There are two areas of focus that we will be focusing on over the period 2017 to 2022. 

The projects that we will be shining light on are based in:

Indo-Burma; A region that encompasses over 2 million square kilometres of Tropical Asia including Bangladesh and India in the West to Peninsular Malaysia in the East. This area is of huge biological and geo-political important. It encompasses part of China's Yunnan Province and Vietnam. Two huge markets for demand for illegal wildlife. 

The Ngorogoro Conservation Area- Serengeti - Massai Mara National Reserve- Mara Conservancy Ecosystem of East Africa; A vast wildlife corridor/ UNESCO biosphere that that supports the greatest grazing herds in Tanzania and Kenya. 

There regions have some similarities and some big differences:

Both contain endangered species that are highly traded/decimated by the illegal wildlife trade (tiger, rhino, elephant, lion). Both regions are undergoing rapid economic development. If these regions are conserved and developed sustainably, they can save at-risk species from extinction. 

The biggest difference between these regions are part of a wider regional difference, tourism. 

Kenya and Tanzania have a long history of international eco-tourism, whereas this industry is very limited/ in it's infancy in many of the countries with the Indo-Burma region. While there are some great ecotourism ventures in South East Asia, we want to know why no-body is seeking out an Asian Big Five, or why there are not a plethora of Asian Safari's (that don't involve Elephant Treks in Thailand to hungover backpackers).

Conservation Psychologists know that when people have experiences with wildlife; it can have a profound impact on their future motivation to contribute to conservation efforts (as well as great for our health - "eco-therapy"). This does, to some extent rationalise the important of Zoos (for well cared for animals who have their behaviour enriched), but if only more people could have this experience in the wild. 

The National Reserves and Conservancy's of Kenya and Tanzania offer many opportunities to experience nature, including in a volunteer capacity. There are great organisations like Basecamp Foundation and Mara Predator Project that give volunteers the opportunity to work on the ground and have incredible experiences alongside research groups like Kenya Wildlife Trust and Elephant Voices, now its time to raise awareness for these projects, empower them, study them and evaluate what models and methods can be applied to the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. 

PLANET DECENT is born out of a love of nature, a responsibility as a veterinary biologist, travelling experience in both the Indo-Burma and East Africa regions, and a user of social media, where global positive change can build great momentum with little effort.

Conservation International has declared the Indo-Burma region a Biodiversity Hotspot that is at high risk particularly due to habit fragmentation, ECONOMIC POLICY and illegal wildlife poaching. 

MYANMAR BiODIVERSITY & ECO TOURISM

Myanmar is a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot. The Smithsonian Institute are working with the government's Ministry of Natural Resources to ensure this amazing wildlife is protected.

The Smithsonian Myanmar Biodiversity Initiative (SMBI), headed up by Conservation Ecology Center (CEC) scientist Melissa Songer, has been implemented to study and sustain biodiversity in this hotspot; which contains viable populations of Tiger, Clouded Leopord, Asiatic Elephant, Rhino, Marble Cat, Malayan Tapir and Asiatic Golden Cats. 

Tourism in Myanmar is a slowly developing sector. After spending time in Indo-Burma; Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, it would be great to see Myanmar adopt a different strategy to it's tourism sector, one that is focused around Asiatic Safari Eco-tourism and Eco-therapy. 

One of our outcomes for PLANET DECENT is to encourage eco-tourism in this area, particularly from countries where Asiatic Wildlife is being demanded for traditional therapies (based completely on placebo effect), for example, China and Vietnam. 

In East Africa, there is a local understanding that without the animals, there will be no tourists, it would be great if adventure holiday makers are able to vote to conserve this biodiversity hotspot with their travel budgets. If the people of Myanmar (along with its neighbours) see that Eco-tourism can provide high quality jobs and infrastructure, they can be motivated to protect and celebrate the incredible biodiversity that is there. Civil conflict may have been the reality of why this wildlife is still there, but as part of a healing process, conserving this can lead to prosperity and sustainable development in one of the most poverty affected countries in the world. 

Mara NAboisho Conservancy

Awareness Raising Project - THE CONCEPT OF CONSERVANCY 

Naboisho represents an exciting expansion of the Masai Mara Nature Reserve at the northern border. Nature Corridors are incredibly important as if populations of roaming wildlife are stranded (on what are deemed nature islands) then gene pools can become less diverse. Weak gene pools represent an unknown, but likely, significant risk to wildlife. Closely related individuals produce weaker offspring and species can decline at unexpected rates once gene pool diversity is lost.

In 2013, I had the pleasure of visiting and volunteering with Kenya Wildlife Trust, Basecamp Foundation and the Mara Predator Project

Another northern Masai Mara conservancy is the Olare Motoragi Conservancy, purported to be the blueprint for sustainability in the greater Masai Mara ecosystem

check out the video below or click here to learn more about how Conservancies function

Australia's Colourful Wildlife under Major Threat

Awareness Raising - DEVELOPED DOES NOT MEAN PROTECTED

While our focus will be biodiversity hot spots in Africa and Asia we would also like to highlight how developed does not necessarily mean protected.

Planet Decent is a global community of animal lovers, however, many of it's members are Australian based. While our mission is focused on conservation elsewhere it the world, we feel Australian Conservation efforts and environmental conditions are worth exploring. A focus on Australia also demonstrates how we must look after our local environment first, the lead by example and promote positive change. 

Australia Wildlife Conservancy is pioneering successful approaches to conservation. It looks after 40% of the world's Numbat population, and up to 90% for other species. Australia's extinction rate of mammals is the highest in the world, feral cats and introduced foxes kill one million small native animals every night. Check out their work and also gain an understanding of the concept of a conservancy here: