Indonesia has some of the most spectacular birds in the world, including cockatoos, parrots, and Birds of Paradise. However, habitat destruction and illegal trapping for the pet bird trade have decimated their numbers. Many are on the brink of extinction. Local peoples must resort to trapping and selling these birds just to feed their families. Yet during capture and smuggling, many of these bird suffer horrid conditions and many die in transit.
Even when they reach their destinations in homes, both these wild-caught birds—and even hand-raised birds derived from wild-bird stock—often are abandoned or abused (wittingly or unwittingly). That is because they are not domesticated animals like dogs or cats, and many of their needs cannot, or are not, provided for in captivity. Furthermore, these creatures are extremely long-lived, intelligent, and sentient, and have extensive need for social interaction and intellectual / environmental stimulation. Therefore, our mission is to try to minimize these circumstances through direct programs of action and through provision of up-to-date information and education.
Programs
Provide alternate means of sustainable income to villagers in parrot-rich areas of Indonesia, who in turn will protect the birds from trapping. Such alternatives collecting nuts of the kenari tree) and organizing eco-tours to our major sites of work (Seram Island and the Raja Ampat Islands off West Papua), which in turn will bring income to ex-trappers who now act as bird guides and porters.
Direct provision of needed improvements to selected villages—such as improvements in schools, medical care, sanitation, and capital improvements.
Projects to improve local pride of the villagers in "their" rare and beautiful avifauna.
Funding of villagers to gather for us much-needed information on the ecology of selected birds.
Funding of selected scientific studies, such as census or breeding analyses, resulting in published scientific data useful to help conserve these birds in the wild.
Provision of educational unpublished information to members both to disseminate knowledge about the critical state of their populations, as well as to stimulate funding of our projects. Some will be in written articles; some via our web-site; some via public talks.
