Expedition to focus on birds, coral reefs
Expedition to focus on birds, coral reefs
JAKARTA (JP): Operation Wallacea, an environment and natural conservation-oriented expedition, will collect information on the birds and coral reefs of the eastern part of Sulawesi in June.
Ibnu Sutowo, President of the Wallacea Development Institute (WDI) said last week the operation's main focus would be the bird community on Buton Island and the marine life around the Tukangbesi Islands.
"The final result will, hopefully, be a scientific book, which is expected to be a valuable contribution to science as a whole and to the environment and people in the area," he said.
He also pointed out the importance of the operation as a boost for eco-tourism in Indonesia.
Operation Wallacea, funded by the Hongkong Bank's Care for Nature Trust Fund, is also supported by the Wallacea Development Institute Foundation and a number of experts from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the ministry of forestry's Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation and Ecosurveys Ltd., an environmental consultant based in the UK and Singapore.
The three-year operation was officially launched after the signing of a cooperation agreement by Ibnu Sutowo, Tim Coles from Ecosurveys Ltd., Kasijan Romimohtarto from LIPI, Soemarsono from the ministry of forestry, Andi Mappi Sameng from the ministry of Post and Telecommunications' Directorate General of Tourism and Aca Sugandhy from the state ministry of environment.
The ceremony was also attended by Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo and State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.
Although the operation is mostly funded by the Hongkong Bank, it is still in need of self-financing volunteers, who are willing to live under expedition conditions.
According to WDI's public relations office, volunteers are not required to be experts on Indonesian birds or coral reefs because background information and training will be provided at the expedition sites.
However, volunteers must have a strong interest in conservation and birds for the bird survey expedition and have an internationally recognized scuba diving qualification and logged sufficient dives for the coral reef expedition. (pwn)