We have a new section on the AZH website detailing each of the 2018-2019 AZH Plant Conservation Grants.  At the 2018 AZH annual conference in Winnipeg, a total of five grants were awarded for projects in Madagascar, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Colorado, and England.  Check out the details of each project on the AZH conservation grant page - https://azh.org/azh-conservation-grant-project-updates/ 

Community based habitat restoration for the critically endangered Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti)
International Reptile Conservation Foundation
$7,000

Continuing on their past success with habitat restoration for endangered Guatemalan lizards, the International Reptile Conservation Foundation will use AZH funding this year to create habitat for the Guatemalan beaded lizard by planting 100 hectares of oak forest on abandoned agricultural plots. This will be the first ecological restoration project in the dry forests of Guatemala.

The project aims to:

• Assess and document forest tree species composition in well preserved areas of habitat
• Engage local communities in direct conservation actions such as tree seed collection and reforestation
• Establish a local tree nursery to propagate and grow large tree seedlings able to withstand dry seasons
• Restore up to 100 ha of habitat with 10,000 native trees
• Determine survival and growth rate of newly planted trees
• Develop scalable techniques for dry forest ecosystem restoration in the Matagua Valley