Earth Island project reports.

Earth Island Institute welcomes a new project, Friends of Sierra Gorda. The project's primary mission is to support and promote the work of the Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda (GESG) in Queretaro, Mexico. Founded in 1987, GESG was founded by a group of Sierra citizens driven by the desire to respond to the region's environmental, social, and economic problems. GESG initiated a range of programs and activities to protect the natural environment and promote sustainable development of the communities. These programs include environmental education, reforestation and sustainable forestry, community improvement, and productive diversification. Located in eastern central Mexico, the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve is one of the top-priority natural protected areas of the country and a member of UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve program.

Also new to EII is The Red Panda Project, which is working to ensure the survival of the red panda and its habitat. Committed to fostering local stewardship of red pandas and their habitat through innovative grassroots conservation, the Red Panda Project will focus on linking economic growth with conservation by reinvesting revenues from the sale of village goods and services into conservation and development projects.

Its long-term goals are the creation of the world's first Red Panda Reserve, the Panchthar-Ilam-Singhalila (PIS) Community Forest Conservation Union, and the first research center for restoration of the Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forest; rejuvenation and restoration of eastern Nepal's Panchthar-Ilam-Singhalila corridor economy and forest; and expansion of these efforts into India, China, Bhutan, and Burma.

Bay Area International Development Organizations (BAIDO) welcomes two new members. The Center for Policy Analysis on Trade and Health (www.cpath.org) is dedicated to protecting and expanding access to health care, water, and other vital human services. CPATH links health, healthcare, and global trade communities to create economically and socially just, democratically accountable, and environmentally sustainable solutions to the negative effects of economic globalization. Winrock International (www.winrock.org) works around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment, matching innovation in agriculture, natural resources management, clean energy, and leadership development with the needs of its partners. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock increases long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the world's poor.

From March 26 to April 5, the Center for Safe Energy hosted a group of Russian environmental NGO leaders and municipal government officials from five Russian cities. The leaders were introduced to Bay Area energy conservation and alternative-energy programs and facilities, with visits to local utility companies, government offices, environmental architects, and green buildings. The purpose of this project was to promote cooperation between government agencies and NGOs in Russia on improving the efficiency of electric energy use in their cities.