TRUNKS & LEAVES INC
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to foster evidence-based conservation of endangered Asian elephants and their habitats, raising awareness about their unique importance, locally and globally. We share a common fate with the wildlife on our planet and the future depends on what we do now. Because Asian elephants occupy very diverse landscapes that range from savannah to rainforest, they are flagships for many important ecosystems. We envision a world in which elephants and people can peacefully flourish side-by-side on a rich, biodiverse landscape that meets our meets all our needs.
About This Cause
Trunks & Leaves Inc. is a U.S. based nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of Asian elephants and their habitats. Our activities are centered around research, education and community-based conservation. It was founded in 2012 by Dr. Shermin de Silva, a field biologist. Her pioneering studies of wild Asian elephants revealed just how different this species is from its better-known African cousins, and the unique challenges for its native environments. Yet few international organizations are focused on the highly endangered Asian elephant. Trunks & Leaves was created out of the need for a greater understanding of the needs of wild Asian elephants, as well as greater public awareness of the threats to their ecosystems and the need for solutions that are sustainable long-term. The conservation of the species depends on animals in the WILD, therefore we do not engage on issues concerning captive welfare. Our flagship initiatives are currently in Sri Lanka - The Udawalawe Elephant Research Project and its complement The Coexistence Project. The Udawalawe Elephant Research Project (UWERP), modelled on work done in Africa, is the only long-term individual-based monitoring program for Asian elephants in the world. Fundamentally we believe that in order to conserve a species, we must understand its biology. By documenting the behavior and ecology of hundreds of wild elephants in southern Sri Lanka, this program has generated knowledge and insights in the form of scientific papers and reports that are intended to inform management and policies concerning Asian elephants. This work contributes to international listing programs, such as the IUCN Red List, and the work of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group. It is also the basis of public talks, media, and other communication directed at non-specialist and non-technical audiences of all ages, intended to raise awareness for the species and its ecosystems. Habitat loss and conflict with people are the greatest threats to elephants and their landscapes. At the same time, the human communities in elephant landscapes live a precarious existence and are among the most impoverished populations in the world. It is therefore critical to ensure that both sets of needs are met - that of the people as well as the elephants. The Coexistence Project strives to study how people and elephants actually share the land, and test means for sustainable coexistence. Being evidence-based means we are driven by data, therefore we study both the elephants and the people in these areas. This includes how they use the land, and how well they are doing. Because elephants cannot speak, this is accomplished through photographic observations with the of aid trail cameras. For people, this is accomplished through surveys and community meetings. To build relationships and offset some of the economic burden elephants impose, we support preschools and provide assistance for educational resources in each of the communities where we work. Through this, we come to understand the circumstances of each community. We can then use this as the basis for long-term interventions to test substitute crops that are more resilient to wildlife, not only elephants, as a means of supplementing or even augmenting incomes. Over the next five years, our goal is to work with and partner with socially conscious companies in the private sector, both locally and internationally, to test the economic returns on native botanical species that can be grown in the regions where we work. In particular, we are interested in botanical derivatives from non-food crops that have potential value in health, wellness, personal care and cosmetics. Species, for instance, that yield aromatic compounds. By linking growers to this international market, our goal is a triple win: help the elephants, help the communities, and regenerate the landscape.