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The Rainforest Rescue Coalition is a new non-profit that brings cycling and rainforest conservation together in a fun and innovative way.
The Coalition emerged out of the renewed sense of purpose felt by four young adults after attending the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. Adam Bauer-Goulden is one of four founders and managing directors, along with Mary Kate Sperduto, Ross Sullivan, and Willie Heineke.
Below is an interview with Adam, held in January 2012.
Tell us about the Rainforest Rescue Coalition.
The Rainforest Rescue Coalition is a non-profit organization founded by four college students who decided to stand up and take action against the destruction of our natural world. Our mission is to conserve and protect rainforest land around the world and to promote sustainable relationships between humans and nature.
All four of us are avid bicyclists, and we share a great appreciation for nature and the intricate beauty of the rainforest. So our model is to host cross-country bike trips and to raise money for our initiatives by obtaining sponsors for our dedicated bike riders.
How did you, Mary Kate, Ross and Willie come together to create the RRC?
Along with much of today’s youth, we felt overwhelmed by the constant news of environmental devastation and the looming threat of a catastrophic collapse of ecosystems on Earth. We were tired of sitting by and watching the destruction of our planet, and we knew that we needed to do something.
After Mary Kate’s mother led us through the Awakening the Dreamer symposium we were instilled with a new sense of purpose and determination. We decided to form our own non-profit organization.
We formed a relationship with the Rainforest Conservation Fund, a very successful 501(c)(3) organization that has been working to preserve rainforests since 1988. Since we all love to ride, we figured we should base our fundraising efforts around a bike trip. After months of hard work, we have finally started raising contributions and training for our ride!
Tell us about this big ride you have coming up.
This summer we are hosting the Ride for the Rainforest, a 1,280-mile cross-country bike trip, from New Orleans to Chicago, to raise funds for two amazing projects.
Half of all contributions, above costs, will be used to purchase and protect land in the endangered Rawa Kuno Legacy Forest on the island of Borneo, which is home to over 200 of the last wild orangutans on Earth.
The other half will be used to run a sustainable agro-forestry program for the native communities living in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo communal conservation area in the Peruvian Amazon. Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo has more species of primates than any other documented area in the world, and in one hectare of its forest you can find more species of trees than in all of North America.
What message do you want to spread about changing the dream of the modern world?
Our planet is in a dire situation and it needs your help. Presently our collective dream as a society is one of blind ambition and never-ending expansion at the expense of the natural world.
I know that we can change our ways and become the most constructive force on the planet, shepherding and guiding all of our fellow beings, whether they be plants, animals, or humans.
I encourage you to experience the Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium. It will open your eyes to the harsh reality of our current predicament, and it will inspire you to take action todayto help make a change.
Keep up the great work and I know that together, we will change the dream and save the Earth!
For more information about the Rainforest Rescue Coalition, contact Adam at abg@rainforestrescuecoalition.org.
