Parrot, Cockatoos - Project Bird Watch

Pope Valley, CA (PRWEB) September 10, 2004 -- The Board of Directors of Project Bird Watch (Dr. Stewart Metz, President; Bonnie Zimmermann, Vice President; Barbara Bailey, Secretary; and Emily Heenan, John Spence and Diana Holloway, Members at Large) are pleased to announce the receipt of a $23,954 grant from Seacology (www.seacology.org).

Contingent upon the stability of political and social conditions in the district of Maluku, Indonesia, following a Presidential run-off election in September, 2004, the funding will be used by Project Bird Watch to carry out a 5-point Medical Initiative in the Muslim town of Sawai and the Christian town of Masihulan, both on the North shore of the island of Seram, in Eastern Indonesia.

In an effort to improve hygiene, enhance the delivery of health care and lessen the mortality rate of local children, plans for each village include:
. building an improved medical clinic
. providing a solar-powered power system coupled to a Solar One water purification system providing refrigerators to prevent deterioration of medicines in the harsh tropical climate
. sending Nurse Practitioners to Bali for advanced medical training
. writing and distributing a booklet on basic hygienic and sanitary practices, for both children and adults, to be taught by the schools' Headmasters

In return, in early October the King of the District, in conjunction with the Kepala Desa (Heads of the respective villages) and a council representing the villagers, will sign a binding contract to establish and maintain a "no-take" Heritage Site zone covering nearly 350 acres of pristine forest. As part of the agreement, the King, Kepala Desa, Council, and Villagers will formally recognize the need to protect and preserve the special flora and fauna of Seram, with a focus on saving the Seram cockatoo. As a result, this preserve, is to remain free of logging, hunting, trapping or other human encroachment for at least the next 50 years.

Seacology is the world's premier nonprofit, nongovernmental organization with the sole and unique purpose of preserving the environments and cultures of islands throughout the globe. Their programs are successful because they are locally managed. Seacology's motto is, "Saving the world....one island village at a time."

The Indonesian Parrot Project / Project Bird Watch (www.indonesian-parrot-project.org) is an all-volunteer group of bird lovers, who have formed a nonprofit corporation, working toward four main goals: 1) helping to conserve endangered Indonesian cockatoos and parrots, 2) helping to provide sustainable income for local villages, 3), serving as a source of information and education, and 4) improving the welfare of parrots in captivity.

Plans are for the Seacology Project to begin on November 1, 2004, and be completed within one year. For media inquiries or other information on Project Bird Watch, contact Bonnie Zimmermann at (707) 965-3480 or e-mail protected from spam bots

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