our time – the climate and biodiversity crises.

Speaking about the launch of Communities for Nature, Rhoda said, “From global corporates to individuals, so many of us are looking for ways to meaningfully contribute to protecting our natural world. With Communities for Nature, we are enabling organisations to support communities working at the front line of efforts to protect ecosystems. With us, corporates are directly involved in the process, with the chance to learn from the source about the day-to-day impact of climate change and biodiversity decline on the environment, and people’s lives and livelihoods.”