Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
| Founded | 1966 |
|---|---|
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Area served
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Jordan |
| Slogan | helping nature...helping people |
| Website | www.rscn.org.jo |
The Royal Society for The Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is an independent voluntary organization that is devoted to the conservation of Jordan's natural resources; it was established in 1966 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor with the late King Hussein as Honorary President.
RSCN has the mission of protecting and managing the natural resources of Jordan, for it is responsible for protecting wildlife and wild places and is one of the few voluntary organizations in the Middle East with such a public service mandate.
The organization's principal activities include:
The organization has made a number of important achievements include the captive breeding and re-introduction into the wilderness of the Arabian Oryx, gazelle and ibex. It has also established six protected areas within Jordan covering over 1200 square kilometers. These reserve areas include some of the finest natural landscapes in the country:
Wild Jordan was created in Amman as a branded division of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature to formulate and enforce ecotourism programs and practices in the preserved sites in order to promote the socio-economic well-beings of local communities surrounding specific nature reserves. Their main purpose is "to develop viable nature-based business within and around RSCN's protected areas in order to bring tangible economic and social benefits to local communities and generate financial, political, and popular support for nature conservation throughout the Kingdom." Wild Jordan displays all products of the local communities involved in ecotourism such as hand-crafted silver jewelry, organic jams and fruit leathers, painted ostrich eggs, sandblasted frames, environmental board games, natural olive oils, and goat leather nature boxes as this helps generate more sales. Wild Jordan of the RSCN is responsible for charging entrance fees to all the reserves and sites and for routing the income from these fees and from tourism and crafts to support the local people and conservation programs. It has also built a Food Café and Internet Café to increase sales as the revenue of these two cafes is used directly to assist local communities. The Wild Jordan center, located in Amman was funded by USAID. The RSCN has 100% local employment policy in all their protected areas, resulting in ecotourism directly supporting upwards of 160,000 families throughout Jordan. Wild Jordan's position in the RSCN allows for control over ecotourism through the management of income generating programs that build on local products and skills. Wild Jordan's success in linking nature conservation to rural development through the employment of locals and the promotion of local goods is attributed to its "organized business strategy and engagement with the private sector." The environmental entrepreneurship that Wild Jordan has engaged in has allowed the RSCN to produce more popular support in conservation, reduce its need for financial support from the government, and grow into a leader in sustainable development. In 2010, Wild Jordan won the prestigious Guardian-Observer "Ethical Travel Award," which is given for outstanding work in responsible tourism.
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