Past Accomplishments

2001-2002

• Made the first trial eco-tour to Seram and Gam.
• Traveled to Sumba and multiple villages in Raja Ampat to develop similar eco-tourism programs
• Established or furthered good relations and agreements with local villages to cease trapping endangered parrots in three areas-Seram, Raja Ampat, and Sumb-and began to train former trappers as eco guides.
• Provided school chairs and desks to Sawai (an Islamic village on Seram) and Masihulan (a Christian village also on Seram).
• Provided medicines to the people of both villages.
• Established sustainable fruit and vegetable gardens on the island of Gam (Yenwaupnor) and built eco-tourism hut in same village.
• Established an international organization-the World Parrot Welfare Alliance-to improve the welfare of captive parrots.
• Provided major funding for the most accurate and scientific census available of Salmon-crested cockatoos on Seram.
• Provided partial funding for radio-collaring studies of Citron-crested cockatoos on Sumba, and for biological studies there.
• Provided sources of local pride in endemic birds in all three locations, through production and donation of colorful t-shirts, children's books, and posters.
• Discouraged sale of timber to logging companies, especially at the outrageously low prices offered.

2003-2004

• Two eco-tourism trips were made by PBW members, twice to Seram (twice); once to Sumba, and three times to Irian Jaya.
• Two new observation platforms were built (100-125 ft. above the ground) to facilitate bird-watching. One was specifically designed to be big and strong enough for six people to sleep in the canopy over night. To our knowledge, this is the first such "sleeper platform" in existence.
• Paid for a Visitor's Guest House to be built at a forest clearing on Gam. This guest house will be available to visitors who agree to pay the appropriate set fees to the Head of the Village, to a General Fund for the villagers, and to porters who help them to move their baggage and gear to the Guest House.
• Positive interaction with the local people is the sine qua non of eco-tourism. Our relationships with the villagers of Sawai and Masihulan, and Yenwaupnor on Gam have solidified greatly. Upon leaving Seram, we were given a send-off ceremony of honor, in which the two village heads and the King of the District of Sawai were present. In Yenwaupnor on Gam, we have also been treated wonderfully. Similar relationships are progressing well on West Sumba, and Batanta Island off the coast of West Papua.
• Started the initial steps to re-institute the collection and importation to the U.S. of "MoluccaNuts" (actually, the nut of the kenari tree); these are widely distributed in Indonesia but ours will be collected in Seram and Banda. Since kenari nuts are a choice food item of cockatoos and Great Bills in the wild, this is the first step to bringing foods from the wild back to captive birds at home. Phoenix Landing, a not-for-profit organization promoting the welfare of captive parrots, provided seed money for this project.
• Second year in bringing in organic farming skills to Gam, including cacao and other crops.
• A coloring book for children entitled "Burung Apakah Itu" ("What bird is that?") was written to teach the children (especially of Seram) about their magnificent birdlife, and why it is worth conserving. The book is beautifully illustrated by Ms. Joan Tilke. We plan to make many more copies of this book and distribute it widely to the children of the villagers with whom we work.
• Paid for school chairs, desks and books for schools in Sawai and Masihulan. The school in Masihulan is being improved. We are hoping to make similar improvements (books, chairs, desks) in the village of Wailebet.
• Donated school chairs, desks and books to the villagers of the town of Wailebed on the island of Batanta as well, in return for an agreement, signed by the head of the village, that they not trap birds (or illegally log their land).
• The members of PBW published a number of educational and scientific articles in journals dedicated to the welfare of parrots or other wildlife. In addition, a number of presentations were given at meetings.
• The first part of a new health clinic was built in Masihulan. Some medications were brought to the two villages on North Seram.
• A small generator was supplied to permit maintenance of a refrigerator in which medications can be adequately stored
• PBW paid to have the greatly damaged jetty off Yenwaupnor finally repaired. All construction/building/renovation work was carried out using local materials and by the local villagers themselves, thus bringing much-needed direct payments for their work.
• A small generator was donated to our collaborators in Indonesia (Yayasan Wallacea) which will probably be given to the villagers on Seram
• PBW established a collaborative relationship with the undercover investigative group ProFauna Indonesia to assess smuggling of cockatoos and parrots from Seram and nearby Ambon. This part of their work will be funded by PBW.

2004 - 2005

• Parrot Rehabilitation and Release Center: Following a confiscation of birds from a smuggler by the Forestry Service of Manusela National Park on Seram, PBW was officially given its first wild cockatoos and parrots to rehabilitate. The beginnings of a Rehabilitation and Release Center, named Kembali Bebas ("Return to Freedom") followed in October of 2004. Since then, there have been 14 confiscations, raids or transfers of parrots and/or cockatoos to Kembali Bebas, which has expanded greatly.
•  There are nine Wild Animal  Rescue Centers in Indonesia - for primates, reptiles, raptors, and parrots. Their ultimate goal, where possible, is to release the rehabilitated animals back into the wild. These centers  are referred to as the "PPS" system. They work together in a network ("Jaringan") with the Forestry Department, and the Department of Conservation, of the Indonesian Government. Project Bird Watch is proud to have been accepted as a member of the Jaringan.
• Undercover Investigation of Smuggling - Our collaboration with ProFauna Indonesia resulted in an undercover investigation on Seram which documented names, places and methods for the still-rampant practice of poaching Salmon-crested cockatoos. (The study showed that we had been successful in eradicating smuggling in the two areas where we work). This study was published (in part) in PsittaScene, the journal of The World Parrot Trust
• Medical Initiative: PBW completed the construction of two medical clinics (one in Masihulan, one in Sawai-Olong, funded in part by a grant from Seacology). Also brought non-polluting, solar-powered generators coupled to water purifiers to both villages and provided advanced medical training to their manti ('Nurse Practitioners').
• In return, a 350-acre Heritage site containing virgin lowland forest (prime habitat of the Seram cockatoo)  was set aside from human intervention or use. This may serve as a release site for rehabilitated birds in the future
• Led Eco-tours to Seram both years (2004; 2005)
• MoluccaNuts - This program has continued and is now expanding to the additional villages of Solea and Siatele. This is important since these are active trapping villages where the introduction of a new sustainable source of alternative income could have a significant effect to reduce poaching.
• We funded the work of a superior student from Jakarta, Dudi Nandika, to carry out a census (for his college graduation research project) of the Lesser Sulphur-crested cockatoo C. sulphurea sulphurea in Rawa Aopa Watomahai National Park and near a small town (a potential eco-tourism site) in the Kendari district of  southeast Sulawesi. This is a critically endangered species and subspecies recently (2004) added to Appendix 1 of CITES.
• Dudi's census revealed that only about 35 individuals of this  subspecies exist in the areas assessed. He has provided novel data on their favored foods, habitat, daily activities, etc.
• We have continued to fund work of BirdLife Indonesia to support a rehab/release project for confiscated Citron-crested cockatoos on Sumba Island.
• We have concluded a petition to the new President of Indonesia to increase governmental efforts to fight smuggling. We stopped our effort a few months prematurely to coincide with a similar internal (Indonesian) drive by ProFauna Indonesia. The petition (305 pages) contains signatures from citizens of 58 countries, and is comprised of ca. 6200 signatories.
• Dissemination of our work: Members of PBW gave numerous talks and lectures about their work. Articles were published in Companion Parrot Quarterly, Parrot Society of Australia, Rainforests, Best Friends Magazine.  Lectures were presented to bird clubs, universities, Audubon societies, elementary schools, and at summer camp enrichment programs.

DVDs

1. Produced a commercially-available DVD "The Parrots and People of WILD Indonesia" designed to introduce both adults and children to the area, the avifauna, and the work of PBW using a light, 'travelo' style
2. A new documentary is in development called “Kembali Bebas” which is a serious look at the plight of trapped and smuggled birds, and includes interviews with former trappers, and government officials.