March 2014
John Fisk, director of the Wallace Center at Winrock International, posted a guest blog on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s website about a Wallace Center report which shows food buyers how regional food hubs work.
Dan Miller, who just completed a Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment in Bangladesh, describes some of the sights and scenes that intrigued him during his time in country. Read his post on the Winrock Volunteers blog.
Education can transform the lives of youth in South Sudan, and improve their future prospects. Educating this generation can help lift South Sudan out of poverty and ensure peace and stability. If you agree, donate to the Room to Learn #YouthSpark campaign on April 16 and Microsoft will match 50 percent of your donation (from $10 to $1,000). Thank you for your support!
Winrock’s American Carbon Registry recently announced approval of Mid-South modules for its first-of-a-kind carbon offset methodology to quantify greenhouse gas reductions from rice production. The Mid-South modules of the methodology for Emission Reductions in Rice Management Systems were developed by Terra Global Capital LLC in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund, Applied Geosolutions, LLC, and White River Irrigation District, and were funded through a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant. Read more.
Last month, the USAID-funded Lowering Emissions in Asia's Forests (LEAF), along with the USAID Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) program, organized a dialogue in Manila during which key stakeholders from the Philippines Forest Management Board, civil societies, people's group, private sector and research institutions discussed opportunities and challenges for greater integration of gender perspectives and women's inclusion in forestry and REDD+. Read more.
The Migera Water System, developed by Winrock as part of the USAID-funded Rwanda Integrated Water Security Program, will provide safe and sustainable drinking water to approximately 30,000 Kayonza Residents, as well as schools, churches and health centers. Read more.
Are you interested in working at Winrock? Search current openings and post your resume. Would you like to volunteer with Winrock? Learn more about new opportunities for volunteers.
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McGuckin named leader of Winrock's Environment Group; Andrasko new Ecosystem Services director
 On March 17, Winrock International announced that Robyn McGuckin will become the organization’s new Vice President of the Environment group. McGuckin will lead Winrock programs in clean energy, ecosystem services and forestry & natural resource management, as well its American Carbon Registry unit.
McGuckin has nearly two decades of experience in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the United States managing programs in energy, climate change and water at the municipal, regional, federal and international levels. Most recently, beginning in 2009, she created and directed a clean energy and sustainability venture for MWH Global after serving as head of MWH corporate-level strategy development and planning. For more, read the announcement on Winrock's website.
Earlier in the month, Winrock named Ken Andrasko as the organization’s new director of Ecosystem Services. He succeeds Sandra Brown, who continues at Winrock in her role as chief scientist of the Environment Group.
Andrasko formerly served as senior carbon finance & methodology specialist with the World Bank’s Carbon Finance Unit and was a core founder of the $850 million Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, which assisted more than 40 tropical countries in developing national programs to reduce deforestation and greenhouse emissions. For more on Andrasko, read the full announcement. 
ARK Challenge builds upon previous success with expansion to Little Rock in 2014
 The ARK Challenge accelerator was one of several accelerators funded by the $37 million federal Jobs & Innovation Accelerator Challenge Grant in 2011, and the state of Arkansas will build upon the success of its two 14-week startup boot camps by providing extra funding for Innovate Arkansas to continue and expand the ARK Challenge model.
Innovate Arkansas, a program of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Winrock International, will operate two boot camp challenges with the goal of each challenge to introduce from five to 10 viable ventures, primed for funding, pilot-ready, and positioned for new job creation in Arkansas. The accelerator will continue with one boot camp in Fayetteville, Ark., and will expand to a new location in downtown Little Rock for the second boot camp.
The accelerators’ format is a 14-week boot camp targeting tech-based startups that support the local industry clusters. The northwest Arkansas accelerator boot camp will be held in Fayetteville between June and August of 2014, and its participants will consist of companies that have the capability to support retail, food processing, and transportation and logistics. The central Arkansas boot camp will be located in Little Rock, from September through November, likely targeting health care, big data and banking.
Each boot camp culminates with a demo day event for participating teams to pitch their ideas to an invitation-only audience. Innovate Arkansas will raise funds from public and private sources to supplement the prize packages presented to the winning company at each event. 
CREL supports 2014 World Wetlands Day through countrywide events in Bangladesh
 On Feb. 2, the USAID-funded Climate Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CREL) project observed World Wetlands Day, along with nearly 4,000 stakeholders. The theme “Wetland and Agriculture: Partners for Growth” was celebrated in the northeast (Sreemangal), southeast (Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar), and southwest (Khulna) regions with colorful, day-long events.
World Wetlands Day promotes awareness of climate-resilient ecosystems and livelihoods, and provides participants with climate-related information that will support knowledge-based decisions and management of wetlands. Events included rallies, discussion meetings, school quiz competitions, child art competitions, bird watching and site visits.
Participants included USAID and officials from CREL, Bangladesh Ministry of Land, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Forests and Environment, as well as women and youth, members of co-management organizations, community people, school children and teachers, field administrators, and local government representatives. |
