RSPN is Bhutan’s oldest Environmental NGO established in 1987 devoted towards the conservation of the Kingdom’s environment.

 **Background** 

RSPN was established in 1987 under the Royal Command of His Majesty The Fourth King of Bhutan as a Citizen-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) devoted to the conservation of the Kingdom’s environment. His Majesty The King was the Royal Patron of the RSPN from 1999 to 2012. Currently, Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck is the Royal Patron. RSPN is governed by a seven Board Directors, the Executive Director is the head of the organization.

**Vision**

To be the Leader in conservation ensuring future generations of Bhutan live in an Environmentally Sustainable Society.

**Mission**

To inspire personal responsibility and active involvement of people of Bhutan in the conservation of the Kingdom’s environment through, Education, Community Engagement and Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities.

**Conservation Mandala** 

RSPN’s works revolves around six thematic areas and they are:

1. Species and Habitat 
2. Environmental Education 
3. Sustainable Livelihoods 
4. Waste and Pollution 
5. Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience 
6. Wetland and Freshwater 

[Click here to view the Conservation Mandala.](https://rspnbhutan.org/?page_id=9#mandala)


The  conservation mandala represents our systemic approach and efforts, geared to implement sustainable solutions to emerging environmental challenges through innovation, citizen engagement, education, and empowerment. The six thematic areas are initiated based on national and international priorities that are aligned to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Using this approach, it affirms our belief and commitment to addressing the global issues which are interdependent in nature to support our goal of an ‘Environmentally Sustainable Society’.

To know more about the programs and impact of RSPN, click on the links below:

[RSPN institutional Brochure](https://www.rspnbhutan.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Institutional-Brochure_Digital_Original.pdf?_gl=1*3i30yg*_ga*NDk4MTU1MjkxLjE3MTAyMjQwNjE.*_ga_7DQP4C14NV*MTcyNDc3MTk5OS4zMy4xLjE3MjQ3NzMxOTYuMC4wLjA.)

[Black-necked Crane Brochure](https://www.rspnbhutan.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/BNC-Brochure_Digital_Original.pdf?_gl=1*jr6px1*_ga*NDk4MTU1MjkxLjE3MTAyMjQwNjE.*_ga_7DQP4C14NV*MTcyNDc3MTk5OS4zMy4xLjE3MjQ3NzMxOTguMC4wLjA.)

[White-bellied Heron Brochure ](https://www.rspnbhutan.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/WBH-Brochure_Digital_Original.pdf?_gl=1*p883ff*_ga*NDk4MTU1MjkxLjE3MTAyMjQwNjE.*_ga_7DQP4C14NV*MTcyNDc3MTk5OS4zMy4xLjE3MjQ3NzMyOTUuMC4wLjA.)

 

Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) 

Discover nonprofits tackling climate change

Join us in supporting nonprofits working on climate change.

Climate Change

Discover nonprofits supporting agriculture.

Join us in supporting nonprofits working on agriculture.

Agriculture

Join us in supporting nonprofits working on wildlife convservation.

Wildlife

Humans

Research

Education

Environment

Discover nonprofits working on conservation.

Join us in supporting nonprofits working on conservation.

Conservation

1048940678

Every.org is a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees they rely on the generosity of donors like you.

Choose a donation for Every.org

1258415673

1435915265

1737023302

We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

2074652487

240751341

2516130445

2547000601

2624895975

2883383521

339774024

3605944885

3755280456

3794356679

3868271524

3884515653

410756082

496574456

579816602

761293274

772217036

2729980760

3440869557

671754822

1014384873

1112422858

153399038

2028390811

220342792

2266630408

2456389719

2519810400

2539558839

2826465835

2843798242

2898624300

2916352438

3259439560

3583328878

3642494300

3902459442

4054861980

4136002033

4177183036

4250940449

585491400

641510716

91682487

**Dear Friends of Nature,**

This **Giving Tuesday**, the global day of generosity, we invite you to participate in an extraordinary opportunity to help save the **White-bellied Herons** from extinction! This is your chance to **Double Your Impact**! With fewer than **60 White-bellied Herons (WBH)** left in the wild, **Bhutan** is home to over **50% of the world’s remaining WBH population**. This bird is Critically Endangered, and we urgently need your help to save one of the rarest heron species on Earth.

Through our **partnership with Conservation Allies** in the USA, every donation you make will be **matched dollar for dollar**! This means your generosity will have **twice the impact**, directly supporting crucial **in-situ** and **ex-situ** conservation efforts in Bhutan. Your contribution will make a lasting difference in the fight to prevent the extinction of the White-bellied Herons.

Don’t miss this opportunity to make your contribution go twice as far!

With deepest appreciation,

Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN)

Double Your Impact This Giving Tuesday!

Once soaring freely across South Asia, the White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis), one of the rarest birds in the world, now finds itself on the edge of extinction. With less than 60 individuals left in the wild, spread across Bhutan, Myanmar, and India, this majestic bird is on the brink of extinction. This bird has already disappeared from Nepal and Bangladesh.

But there’s still hope. In Bhutan, WBH is home to more than 50% of the global population and their existence hangs on by a thread, with only 3-4 nests found. For two decades, the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN), Bhutan's oldest environmental NGO, has been at the forefront to save the White-bellied Herons. Our work has been challenging, as the herons suffer from low genetic diversity and the breeding pairs are confined to restricted geographic areas, making breeding even harder.

The future of herons lies in a bold conservation effort: the creation of a captive breeding program. With the unwavering support of our generous donors and partners, we have built a WBH breeding center- White-bellied Heron Conservation Center on 18.2 acres of land in South-Central Bhutan. The goal is to establish 16 founder breeding population by 2028, which the sapling juvenile heron will later be released into the wild as part of a population restoration program.

However, time is running out. Research modelling shows that the WBH could be extinct by 2050 if left to thrive on its own in the wild. The immediate solution is to create a healthy, sustainable captive population that can be nurtured and eventually reintroduced to the wild.

At the breeding center, 5 herons (including 3 adults and 2 juveniles) are currently nurtured and these herons are either raised from chicks taken from the nest or from eggs that are artificially incubated. The Herons primarily feed on fresh fish and each heron consumes an average of 450-500 grams of fish daily. In total, the 5 herons consume around 3 kilograms of fish costing approximately $20 per day. With this daily expenditure, the annual cost reaches $15,000 - just for their food, fish feed and fish pond maintenance.

As the number of herons at the breeding center grows, so will the costs. To ensure the success of this critical conservation effort, we aim to raise $15,000 annually to cover food supplies and maintain a sustainable fish pond for the herons.

Join us in making a difference. Donate today and be part of this urgent mission to save the White-bellied Heron from extinction!.



Saving the White-bellied Heron from Extinction!

Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN)

Fundraisers

Become a supporter!

.css-1d3w5wq{width:100%;}.css-yi15dt{display:inline-block;--textSize:2rem;--lineHeight:2.4rem;line-height:var(--lineHeight);font-size:var(--textSize);width:100%;}Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN)

Fundraisers

Become a supporter!

Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN)