Saving Papua’s Birds of Paradise
Located at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago, far from tourist hot spots like Bali and Lombok, the traveler's spotlight often misses Papua. But one woman is trying to change that, running bird-watching tours in the hopes of promoting the natural beauty around her and convincing local residents that its wildlife needs to be protected.
Before her first bird-watching adventure in Papua’s dense jungles, Valentina Shita Prativi was a city girl active in several nongovernmental organizations in Jakarta devoted to helping women and children. In 2004, on assignment in a remote area of Central Sulawesi, she fell in love with the variety of birds she saw every day. Then she met her future husband, Kris Tinige from Sangihe, North Sulawesi, who owned Papua Bird Club, a bird-watching guide company. Kris introduced Shita to the tropical forests in Papua’s Arfak Mountains.
“I wasn’t used to hiking, but I fell in love with Papua right away,” Shita said. “Papua has everything, from beautiful corals in their deep sea, to the birds in the jungles, to the snow at the top of the mountain.”
In 2004 they were married, and Shita moved to Manokwari, Papua, to live with Kris. Together, they ran the Papua Bird Club with another partner. But their marriage lasted less than two years — Kris died from cancer in 2006. After recovering from her loss, Shita decided to stay to promote eco-tourism through the bird club. She said she believes eco-tourism will do good for Papua, the land she loves so much.
“We bring tourists to a certain area, and we try to ask as many locals as possible to get involved with our activity, which will make them realize that they should take care of their nature,” Shita said.
Birds are a common hunting target for Papuans, she said, and much of her work involves raising awareness among locals that the birds bring tourist money.
“They can’t afford meat, so they shoot birds and eat them,” Shita said. “I introduce them to the tourists and tell them that people come from far away to see the birds, and that means an income for them.”
The most popular exotic birds in Papua are the cendrawasih , or birds of paradise. There are 37 species of the magnificient birds, most with flowing, brightly-colored plumage, spread throughout the mountains and islands of Papua.
The usual starting point for Shita’s tours is Batanta Island, near the coastal city of Sorong, to see the Wilson’s bird-of-paradise and the red bird-of-paradise. The island of Salawati is where tourists can see the mambruk, a crowned pigeon sporting blue feathers with white tips on the crest of its head. Another usual destination is the Arfak Mountains, where they can see seven species of birds-of-paradise.
“The highlight of the Arfak visit is the Western Parotia, popularly known as the dancing bird,” Shita said.
The male Parotia employs a unique dance to attract females. Tottering back and forth on its spindly legs, it spreads its dark plumage like a dress while fluttering its iridescent neck feathers. Shita said she starts the itinerary before the sun rises to witness the sights and sounds of these rare birds.
Arfak is often a favorite location among bird watchers due to the residents’ careful stewardship of the exotic animals.
“You can see birds even at three meters from the pathways, very easy and good for beginners,” Shita said.
She is also happy to give information and tips to anyone who wants to learn more about the province.
“They don’t always have to be our clients, but that’s fine,” Shita said. She simply feels happy to know more and more people are interested in coming to Papua.
For her clients, Shita always makes a point of bringing them to the small villages near the bird-watching sites. Many of the villages in Papua are quite friendly towards tourists, Shita said, and she usually rents a house or campsite from the villagers and tries to hire them as porters and cooks.
“We also buy food from them, to try to give income to the locals,” Shita said.
Papuans are generally kind and have good hearts, Shita said, but they can be hostile to people who offend them.
She said that she was worried about the fact that its forests were in decline.
“This is bad because Papua is the world’s second largest lung after Brazil,” Shita said. “I encourage my potential clients to come to Papua as soon as possible, before the forests are gone.”
The root of Papua’s problems, according to Shita, is the lack of education.
“A lot of people don’t want Papuans to be clever and progressive, so they can keep exploiting the environment,” Shita said. At some remote schools deep in the mountains, a teacher only comes once every three or four weeks. She said it was common for high school students to have trouble solving simple math problems. And the tribal leaders in Papua lack a clear understanding of environmental issues.
“They give away their land for money, drinks, women and other kinds of amusements offered by the big companies without considering the younger generations,” Shita said.
Determined to make a difference, Shita started an education program last year. The Papua Bird Club now teaches children in isolated areas to read and write. They also take the children bird watching. The results, Shita said, are often both amusing and heartbreaking.
“One of my students just discovered that a cockatoo can fly when he went for a field trip with us,” Shita said.
“Before, he thought cockatoos can’t fly because his family keep one in a cage.”
from : http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/saving-papuas-birds-of-paradise/368814
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