Dr Mat: October 2016

Forests of Hope are sites of high importance for wildlife and people Photo: Murray Cooper

Key Facts

We focus on forest areas that are of high importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services
We work with local communities, government, private sector and other important stakeholders to implement locally appropriate approaches to forest governance, management and finance
We complement action on the ground with policy engagement at national and international levels to address the underlying drivers of forest degradation and loss
We commit long-term (e.g. 20 years and more) to selected sites to overcome deep-rooted challenges and promote sustainable solutions
We are already working at major forest sites in more than 50 countries across four continents
Our innovative approaches to management, governance and finance are bringing benefits to forest people as well as wildlife

The world's natural forests are of critical importance for birds and other biodiversity, natural habitats and ecosystem services. Furthermore, over 1.6 billion people rely heavily on forests for subsistence, livelihoods, employment and income. Yet despite global efforts, rates of natural forest loss remain alarmingly high with the FAO estimating that 13 million hectares of forest are lost annually.

BirdLife’s Forests of Hope Programme aims to prevent deforestation and to restore natural forests in the tropics. The programme’s effectiveness is maximised by linking forest conservation on the ground to policy and advocacy work at national and international levels.

The programme's name was inspired by BirdLife's first Forests of Hope site: Hutan Harapan or the Rainforest of Hope. Harapan is Indonesia's first Ecosystem Restoration Concession and covers over 98,000 ha of threatened lowland forest in Sumatra. Despite being logged in the past, Harapan still has tapirs, tigers, elephants and many other species.

http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/programmes/forests-hope

Rebecca Owens, I'm an adult and I relationship

Written 27 Dec 2014

Wife is someone who's a life partner, they help with big decisions and are a support.

Mistress is more a physical relationship, though it may be that either party would want to make it more serious at some point. While I think of it as a guy cheating on his wife with a mistress, it may be the wife is fine with it.

Escort is more a business deal, in which money is traded, often for sex but they are sometimes simply for a plus 1. While a mistress relies on the fact that the people involved are both interested, which is how it can develop into a more serious relationship, an escort really doesn't.

I'd think people who keep an escort or mistress on the side usually do it as they're unhappy. In polygamous relationships this is not always the case, but the term of mistress suggests secret to me. Typically an escort is because they don't view it as proper cheating, while mistress can be a full blown affair with love involved. Hence the later can be not because a person is actively unhappy but simply no longer in love with the spouse.