Even Dr. Suess and the Lorax could never have imagined such a place. It is a place the size of California set adrift from the African mainland more than 165 million years ago, a place teaming with bizarre life forms found nowhere else on the planet and quit likely nowhere else in the Universe:

- a place where insects sing so loud you can barely hear anything else
- a place where monstrous trees look like they have been tipped upside down and jammed back into the ground
- a place where reptiles change color depending on their mood
- a place where lemurs call with such intensity they make your spine tingle
- a place where rainforests morph into hot dry spiny deserts
– a place where more species of orchids are found than in all of Africa combined
- a place where stars and planets shine so bright you can see your own shadow at night
- a place where not a single poisonous snake exists underfoot or in the trees or in the water or next to your knees
- a place where living fossils with lobed fins still swim offshore
- a place where un-hatched mega eggs are still found left by an elephant bird ten feet tall
- a place where colorful flowers produce anti-cancer drugs
- a place where spiders make webs as large as sheets
- a place where terrestrial snails peer at you with eyes on the tips of expanding stalks
- a place where tiny lemurs the size of chipmunks scurry all night long through the arms of the octopus tree.

This is a place where every single life form you encounter is one you have never seen before. This place is called Madagascar and it is truly one of the most amazing living jewels found on planet Earth.

RYAN JAMES KELLEY

Ryan James Kelley became a Peace Corp volunteer and his primary reason for volunteering was to gain real life insight into the root causes of poverty. Madagascar is one of the ten poorest countries in the world with an average annual income of $240 per person. Ryan’s degree in philosophy from Fairfield University in Connecticut left him feeling a moral obligation to the developing world. He was assigned to Madagascar in October of 2004 and he began to look into his questions about poverty. “Where there are no questions, there are no answers.” He found plenty of both in Madagascar.

After several weeks in an immersion program in the capital city Antananarivo, Ryan headed South by bus for two and a half days. His destination was Fort Dauphin, at the Southern tip of the country. There he became instrumental in developing training programs for the Libanona Ecology Center (LEC) (www.libanona.com).

A survey was taken among the local non-profits requesting what types of training were needed to set up functional conservation zones. People trained in zoology, botany, forestry, English, French, accounting, computer science, and monitoring and evaluation were the most requested by the survey. The LEC designed courses based on this survey.

At the LEC, Ryan teaches environmental English and the use of computers to the first group of students to enter the Environmental Conservation and Management Program (ECMP). The program functions like a community college and once finished the graduates will be trained for entry level positions offered by environmental non-profits (there are over 30 in the area) or can pursue advanced degrees in natural resource management.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

Nine different ecosystems (rain forest, transitional forest, spiny forest, riparian forest, littoral forest, coral reefs, mangroves, estuaries, and marine ecosystems) all lie within 25 miles of the LEC. The diversity of ecosystems within such a small radius is “unparalleled anywhere on Earth,” and makes for one of the most remarkable outdoor laboratories one could imagine.

Right in the middle of all this natural wonder lies one of the poorest populations in all of Madagascar and one of the most isolated. Almost no educational or training programs existed and most people never even finished high school. This left an enormous void in the human resources needed to manage all those natural resources. Ryan and many others felt that if these resources were sustainably managed, Madagascar could become the next Costa Rica, and if they were not, the next Haiti.

In 2004, the first year the LEC offered the ECMP, fifty applicants applied for twenty positions. The program was supported with great enthusiasm right from the start. Ryan told us he felt that the students he was working with were smarter than anyone he knew.

Ryan asked IDEA WILD for an LCD projector. Ryan and many others use the projector to show lecture notes, power point presentations, exercises, field activities, and discussion notes. Staff and visiting professors all use the projector to get their messages across. While we visited Mark Fenn from WWF was talking with the students about several new parks being established in Western Madagascar and he gave them a power point presentation on the LCD projector.

Ryan and his Malagasy students are the future of natural resource management in Southern Madagascar. The IDEA WILD donors, staff, and volunteers are honored to have been able to help with their conservation efforts.

Project Cost: $999

The planet is evolving and many species are moving about. Some are changing elevations and some are changing latitudes and some are changing longitudes. Many species are no longer found for obvious reasons and others are gone for no apparent reason. This is especially true with the amphibians, and frogs in particular. There are beautifully intact cloud forests all over Latin America where numerous frogs are no longer found.

In our backyard pond in Colorado, each spring is welcomed in by the calls of the boreal chorus frog. Not long after the snow thaws, these little frogs float motionless among the vegetation sending out mating calls that can be heard throughout the neighborhood. Like little Buddhas, each frog’s belly fills with air which is then repeatedly shunted back and forth between the vocal sac and the belly. Males call and harmonize in such fantastic melodies it is hard to imagine a more beautiful song to send one off to sleep.

The pond takes a great deal of effort to maintain and to create the proper frog habitat. Before the chorus frogs were willing to breed, we had much to learn about what proper habitat was. Of course we were well rewarded when we finally got the recipe correct. This tiny ecosystem is somewhat symbolic of a much bigger picture.

There is a planet-wide decline in amphibian numbers and species, and I believe there is something we can all do about it. My favorite action item is to insure that all those who are studying amphibians world wide are properly equipped. The more they know, the more we know, and the more we know, the more we can make sure frogs have what frogs need.

MIRZA DIKARI KUSRINI

Mirza D. Kusrini lives on the island of Java in Indonesia and every day as she showered she was joined by a lone frog who seemed to enjoy the shower as much as she did. Like most Indonesians, she assumed there was only one species of frog and one species of toad in all of Indonesia. Her curiosity got the best of her one day and she decided to figure out what species of frog it was. She was astounded to learn there are over forty species in Java alone and over 270 amphibians in all of Indonesia!

Enthralled with frogs, Mirza enthusiastically read everything she could find out about them. What really caught her attention was the world wide decline in numbers and species. She had to know more. Soon after finishing her master’s degree that looked at the relationship between black cormorants and mangroves, she began pursuing her newly found interest in amphibians.

Today she has become one of the predominate herpetologists in all of Indonesia.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

Mirza wrote, “In order to determine whether frogs are declining in any location, it is necessary to have a basic knowledge of the frog fauna. There is an urgent need to collect baseline data on amphibian diversity in Indonesian wild habitats. In Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, which is one of the last remaining pristine areas in the highly populated province of Java, little is known of the local frog fauna, despite the huge diversity reported within the park. The latest frog inventory was performed in the 1960’s.”

Mirza wanted to begin an ongoing amphibian monitoring program within the park and provide environmental education to children living near the park. She sent a proposal to IDEA WILD requesting small portable solar panels and rechargeable batteries. The park is remote and without electricity. Headlamps for night time frog surveys constantly need battery power and non-rechargeable batteries were costing them a small fortune.

Solar panels and rechargeable batteries provided by IDEA WILD made sure Mirza and her crew had all the power they needed to conduct their important work. With power, Mirza could also use her laptop and GPS to enter the data they collected. The research has now been underway for several years and Mirza has even put together a “Festival of Frogs” for all the children living near the park. The next generation of Indonesian herpetologists is also gaining experience and expertise with the equipment provided by IDEA WILD. This is the generation that will likely decide the fate of many of the frog species still inhabiting the tropical forests of Indonesia.

Project Cost: $1318

A tiny hand reached forward so slowly it was almost imperceptible. Almost no light was available high in the canopy of the Indonesian rain forest. It was in the dead of the night and most of the birds were fast asleep. Inch by inch on a precarious branch the stealthy nocturnal primate moved towards a smell she recognized as something she wanted to eat. Her nose was moist, the humidity was high, and she was able to detect even the slightest odor.

Special blood vessels in her forelimbs made it possible to remain in tense poses and transition between them without cramping. The movement was so slow and precise there was absolutely no shaking of the branch as she crept along undetected.

Large round eyes peered ahead with an ability to use even the smallest amount of star light. A dark silhouette of a bird was not far ahead. Leaves pushed aside as the tiny primate continued on its quest. Not a sound was made. A very sweet face masked a very deadly game. Once the bird was within arm’s reach, a very powerful hand lashed out and quickly dispatched the sleeping bird.

Once dinner had been captured and devoured, the female Javan slow loris (Nycticebus javanicus) began cleaning up. With an extended toe on each hind foot she fastidiously cleaned her soft thick fur. Such is the life of one of Indonesia’s most unusual primates.

JAROT ARISONA AJI PAMBUDI

Indonesia is considered to have one of the highest primate diversities in the world. That diversity ranges from primitive living fossils like the tarsiers to very advanced apes such as the orangutans. And this amazing diversity also includes the nocturnal Javan slow loris.

Jarot Arisona Aji Pambudi is a young Indonesian who is very interested in primates and is very interested in their conservation, since they face many human-caused threats. Several Indonesian primates including the Sumatran orangutan are listed in the 25 most endangered primates on the planet.

Jarot is involved in conservation on many levels. After finishing up a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Indonesia, he currently spends his time volunteering for three different institutions. For the SELARAS Foundation, a local Indonesian non-profit organization, he serves as the research and education manager. As a volunteer for the Bodogol Research Station at Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park (GGPNP), his responsibilities include designing research projects, conducting environmental education, and promoting eco-tourism. Lastly, as senior trainer for COMATA which is the University of Indonesia’s wildlife conservation department, he helps train future conservationists in wildlife research and management techniques.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

One of the research projects Jarot is most interested in involves a survey of the Javan slow loris in GGPNP. Very little is known about this elusive nocturnal primate as it has rarely been studied. One of Jarot’s methods for studying the slow loris will be to walk transects through the forest at night from 6PM to 2AM. He will use a spotlight to detect their brilliant orange-red eye shine.

He will work in a variety of habitats found in the park and determine habitat preference, population density, distribution within the park, basic ecology, remaining habitat, and the threats to the slow loris’ survival.

Jarot will not be alone. Not only will his project be beneficial to the slow loris, but he is also inviting and training “junior primatologists” to join him in the field work so they will have the experience to conduct their own projects one day. “We hope the training will deliver many enthusiastic young Indonesian primatologists who will be willing to study and conserve the diversity of Indonesian primate species.”

Jarot will be using an LCD projector and laptop donated by IDEA WILD to collect and analyze data and will provide environmental education to villages and schools surrounding the park. This equipment will also come in handy with all the advanced training Jarot does for The SELARAS Foundation, the Bodogol Research Station, and COMATA.

We wish Jarot all the best in his conservation endeavors and are very pleased IDEA WILD could help with his incredibly important work.

Project Cost: $917

It was 5:30 AM in Cat Tien National Park in southern Vietnam. It was dark, and a very starry sky stretched out infinitely above us. Hoachim, a local bird expert and president of a newly formed conservation organization, accompanied us down a dark trail. Before sunrise we arrived at a small stream exactly where we expected the most morning bird activity. We were not disappointed.

Even though it was still quite dark the forest came to life with the most beautiful song. A symphony like no other began to play with more and more species adding their piece moment by moment. We listened motionless until it was light enough to begin focusing our binoculars towards some of the silhouetted shapes that dazzled us with their voices and anticipated color. A red jungle fowl announced his presence with a territorial call almost exactly the same as his domestic cousin – cock-a–doodle-do.

The day continued to unfold with the discovery of each new species. That morning, we came across kingfishers, bulbuls, bee-eaters, hornbills, mynas, orioles, drongos, coucals, barbets, treepies, babblers, shamas, trogons, leaf birds, parrots, and many more. Our bird watching adventure continued into the afternoon as we hiked to a distant natural lake surrounded by tropical forest. Hoachim froze in his tracks at one point when a Germain’s peacock pheasant strutted across our path. He had only seen this bird one other time.

Circling the lake was a large flock of painted storks and an osprey dived frequently for fish. We scanned the banks for the bird I most wanted to see in the wild – the green peafowl (peacock). This spectacular bird is common in the park but we arrived late in the day and it was very hot. We drank tea with the rangers waiting for the peafowl to emerge from the jungle but it was not meant to be.

For the next several weeks as we traveled throughout Vietnam visiting different universities, ecology institutes, and national parks we had several more occasions to bird watch. Before leaving we had seen over 100 new species. Although we thought that number was impressive, while walking a trail in Bach Ma National Park we spoke with a Tennessean couple that had seen over 6600 species and Vietnam was one of their all time favorite places to bird watch.

VU TIEN THINH

Since the beginning of IDEA WILD in 1991 we have challenged ourselves and our generous donors to expand the IDEA WILD model into two new countries every year. Recently that expansion has taken us into Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia. Expansion consists of identifying a new country with very high biodiversity and less than 25% of the habitat left, making contacts within that country, and then actually visiting the country and conducting IDEA WILD presentations at universities and non-profits with conservation interests.

One of our target countries in 2007 was Vietnam but we were lacking a good initial contact. That was about the time one of the best proposals I had ever seen arrived in our mail box from Vu Tien Thinh. He is a Ph.D. candidate working on his degree in conservation biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. This was a very fortunate coincidence, as the IDEA WILD home office is also located in Fort Collins. I immediately contacted Thinh.

Thinh and his major professor Dr. Paul Doherty joined me for lunch. Thinh was very professor-like with little round glasses, an extremely intelligent mind, and a quirky sense of humor. He knew everything I needed to know about which universities and non-profits we needed to visit in Vietnam, how to contact them, and all the logistics of traveling from one place to the next. By the time our lunch was finished we had pretty much mapped out the entire one month trip to Vietnam. He would actually be able to join us for the last 10 days. He, like his father, who holds a very high position in the Vietnamese Forestry Department, is very interested in conservation of native forests throughout his country.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

Thinh’s research proposal is entitled “Improving Avian Conservation in Northern Vietnam.” Overall, the forest cover in Vietnam is beginning to increase. The government launched several large forest plantation projects and has planted millions of mangroves. However, much of that forest cover increase has been with non-native tree species. Much of the bird diversity in Vietnam is dependent upon native forests – both primary forest that has never been cut and secondary growth that has been cut and is re-growing naturally.

Thinh wants to illustrate that second growth forest holds much higher bird diversity than plantations of introduced eucalyptus, acacia and pine monocultures. Using a recorder and microphone provided by IDEA WILD, Thinh will compare species richness and abundances between natural forest and non-native tree plantations. He will describe how mixed species bird flocks are affected by disturbance and how roads affect bird movements in national parks.

Diseases such as avian influenza, West Nile virus, and Newcastle disease will also be compared between birds found in the natural forests and those found in human dominated landscapes. Overall he hopes his research will affect reforestation efforts and convince officials that second growth is a viable alternative to non-native forest plantations – good for birds and good for the country.

Project Cost: $1524

We whizzed along at what seemed like warp nine. Three of us and our Indonesian taxi driver, Arvin, were all driving across the middle of Sumatra in a small compact SUV while green images blurred by one after the other. At times we were looking at beautiful second growth rain forest and at other times at miles and miles of oil palm plantations. Ragged karst formations covered with primary forest occasionally dominated the skyline. Distant volcanoes invited exploration.

Sumatra is the sixth largest island on the planet. It sits just above Australia and to the west in the long chain of 18,000 Indonesian islands. Sumatra has a lot of big things living on it. Big trees, big elephants, big Sumatran rhinos, big hornbills, big tigers, and big flanged male orangutans all live in Sumatra. Clouded leopards with their large canines, proportionately the biggest of any cat since the saber toothed cats, also live on the island. Sumatran forests have the world’s biggest flowers and big king cobras slither beneath them. Big rivers, big volcanoes, and big swamps dominate many parts of the island. And, of course, Sumatra has big earthquakes and big tsunamis. Sumatra is the “Wild West” of Indonesia and still has some of the largest tracts of forest left in Southeast Asia.

Our goals were to introduce IDEA WILD to various universities with conservation biology programs and deliver equipment to several projects. Conservation opportunities abound on this island and when I looked out the window I imagined the future Costa Rica of Southeast Asia. Sixteen hours later we arrived at our destination. Arvin still had a big smile on his face.

WILSON NOVARINO

Like many in Indonesia, Wilson Novarino and his eight siblings, grew up tending the rice paddies that kept the family fed. The family farm in west Sumatra, happened to be near a significant patch of forest and young Wilson spent much of his spare time exploring the forest with a special eye for birds. Even though his parents were poor they managed to raise the money necessary for Wilson to attend Andalas University West Sumatra in Padang. The Japanese covered the cost of his master’s degree, which he received from the same university in 1998. He is now finishing up his Ph. D. and the research activities associated with his graduate degrees center around bird community structure, behavior, and ecology with an emphasis on conservation. To this day, Wilson still realizes his greatest satisfaction when he is in the field looking at birds.

In 2004, the Indonesian Ornithologist Union was created. Wilson was one of the founding members and helped organize the conference. He even managed to find a spot in an already overfull agenda for us to present IDEA WILD to the first ever gathering of the ornithologists of Indonesia. Over one hundred predominant bird lovers and researchers from all over Indonesia were in attendance.

Wilson not only keeps busy finishing up his Ph. D. but also works as a lecturer at Andalas University where he teaches general biology, mammalogy, biogeography and, of course, ornithology. Like many who have taught before at Andalas, he has many protégé eager to follow his lead. The biology department at Andalas is the oldest in all of Sumatra and almost every other biology department in Sumatra was formed by graduates from Andalas. Thanks to Wilson, the tradition continues and is quite possibly more important than ever.

Wilson also conducts field work for the Sumatran Wildlife Mammal Survey. Three large conservation organizations have divided the island up into grids with different people involved in surveying each grid. Camera traps are used to document the mammal species found in each grid. Wilson is in charge of several grids and has captured photos of tiger, tapirs, clouded leopards, and many other species.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

We traveled a very long way to meet Wilson. He was our contact person in Sumatra and helped us set up IDEA WILD presentations at Andalas University and arranged logistics for us to travel to other universities. He also volunteered to take us to one of his field sites where he conducts bird banding. The site is on the slopes of the magnificent Kerinci Volcano in Kerinci Seblat National Park. This enormous park is almost 200 miles long.

Several other bird banding sites are located along the Barisan Mountain chain that forms the back bone of the island. Wilson wants to know how the community and population dynamics of bird species is affected by loss of lowland forest and seasonality. Lowland forests are the first to go, especially with the continual expansion of palm oil plantations. Because of these plantations, Indonesia, after the U.S., China, and Brazil, has become the 4th largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Wilson collects all sorts of data and photographs every bird he captures before releasing them. IDEA WILD provided Wilson with a digital camera so he could get the photographs he needs. Data from his research and other ornithologists will be influential in protecting the habitat necessary to conserve the many bird species found throughout Sumatra. The human species will also rely on these forests to help keep the planet cool. I look forward to his success.

Project Cost: $100
Project Sponsored by the Moore Family Foundation

Beyond the city limits of Panama City lies one of my favorite Latin American zoos – the Summit Nature Park of Panama.  I consider this zoo one of my favorites for several important reasons:

First of all, the zoo is surrounded by Soberania National Park.  With a good pair of binoculars you can see any number of wild birds flying in and around the zoo, including toucans, motmots, puff birds, and trogons.  Over 400 species of the 950 species of birds found in Panama have been seen in this national park.

Secondly, the zoo only exhibits native species.  You will not find tigers, pandas, giraffes, and all the other charismatic mega-fauna typically found at North American zoos. You will only see native Panamanian animals such as harpy eagles, jaguars, ocelots, spider monkeys, coatis, and Baird’s tapirs.  This type of zoo helps create a pride and awareness of local fauna and instills a strong conservation ethic among nationals.

Thirdly, the zoo emphasizes conservation education activities and invites bus load after bus load of young Panamanians to learn about the natural history of their amazing country and how to conserve it.  Over 50,000 bright eyed children visit the zoo every year.

Another reason I really appreciate this zoo is their commitment to amphibian conservation.  The worldwide decline in amphibians is especially acute in Central America.  In an attempt to stay ahead of this wave of extinction, this zoo has created the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC).  This center includes a lab, exhibition center, and most importantly, a captive breeding center for many of the endangered amphibians in Panama.

I highly recommend a visit to this zoo.  It is open 365 days a year and serves as an amazing introduction into the diversity of the tropics.

ADRIAN BENEDETTI

The ultimate success of a business or organization is often dependent on the pillars of competence and character traits of its leader.  Character traits must first be identified, then emphasized, and then required, recognized and rewarded.  Numerous positive character traits come to mind when I think of Adrian Benedetti.

On the Summit Nature Park web site Adrian describes passion and why passion is so important to the success of the zoo.  Adrian is filled with the very passion he describes.  He is also sincere, energetic, eager to learn and a quick study. He is young, charismatic and filled with humor.  In 2005, he became the director of the zoo and currently oversees daily operations and manages 45 personnel.  The zoo is being transformed from a city park zoo into a world class urban nature park largely due to his character and leadership skills.

Adrian received his B.A. in Humanities with a focus in sociology from the University of Colorado in May of 2002.  He began working for the Peregrine Fund Panama in 2004 and developed and implemented environmental education programs.  He gave hundreds of talks to both children and adults and specifically developed events that promoted the conservation of the harpy eagle.

If all that wasn’t enough for one person, Adrian also oversees the operations of the EVACC. This cutting edge facility is like an ark for endangered amphibians.  The facility already holds hundreds of native amphibians and will eventually house more than 40 species.  Seventeen of the forty are considered high priority in the world of conservation and will be captivity bred.  Future goals include implementation of reintroduction programs with the offspring.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

One of the first things Adrian wanted to do was to recreate the environmental education department at the zoo.  Prior to his involvement, education was largely conducted by tour guides and not educators.  He initiated a multi-phase plan to offer dynamic and interesting education programs for the thousands of children who visit the zoo every year.

The first order of business was to rehabilitate the environmental education space.  This finished space allowed them to meet and conduct workshops, give lectures, and show movies to their many interested zoo goers – especially the tiny future heirs of the planet.

Phase two involved the training of his educational staff.  With help from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Adrian worked to create active environmental educators instead of passive tour guides.  They used the “Jaguars Forever” education manual as the basis for the training and translated two “International Bug Club” modules into Spanish.  This allowed for the formation of the first ever Bug Club of Panama!

These educational pilot programs will then be taken into neighboring schools and adaptations will be made to fit the realities of Panama.  Later derivations of these programs will be worked into continuous education programs and taught throughout the school year.  They will also create a mobile unit that will visit remote rural schools.

A key to the success of this environmental effort was an LCD projector, a laptop computer, and a screen to make all these ideas come to life in front of the children.  Adrian turned to IDEA WILD for those pieces of equipment and, of course, we were thrilled to participate in such a country-changing endeavor.

Project Cost:  $1150