The PAOC13 would like to thank the following sponsors who have helped with the PAOC 13.
BG Group is a global energy business with operations in more than 20 countries across five continents. Tanzania is emerging as a new and potentially important hydrocarbons province. BG Group entered Tanzania in June 2010 and is the Operator of three offshore deepwater exploration blocks, in which it has a 60% working interest.
BG Group’s business principles govern the way we work, in Tanzania and around the world. Our business principles cover four key areas: responsible conduct; our people; environment; and society. We believe that all injuries are preventable, and we will provide a healthy, safe and secure working environment for our employees and contractor staff. BG Tanzania is committed to conducting our operations according to international best practice standards of environmental and social performance. We do not tolerate corruption in any form, and are committed to acting with integrity, fairness and transparency. BG Tanzania is committed to ensuring that the government and people of Tanzania benefit from our activities on an enduring basis.
The A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), Jos, Nigeria is the only field station dedicated to ornithological research and conservation training in West Africa. The Institute contributes directly to the knowledge infrastructure, especially in West African countries, while also providing a unique base from which to set up long-term ecological research projects.
The Institute was set up in 2002 by the Leventis Conservation Foundation, which remains the Institute’s principle source of funding. The Institute is an autonomous field station of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), run by a management committee consisting of representatives from APLORI staff, the University of Jos, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), the Leventis Conservation Foundation, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and University of St. Andrews. The Institute works closely with the local community of Laminga, as an employer and a facilitator of local sustainable development.
Currently, the Institute is running a Masters program in Conservation Biology and is now in its tenth year, having graduated eight sets of students in that time. To date, 52 West African students have reached a European Masters’ standard (as scrutinised by independent external examiners from the Universities of Edinburgh, Lund, Ghent, Groningen and Oxford), and this year, the program continues with another 8 Nigerian students. The Institute also acts as host to external PhD projects (e.g. from St. Andrews, Lund, RSPB), various post-doctoral research projects (e.g. University of Edinburgh, Durham, Lund) and various short term pieces of fieldwork by European workers that need a tropical base.
The African Bird Club is a charity which was formed in 1994 to provide a worldwide focus for African ornithology. It raises money to support conservation projects and encourages an interest in the conservation of the birds across the region. Members are encouraged to visit lesser-known areas of Africa and search for and study globally threatened and near-threatened species. Membership is open to all and there are over 1200 supporters in about 60 countries.
The Bulletin of the Club is produced twice yearly in March and September and is sent to all members. The content is very varied but always includes a round-up of the latest birding and conservation news from Africa, together with recent sightings, as well as major feature articles on birding, identification, conservation, research and guides to top birding sites in Africa.
ABC’s conservation programme supports small to medium sized conservation projects in Africa. It has supported a wide variety of projects including training courses, research into threatened species, and promotion and awareness of conservation issues in Africa. The Club welcomes applications for conservation awards from individuals or institutions up to a maximum of £2000. The total of grants made available for conservation projects now stands at over £120,000 since the beginning of the programme.
The ABC website includes information about birding in every country in Africa, and there are checklists and links to sites, with photographs and sounds of African birds. In total there are over 1000 pages of detailed information and it is the premier and most visited site for all things ornithological in Africa.
For more information visit www.africanbirdclub.org
