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Foster Parrots, Ltd.
Eco-Tourism

 

Parrots live in wild places – places quite inhospitable to man, until recently. The remote areas where parrots are still free and part of a balanced eco-system are now under pressure from the invasion of man. The invaders have a single motive for making a forced entry into the parrots' homes. There is money to be made, and for the indigenous people of these remote areas a little money can motivate big changes: irreversible changes to the people, the land and to the parrots. Three things are becoming increasingly rare and, therefore, increasingly valuable: the trees where parrots live, the land that supports their habitat and the birds themselves. Laws to protect the trees and the land and the parrots don't seem to help and have given rise to a culture of poaching and illegal clear cutting of pristine rainforest; the unique place where a full spectrum of plants and animals have lived in harmony for centuries. There is an alternative that solves both the money problem and the invasion of the land. That alternative is Eco-Tourism. Eco-tourism provides a means for a native people to make money without wrecking the land or breaking the law; a means to place value on the pristine forest that is higher when left intact than being sold piece by piece. As part of Foster Parrots' philosophy of reducing the number of captive parrots by limiting the source, a new initiative that we call Project Guyana has become an integral part of our work. This project has grown from a visit in 2002 to assess the condition of the wild parrot flocks and parrot trade in the mountains of southwestern Guyana to a growing relationship with the Amerindian people. That relationship now encompasses successful construction of eco-tourist camp sites through the efforts of the indigenous Amerindian people, a relationship with government and village leaders to preserve the natural habitat and promote eco-tourism and the participation of the local children through a cross-cultural video pen pal exchange between Guyana and American schools. In addition to providing for the needs of the local people and taking the economic pressure off the land, eco-tourism introduces people to the wonder and beauty of wild parrots that far exceeds the spectacle of trick-trained birds performing on a stick. Click one of the images to take an Eco-Tour Introducing : Project Guyana   Brazil   Ecuador   The experience of being there is bigger than just the experience itself. It changed people. It changes how they see captive birds. It changes their point of view from looking through a window and seeing cars and stores and machines and gadgets to feeling with all senses the power and beauty and simplicity of free parrots flying freely, unencumbered by space or time. The export of parrots is an international issue. Only a few countries ban the importation of exotic birds. Having places where people from all over the world can come to experience these wonderful creatures as they are intended to be will change how they see captive parrots and will have an impact on the demand for captive parrots. Eco-tourism is a positive step in the direction of preservation of naturally beautiful places while providing life-impacting experiences for the tourists and sustaining income for the local people. The success of the facilities presented here can be measured by people who were former poachers and now are working to protect and preserve what they had once plundered. Before, a parrot captured brought some cash, but made the next one harder to find and when they are gone, they are gone. Now, by preserving the parrots and their homes, they have a source of income now and for their grandchildren. Foster Parrots is committed to the promotion of eco-tourism and encourages all current or would-be parrot guardians to support this growing industry and experience a thrill that far exceeds looking at a parrot confined to a small life in a cage.

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