*Among the species that are in danger of extinction and live in the new area that will become a nature reserve: the horned sea turtle, the loggerhead sea turtle, the goliath stingray and other different species of sea animals and plants*
Continuing to save the world: For the third year in a row, members of the TIME organization have managed to raise money and purchase land in the world and turn it into a nature reserve, thus saving the species that live there and are in danger of extinction. This year, for the first time, a marine area will be purchased - a coral reef off the coast of Belize - and thus the members of the organization, which is open to anyone of any age from anywhere in the world, will save the horned sea turtle, the scabby sea turtle, the Goliath stingray and other different species of animals and marine plants that are all at different levels of extinction. "Until today we managed to save areas on land, but this time we got an opportunity to save an area at sea. The atoll - an island created on the basis of a coral reef - is amazing in its beauty and many entrepreneurs would be happy to purchase it and develop or exploit it - something that would probably be very harmful to the species living there who are already in real existential danger," said Prof. Uri Shains from the University of Haifa, the founder of "Time ".
The organization TIME (This Is My Earth) was founded three years ago by Prof. Shines from the Department of Biology and Environment of Haifa University in Oranim, who was joined by Prof. Alon Tal from Tel Aviv University, as an international democratic organization where every person of any age is invited to contribute according to his ability - Starting from one dollar - when everyone has an equal vote, it doesn't matter how much they contributed. Each year, the members of the organization are presented with three areas from around the world selected by the scientific committee and in which a wide variety of species are in danger, and the members choose one area that can be purchased and turned into a nature reserve, managed by a local organization.
As mentioned, this year the organization will purchase 20 dunams of coral reef on Turnef Island off the coast of Belize. As part of the organization's principles, the area does not remain in its ownership but is transferred to a local organization, in order to avoid a situation of "green colonialism" - the new nature reserve will be managed by the local TAT Foundation (Turneffe Atoll Trust). According to Prof. Shines, the strategic location of the coral reef that will become a reserve will make it difficult for entrepreneurs to develop extensive tourist or economic projects in the entire area, so that the organization will actually succeed in protecting a much larger area.
"As we mentioned when we started, 2.3% of the earth's surface is defined as a 'hot zone' where there is a rich biological diversity of animal and plant species that are in danger of extinction, therefore even the relatively small areas that we purchase can make a significant contribution to the protection of many species. It's been the third year that we've proven that this method, which was initially perceived as naive, works and succeeds in changing a reality that according to every forecast - even the most optimistic - is quite bleak. This year, in addition to the interest of educational institutions, from foundations and university committees, which 'adopted' us in previous years, private companies and municipalities also began to be interested in the organization and 'adopt' it, and this expansion into Israeli society is very gratifying. TIME's goal, beyond conveying the message, is to give people tools for involvement and allow them to experience the satisfaction of being active in saving the planet," Prof. Sheins concluded.
