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Save Our Species (SOS) is a global coalition initiated by three founding partners (World Conservation Union - IUCN, the Global Environmental Facility and the World Bank) to build  a large species conservation fund, supporting on-the-ground field conservation projects all over the world.   SOS will combine resources and funding experience from the World Bank and GEF, the authoritative science of IUCN and the resources and ingenuity of the private sector to create a mechanism that ensures sufficient funding goes to species conservation projects where and when it will have the most impact.

The SOS Strategic Directions currently open for Threatened Species Grants are:

Threatened amphibians, Critically Endangered birds and Threatened Asian and African mammals.

Three ACAP-listed species, all albatrosses, are considered by IUCN and Birdlife International to be Critically Endangered (click here).  They are the Amsterdam Diomedea amsterdamensis, the Tristan D. dabbenena and the Waved Phoebastria irrorata.  In addition a potential candidate ACAP species, the Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus, is also categorized as Critically Endangered (click here).

A call for proposals for Threatened Species Grants and for Rapid Action Grants is now open.

Threatened Species Grants (US$ 25 000 to 800 000) will respond to call for proposals and specific priorities

Rapid Action Grants (up to US$ 25 000) will support conservation actions in case of emergency situations.

It is expected that in due course an attempt will be made to rid Gough Island of its introduced House Mice Mus musculus, which cause massive breeding failure in Tristan Albatrosses every year (click here).  Such an eradication exercise will be very expensive and special funds will have to be raised towards it.  Funding opportunities such as "Save our Species" could help.

For more information on the SOS initiative, including how to apply, click here.  The deadline for applications is 12 August 2011.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 28 June 2011