About the "campaign"

Protect-an-Acre (PAA) is an ongoing program that gives money to indigenous communities so they can protect their own land. The PAA program is an integral part of Rainforest Action Network's dynamic approach to halting further destruction of the world's forests while supporting the livelihood of forest communities. Traditional communities are stewards of the fragile rainforest ecosystem and possess a unique knowledge of these forests. Any real solution to the crisis of rainforest destruction must begin by recognizing the rights of these communities.

Most PAA projects are aimed at securing specific and measurable tracts of forest for protection and are typically implemented by local forest communities, indigenous federations, or supporting non-governmental organizations.

PAA projects are designed to work in concert with RAN's primary campaigns to end logging and other industrial activities in the world’s remaining old growth forests.

Taking action

People of all ages can fundraise in their classrooms or communities and send that money to the PAA program, knowing that it will go directly to supporting human rights and rainforest preservation. You can:

• Organize a fun, entertaining event with music, theatre or poetry. Ask for money and pass around a collection jar or hat.
• Bake yummy things and sell them.
• Write up a letter with your stated goals and ask everyone you know and everyone they know to donate a small piece (if 30 people donate $10 each, that’s $300 that can go a long way).
• Have an –Athon (a marathon, a walk-athon, a bike-athon, etc.) where people pledge to donate a certain amount of money per mile traveled.
• Make a presentation about your fundraising goals and where the money is going in each of your classes and pass a collection jar around.
• Ask a parent, adult friend, or teacher to help throw a rainforest fundraising party in which they invite their friends and serve food and drinks using organic/fair-trade fruits from the rainforest (think mangoes, chocolate, papayas, vanilla, bananas, coffee... ).

For more info about the Protect an Acre program, check out RAN's Protect-an-Acre program.