Pictured: Minister Manickchand poses with scientists David Morimoto and Mike Schindlinger and students from Lesley University.
Published: October 17, 2010

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand met with Lesley University professors David Morimoto and Mike Schindlinger who are biologists at the institution working toward conservation of tropical forests through education, eco-tourism, and by building social infrastructure among people and institutions with common goals.

They both serve on the Board of Directors of Foster Parrots and the New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary, which provided the seed money and technical training to build the eco lodge at Nappi Village (Rupununi), now recognized as one of Guyana’s premier places to encounter wildlife according to the Bradt guide. The eco-lodge now plays a pivotal role in supporting the village’s ability to create non-extractive income streams from tourism. They have also been working with Rewa, to provide developmental assistance with the recently-built eco-lodge there, including cameras, video-editing computers, solar panels, field books and binoculars.

Join us for the learning adventure of a lifetime, as we explore the remote rainforest and savannah of Guyana, South America, a country that is still over 75% forested, and with fewer than one person per square mile in the Rupununi region where we study. In this field course we will explore tropical biodiversity and human development at the edge of the world, in some of the planet’s most pristine forests. We will be staying at Amerindian-owned and operated lodges deep in the Amazon. Together, through direct exploration, interaction, and reflection we will explore the role of humans in their environment and the future of global biodiversity, while immersing ourselves in this most special place.

By Charlie • March 29, 2010

http://10000birds.com/birding-guyana-with-foster-parrots.htm

Early last year we ran a series of posts on parrots (Parrot Month on 10,000 Birds) which included articles on wild parrots, the threats they face, the pet trade, and the heroes and heroines (and I use the words deliberately) who work so hard to look after ‘rescued pets’ and to educate the public about the realities of what owning these hyper-intelligent and long-lived birds can entail.

One of the rescue centres we looked at was Rockland, MA-based Foster Parrots Ltd, which is run by Marc Johnson and Karen Windsor. Not only do these two heroic people work all the hours God sends to look after other people’s unwanted birds, they also have set up and financed a project in Guyana which aims to give local communities an alternative to logging their forest home.

The project has developed into a fantastic example of how small indigenous communities can benefit from eco-tourism IF that tourism is set up to benefit them and the local wildlife. We here at 10,000 Birds have been wondering how we could get ourselves out to Guyana (or us and a group of bloggers to Guyana?) with Marc and Karen, but fortunately while we’ve been vacillating renowned bird welfare expert Greg Glendell has not only been out to see the setup for himself, but also then offered to write about his experiences for 10,000 Birds now he’s returned.

It’s not quite the same as being there yourself of course, but it’s not a bad second best…

http://10000birds.com/birding-guyana-with-foster-parrots.htm

Visit my new blog for my Guyana 2010 story told through photographs! Guyana Grenier

Pictures can be found HERE.

For info, write to Mike (click on the name above).

Red howler monkeys forage beside the riverbank, across from the Rewa lodge.

Come join us in Guyana, South America for a field course in biodiversity and human development at the edge of the world, in some of the planet’s most pristine forests. We will be staying at an Amerindian-owned and operated lodge deep in the Amazon. Together, we will explore the role of humans in their environment, and the future of global biodiversity.

Field Experiences in Tropical Ecology (CNSCI 2120) January 9 – 21, 2009

Welcome to Guyana Birding News, We're pleased to bring you the sixth edition of the newsletter sponsored by http://www.guyanabirding.com . We hope you'll find this publication full of interesting information and useful resources for planning your next birding adventure to the unspoiled wilderness of Guyana. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions about how to improve both our newsletter and our website. For those of you who have traveled to Guyana, we invite you to send your trip reports, photos and tips for birding in Guyana. Happy Birding!

By Daniel Howden, Deputy Foreign Editor
Thursday, 27 March 2008

The Iwokrama reserve, part of one of the last four intact rainforests in the world.

A deal has been agreed that will place a financial value on rainforests – paying, for the first time, for their upkeep as "utilities" that provide vital services such as rainfall generation, carbon storage and climate regulation.

The agreement, to be announced tomorrow in New York, will secure the future of one million acres of pristine rainforest in Guyana, the first move of its kind, and will open the way for financial markets to play a key role in safeguarding the fate of the world's forests.