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VOTE FOR US ONLINE TO SAVE THE SNOW LEOPARD
Snow leopards are critically endangered throughout their range. Threatened by poaching, retaliatory killings and habitat loss, there are only a few thousand left in the wild! We need your help to protect them and win a snow leopard conservation grant from EOCA (European Outdoor Conservation Association) through an online vote. With the help of this grant we will be able to give snow leopard conservation a powerful boost through research, community involvement and education, and by generating local income through nature-based tourism.
The more votes we receive, the more likely we are to win the conservation grant, so please share this message across your social networks and tell your friends to vote for snow leopards too.
The Altai’s snow leopards need all our help. Please vote now!
Biosphere Expeditions (www.biosphere-expeditions.org) is an international non-profit conservation organisation that has been working in snow leopard conservation in the Altai Republic for over a decade (www.biosphere-expeditions.org/altai). Our biggest achievement during that time was contributing to the declaration of a protected area for snow leopard. The work of not making it a paper park (these are protected areas that exist on paper, but are not enforced and therefore meaningless on the ground) has only just begun. We need your help to win the EOCA grant for this work.
Update: The vote organisers tell us we are in second place behind a very large organisation, so please help us achieve the unexpected, become David and beat Goliath! If you have not done so yet, then please vote now – it only takes a few seconds to support the Biosphere underdog and you do not have to register, pay or reveal your e-mail to vote.
Hello and welcome from HQ to the first Azores diary entry. We’re packing up and getting ready for you. Our Azores expedition has been running for many years, so most things are in Horta and the expedition packed up looks very small. Crucial bits include a couple of cameras and laptops (which are with our scientist in Horta year-round) for gathering and entering data, as well as some snazzy Swarovski binoculars (new this year and being shipped soon) for spotting whale blows and the animals themselves – that is if you don’t get seasick looking through them 😉
Staff with you will be Alisa and Lisa as per you dossier. You will also have Vera Menges on the first slot. Vera will soon start as our resident biologist in Namibia and before she goes to Africa will spend a week or so with you on the Azores to see what the jobs of expedition leader and expedition scientist entail.
Alisa will soon send you a video diary entry from the USA, where she is getting ready, and here is a video of Lisa and our research
See you soon in Horta!
The first team of the 2013 Malaysia expedition have all passed their Reef Check exams and are, as I write, under water conducting their second actual research survey. Yesterday, we surveyed a site called Tomok, where last year I found a beautiful but dangerous flower urchin. Alvin, our scientist, is happy with the progress of the expedition thus far and today after lunch we board the Araliya and head out to sea. The photos and video are of the team doing their first Reef Check transect survey.
The first slot of the Malaysia 2013 Biosphere expedition is officially underway. Today, after the introductory briefings, we headed out to the house reef at the Tioman Dive Center for a buoyancy workshop, which everyone handled well after some weighting and breathing adjustment.
A bit more practice will be all that is required to have group 1 research-ready. Tomorrow, we get into the academics with our scientist Alvin Chelliah and the start of the Reef Check ID classes.
Tomas tells us that the camera trap that we placed on 14 Feb has taken some excellent pictures of lynx between 16 and 17 Feb. Have a look at the brilliant short video
We’ve sorted the video issue, so here’s a video diary from the key people
Well, today I’m all set up at Swiss Cottages in Tekek on Tioman Island. In a short while I will be meeting with our scientist Alvin Cheliah who is currently doing some science, under water, just off shore.
My phone number here is xxx. Please use this number to communicate any issues you might encounter in getting to the assembly point on time (remember 11:00 for the first and 09:00 for the second group). Likewise, if you are on the island prior to assembly and would like to meet me for a chat, please feel very invited to call or text me.
So far the prep is going well. I expect everything will be well ready for your arrival. Just a quick heads up on transport from the airport. If you are staying at Berjaya prior to the expedition, you will have a coach to meet you. Unless you have been specifically informed of a ride though, people staying at other accommodation will need to get a taxi. You may find the airport officials helpful in getting a cab, I did, but it is not their job so don’t expect it. Here’s a couple of numbers for the recommended service, a bloke named Budin: 0197 890 810 and 0129 676 659. Also try Shammi on 0177 181 738.
A special g’day to last year’s team members. The last team will remember Carol, who is here at the moment providing a great piece of continuity to the expedition a she hands over the baton to this season of Reef Checkers. Unfortunately she won’t be here to meet the new team but it’s really great that the process is being connected to previous efforts in this way.
Finally, you may have heard the news about “Gun battles on holiday island force FCO to issue travel warning” (http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg®ion=2&m_id=s~_r_rY!_rY!&w_id=8751&news_id=2005420). I would like to assure everyone that these events are limited to a specific area on Sabah on the island of Borneo only and that all is calm here on Tioman island.
Currently I am in Singapore on my way to Tioman Island to prepare for the expedition, which is fast approaching. We are lucky to have Alvin running the science and training the team in the methodologies of Reef Check. Alvin is an engaging and passionate biologist with many years experience in implementing and teaching the Reef Check system in Malaysia. If you have not watched is short talk in the last entry, have a look at it now.
Here’s another reminder to think carefully about what you will need and try to rationalise your pack with the week on the boat in mind. Also be aware that although the international legs of your journey may allow 20 or even 30 kg of baggage, the flight into Tioman only allows 10 kg before charging for excess.
Stay tuned for more updates as the prep phase of the expedition gets under way. I am hoping to post a video diary entry or two as soon as I can sort out some technical issues with the process. My apologies to those who have been expecting one sooner.
Video message about our Malaysia coral reef research work from our expedition scientist Alvin Chelliah
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