ACHIEVEMENTS

 Some of the profit from my trips and talks goes towards THE PARROTS OF REGUA project and currently it has achieved a number of things

 1                       Subsidising the initial parrot survey in November/December 2007.

 2                       Creating and developing this website www.theparrotsofregua.co.uk 

 3                       Funded a book to enable all guests at REGUA to enter their parrot encounters.

                         These entries will be added to our existing statistics and go towards a fuller picture of                              REGUA’s parrots

 4                       Some items have been donated to REGUA:-

·        Camouflage tarpaulin and netting to make portable hides

·        Notebooks for guides and rangers

·        Sleeping bags

·        Wind-up torches

 

PLEASE HELP THE PARROTS OF REGUA

However to help with more detailed parrot surveys at REGUA we are looking for further donations towards a number of items which are listed below but are in no particular order of priority. I am hoping to raise this money and do the necessary work before taking on the next survey in 2013.

All these projects have been put forward to initially help the parrots but they will help other species as well as aid the ecotourism at REGUA which in turn creates more revenue to go back into REGUA so that it can buy more land, furthering its whole conservation initiative and securing its future.

 If you would like to donate towards any of these projects then please contact me Steve Brookes at steve@wildparrotsupclose.co.uk  or steve@theparrotsofregua.co.uk or phone me on +44  (0) 7766 303836

I would like to thank everyone for their donations however large or small it all helps.

 Unless you prefer to stay anonymous then I will have a web page of people who have contributed towards the Parrots of REGUA project.

 Corporate or private donors can have a link to their own website.

 Discreet corporate advertising (such as a plaque etc.) may be able to be incorporated with the project subject to approval by REGUA. Please ask for more details.

 

 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

1                  An observation tower similar to the existing tower on the wetlands is required to enable a better platform to study the parrots on the ridge at Casa Anibel. This tower will cost in the region of £1200. At the moment from the Marias Trail looking up to the ridge is very awkward allowing very little cover from the elements as well as the parrots being able to see us very easily.

 

WETLAND OBSERVATION TOWER

  

2                    Making Casa Anibel into a research station including bedrooms and a small kitchen as well as reinstating the toilet and shower facilities. This will enable anyone to be able to stay at Casa Anibel meaning that observation times will increase and be more useful. To do the initial survey we camped at this location and although this was a really good experience and we achieved some great results it was cramped and awkward conditions. Total cost about £3000.

CASA ANIBEL

 

3                    Making and installing artificial nest boxes to encourage the Blue winged Macaws (Propyrrhura maracana) and other parrots to nest on the protected land of REGUA instead of migrating away to nest on less secure lands. REGUA having been selectively logged in the 1800’s has lost most of its big trees therefore some of the parrot species migrate away during breeding season. Artificial nest boxes are better than waiting for the existing and newly planted trees to develop as by then we may have lost the parrots for good. Cost in the region of £1500 to set up making, installing and monitoring them.

                                                             

BLUE WINGED MACAWS

  

4                    Building a scaffold tower at the campsite near the end of the black trail on the green trail. This tower would enable us to see above the canopy and study the parrot movements better. On the initial survey we were only able to monitor the parrots through their sounds as they moved above the camp site but we were not always able to identify them or see how many were in each group but we know they use this ridge a lot having 93 groups or individuals of parrots either stopping off or flying over in one days survey. However parrots are not vocal all of the time so there was probably more. This appears to be a very good food source area so this too could be studied better. Unfortunately the cost for this individual project would be in the region of £20000 but a very useful contribution to the parrot conservation

                                                           

SCAFFOLD TOWER (similar to the one we require at REGUA)

 

5                    Revamp of Waldenoors home to convert into a research station. Although only recently becoming part of REGUA it is quite evident that this is another parrot hot spot. An area where we saw 4 species of parrot including Blue Bellied Parrot (Trichlaria malachitacea) in the few hours that we were there so a research station would help to see why this is the case and see if we can replicate it across REGUA land. Total cost approximately £5000.

                                         

WALDENOOR'S PLACE