Everyone can have a great bird experience, not just in exotic locations but closer to home too. But without habitat there can be no birds. As we travel on The Biggest Twitch, we want to raise awareness of the role birds have to play in all our lives, and the importance of protecting unspoiled habitat for the benefit of the wildlife living within it.
With care, funding and, most importantly, local involvement, it is possible to make a huge difference to the future of natural habitat, and the birds that live there. A great example of this is the Mindo Cloudforest Foundation (MCF). This was established to conserve and promote the Chocò area of Northwestern Ecuador, one of the world's most diverse, and threatened, Endemic Bird Areas. To date their projects have included support for fantastic reserve, an eco-scenic route for nature tourism, and bird sanctuaries at Milpe and Rio Silanche.
As part of The Biggest Twitch, we are raising funds to support MCF, in particular their work in creating sustainable Ecoroutes within the Endemic Bird Areas. Local landowners are involved in maintaining the natural habitat within these important bird areas to create a network of protected land: a destination for eco-tourism and a haven for wildlife, and especially birds, at the same time. Habitat conservation, wildlife protection, eco-tourism and community involvement – it’s a win/win situation all round.
If you would like to be a part of The Biggest Twitch, please make a donation to MCF on-line. We are working with the World Land Trust to handle donations in the UK on behalf of Mindo Cloudforest Foundation, Ecuador.
All donors will be acknowledged, and we will include a Roll of Honour of everyone of donors to MCF via the World Land Trust on our website and in the book of The Biggest Twitch to be published in 2009.
A huge thank you in advance for your support!
