Binoculars4charity

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Photos: Kiraksal Biodiversity Management Committee

In March 2020, in the midst of a pandemic lockdown, a few young naturalists from the village of Kiraksal in Maharashtra (India) started birdwatching, leading to the formation of the Kiraksal Biodiversity Management Committee. Their goal was to encourage local community members to protect grassland biodiversity, documented through a People’s Biodiversity Register and supported by the eBird platform. Despite starting with limited resources, including just a pair of binoculars, their passion attracted local children, forming a dedicated team of young naturalists who expanded their observations to include butterflies. Now with over 50 members, the committee works with local institutions to conduct various nature programs, from snake awareness sessions to celebrating Bird Week and International Wolf Day, showcasing Kiraksal village as a prime example of pandemic-driven community reconnection with nature and sustainable environmental activism.

To support the activities of this young organization, Binoculars4charity donated 4 binoculars, 2 spotting scopes with tripod, 1 camera with digiscoping accessories and a backpack, which recently arrived in Maharashtra. We are happy to share the words of Chinmay Sawant, one of the leaders of the committee:

“Our gratitude towards Binoculars4charity is immense. This birding equipment proves invaluable for our wildlife monitoring efforts and for documenting waterbirds during the winter season. The Kiraksal Biodiversity region is home to more than 200 species of birds, a testament to its ecological richness. Our local youth, who once partook in bush hunting, are now actively involved in conservation efforts and serve as guides for tourists, transforming Kiraksal into a burgeoning ecotourism hotspot. This transformation has been made possible through this generous donation. We extend our heartfelt thanks for your initiative in supporting our cause.”

We are more than happy to share this good news with all our donors and look forward to supporting more projects! For more information about the Kiraksal Biodiversity Management Committee, please visit their Facebook page.

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Photos: Ibera Birding Center

After a long and arduous journey, a spotting scope and two binoculars have reached their destination in the province of Corrientes in northeastern Argentina. The equipment will be used by the visitors of the Iberá Birding Center, where the local community and schools can discover and learn about the rich avifauna of the region. The Iberá macrosystem and Ramsar wetland, which has a catchment area of approximately 1,4 million hectares, is home to the endangered Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata), the bizarre Strange-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus risora) and the charismatic Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus), among some 500 other bird species. The area is also important for the livelihood of the Guarani nomadic communities and as a tourist hotspot. The donated equipment is expected to be used by some of the approximately 1,000 monthly visitors of the center. We are very happy to support this project and thank the donors who made it possible!

For more information about the center, visit their Instagram profile @birding_center.

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Photos: Provita

We’re very happy to share some good news from the Macanao Peninsula in Venezuela, where our most recent donation of 6 binoculars arrived some weeks ago. The recipient of the donation is Provita, a non-profit Civil Society Organization founded in 1987 in Venezuela, dedicated to develop innovative socio-environmental solutions to conserve nature. This is done through research projects on the state of and threats to the country’s biodiversity, educational initiatives to address conservation issues in partnership with local communities, and concrete conservation projects that work directly to conserve species and ecosystems.

The donated binoculars will be mostly used by the “Cielo Verde” (Green Sky) project, a behavioral change campaign that aims to reduce the demand for endangered wild birds in Venezuela, with the Yellow-shouldered Amazon (YSA) being one of the focal species. One of the activities developed by “Cielo Verde” is birdwatching with the local community as a way to offer direct encounters with wild YSA, thus providing an alternative to enjoy them without the need to keep them as pets. For the remaining of 2023, Provita aims to organize a monthly birdwatching outing, involving at least 350 participants. The donated binoculars will allow for more people to join and learn a different way to interact with the magnificent YSA and enjoy nature, and to establish a continuous birdwatching program for the public schools in the area. In the words of Daniela Pineda, lead of the campaign, “each time we hand a pair of binoculars to a community member, we can see the excitement and gratitude reflected in their faces. These binoculars have brought nature closer to those who didn’t have the opportunity to experience it in this way before, and have sparked a greater interest and care for our birds and the environment”. In addition, the binoculars will be used to conduct population surveys of the YSA and generate the scientific data needed to support future research and conservation strategies of the species.

As always, we extend Provita’s, the “Cielo Verde” team’s, and the benefited communities’ gratitude to the donors that made this possible, and encourage more people to support our work through the donation of optical devices or of money to cover the shipping of the donations. More information about Provita’s work and the “Cielo Verde” campaign can be found on their website, Facebook and Instagram profiles.

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Photos: WSCC

In a bid to support the crucial efforts of the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center (WSCC) of Mongolia, we are thrilled to announce our recent donation of two binoculars, two spotting scopes, and two tripods. These essential tools will contribute to the center’s ongoing research, monitoring, and conservation initiatives, furthering their mission to protect and preserve the magnificent wildlife of Mongolia.

Founded in 2004, the WSCC is one leading non-governmental research organization in Mongolia, dedicated to conserving wildlife and their habitats based on scientific research outcomes. Since 2015, the WSCC has embarked on a long-term research program focused on songbirds at the Khurkh Bird Ringing Station. Building on this success, they established the Khovd Bird Ringing Station in western Mongolia and, just last year, opened the Ugii Lake Shorebird Research Center at an unprotected Ramsar site. The Ugii Lake Shorebird Research Center is dedicated to conducting regular counts of every shorebird and waterbird from April to October each year, as well as undertaking breeding wader census and research during the spring and autumn migration periods.

The donated binoculars, spotting scopes, and tripods will primarily be used by the approximately 30 visiting university students and international volunteers hosted by the center each year. These optics will prove invaluable to those students and volunteers who do not yet own optical equipment but will widely utilize them for studying shorebirds at the Ugii Lake. In addition, the donated optical instruments will be used to demonstrate bird observation and educate local school children and other visitors at the research center. The center aims to share knowledge about birds and their stories with the local community, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for wildlife. With an expected reach of 300 to 500 visitors during each operational season, the donated binoculars and telescopes will enable the WSCC to engage and inspire a wide audience.

We are honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the WSCC and thank the donors that made this possible. For further information on the WSCC, please visit their website or their Facebook page.

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Photos: KYBN

The good news come now again from Africa, where we have recently supported the Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network (KYBN) with a donation of 2 spotting scopes with tripods and some accessories. The KYBN is a youth-led organization with a mission to halt the further loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity in Kenya. They aim to achieve this through youth empowerment, knowledge sharing, and meaningful participation in policy processes. The organization has over 3,000 active members and focuses on four main projects: Ecosystem Restoration, Marine Action, Policy Advocacy, and Conservation Awareness.

The KYBN has made significant achievements since its founding in 2017. They have planted over 100,000 trees in various parts of Kenya, restoring degraded landscapes and contributing to ecosystem conservation. They have also raised awareness about marine plastic pollution, documented threats to ocean ecosystems, and empowered youth to combat these challenges. Additionally, their policy advocacy work has successfully mobilized young people to participate in shaping biodiversity policies at national and international levels, amplifying youth voices in conservation decision-making.

The donated scopes will be used to support KYBN’s citizen science project, led by early career environmental professionals. The project employs a peer-learner model, pairing professionals with junior members interested in learning conservation through nature photography, birdwatching, and mini-documentary production. Their current focus is developing a comprehensive bird species checklist for Rimpa Wildlife Sanctuary near Nairobi National Park to inform ecosystem management strategies. They aim to expand to other sanctuaries and green spaces, benefiting over 2000 individuals and nurturing the next generation of conservation leaders.

We were delighted to receive the photos of some recent activities of the KYBN where the donated scopes were used. One of such events was a biodiversity festival to commemorate the International day for Biological Diversity at a remote beach called Nyumba Sita along the south coast, in Kenya’s Kwale County. KYBN offered a birdwatching expedition to teach students from the Ukunda Vocational Institute the importance of conserving coastal forests as habitats for important birds such as the African Fish-Eagle. Later, on the World Migratory Bird Day, the KYBN organized a birdwatching expedition at Karura forest, home of about 200 bird species, with the aim to highlight the need to conserve migratory birds and their habitat. In the words of Kevin Lunzalu, one of the leaders of the KYBN, the “scopes from Binoculars4charity were utilized to make this important event successful”. For more information about KYBN, you can visit their Facebook and Twitter profiles.

We wish the KYBN all the best with all their activities in Kenya and thank the donors of the equipment that allow us to support another amazing project.

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Photos: Yayasan KIARA

More good news comes from Indonesia, where four donated binoculars have arrived at Yayasan KIARA, a non-profit organisation established in 2020 for the conservation of the endangered Javan Gibbon and its forest ecosystem. The binoculars will support Yayasan KIARA’s activities in West Java related to scientific research and long-term monitoring, environmental education, and community empowerment. Two pairs of binoculars are currently being used by seven field assistants to monitor three groups of Javan gibbons at the long-term field site in Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, run in collaboration with the Javan Gibbons Research and Conservation Project (JGRCP) and Ewha Womans University. The other two binoculars are used by 15 members of the Sanggabuana Wildlife Rangers, Yayasan KIARA’s local partner for monitoring biodiversity and threats in the unprotected Gunung Sanggabuana area in West Java.

As always, our thanks go to the donors of the optical equipment. We wish Yayasan KIARA and its partners all the best in their conservation and education efforts for the Javan Gibbon in Indonesia. For more information and news from the projects, visit Yayasan KIARA’s website and Instagram account, as well as the Instagram account of the Sanggabuana Wildlife Rangers.

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Photos: UWEC

After a long journey from Switzerland via Greece and Israel, two spotting scopes and tripods have arrived safely at their destination in Uganda. The scopes will be used to support the activities of the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) in Mabamba Bay, a Ramsar site on the northern shore of Lake Victoria. There, the UWEC works to conserve the rich biodiversity of this important and fragile wetland ecosystem and Important Bird Area (IBA). Mabamba Bay is home of numerous rare and threatened bird species, both resident and migratory, such as Shoebill, Blue Swallow, Malagasy Pond-Heron and Papyrus Shrike, among many others.

The Makanaga Wetland Ecosystem Users’ Association (MWESUA), a UWEC-supported local organisation made up of local fishermen, farmers and teachers, will be the custodian of the donated spotting scopes. MWESUA’s work focuses on improving the conservation status of the wetland and supporting the implemention of an inclusive ecotourism concept for the whole community. The spotting scopes are used by MWESUA’s approximately 10 nature guides and 20 boatmen for bird watching, wetland ecotours and bird monitoring. In the words of Richard Otiti, our partner at UWEC, the donation ” is such a great milestone for MWESUA and will surely boost the nature guides’ confidence and motivate them to provide visitor satisfaction and grow their passion for conserving the wetland. I can’t thank you enough!”

We wish UWEC and MWESUA all the best in their efforts to conserve the biodiversity of the Mabamba Wetland while promoting nature-friendly income opportunities in the local community. As always, we thank the generous donors who make it possible to support such projects with much needed optical equipment. For more information about the UWEC’s activities, please visit their website and Facebook page. Here’s also a short report from UWEC (PDF).

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Photos: MBCC

This time the news come from the Far East, where three spotting scopes and a backpack found their way to the Mongolian Bird Conservation Center (MBCC). The MBCC is an NGO founded in 2015 with the mission to contribute to the understanding and conservation of national bird species and their habitats by conducting scientific research and conservation activities and by training young naturalists and conservationists. The MBCC maintains a bird research station in the Daurian forest-steppe ecoregion in northern Mongolia, where intensive field work is carried out every year with school children, undergraduate and graduate students and the local population. On days such as the World Migration Day and World Biodiversity Day, the MBCC celebrates conservation and nature by offering training and birdwatching activities to the people living around the Daurian Strictly Protected Area. “The donated telescopes will be very helpful for bird research and conservation in Mongolia,” says Amarkhuu Gungaa, Executive Director of the MBCC.

We are thrilled to be able to contribute to the valuable work of the MBCC and to see that the donated equipment is already being used. As always, we thank all donors who make this possible and encourage anyone who has unused binoculars and telescopes to donate them to Binoculars4charity. For more information on the MBCC, visit the organisation’s website and Facebook page. A more detailed report from the MCC on the use of the telescopes can be found here.

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Recently, a spotting scope reached a new land in South America. Binoculars4charity supports the “Círculo de Investigación en Ornitología (CIO)”, an undergraduate study and research group created at the National University Agraria La Molina (UNALM) in Lima, Peru. The goals of CIO are to expand bird research and to help promote interest and engagement in the Peruvian community. Currently, the CIO has nearly 50 members and four active projects and initiatives, including monthly get-togethers, excursions, and workshops for bird identification, monitoring, conservation, women-empowering, and awareness-raising in different regions throughout Peru. We wish the CIO all the best with its current and future activities, and extend their gratitude to the donors of the scope. For information on the CIO, visit the organization’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

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We have good news from South Africa! The two scopes recently donated to Mbeko Eco Club have arrived safely at their destination and are already being used by the kids in their outdoor eco-activities. The Mbeko Eco Club was founded in 2019 in the Western Cape wineland region with the aim of improving and protecting the water quality of the Berg river through environmental education and awareness. The donated scopes will be used by about 5.000 kids and young people of three primary and two secondary schools for birdwatching excursions and waterbird monitoring at the Paarl Bird Sanctuary. In the words of Khahliso Lefatsa, CEO and co-founder of Mbeko Eco Club, the club members “are jumping for joy to have these scopes” and “amazed to see younger people starting to enjoy and be mesmerized by bird spotting and counting”. We are very happy to be able to support these important initiative for the protection of nature in South Africa and thank the generous donors that make this possible! Here you can find a brief report of the reception of the donation. For more information on Mbeko Eco Club’s activities, visit their website and Facebook page.