Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Photo: Eelco Meyjes
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in the south western part of Uganda, is home to no less than 43 finch species . It is also home to the now famous Shelley’s crimsonwing finch which the Rare Finch Conservation Group ( RFCG ) is trying to find
Russell Kingston OAM and Prof. Ernst Kruger
RFCG directors Russell Kingston OAM from Australia and Prof. Ernst Kruger from South Africa, have gone to visit the magnificent tropical rain forest for 9 days in order to gain first hand knowledge and experience of the challenges involved in trying to find the threatened Shelly’s crimsonwing . Russell and Ernst will be staying at the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation ( ITFC ) who are the valued on the ground partners to the RFCG with this pioneering conservation project
Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation in Ruhija. Photo Eelco Meyjes
The ITFC in Ruhija, is situated on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is part of the Mbabara University of Science and Technology www.itfc.org . The RFCG recently completed Phase 2 of its field research work and is currently raising funds to support a Phase 3 initiative . Phase 3 will consist of doing a further 4 months work at Bwindi before going onto the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for 4 months and then doing a final 4 months at the Rwenzori Mountain National Park in the north western part of Uganda . All the national parks mentioned are high altitude parks where the threatened crimsonwing finch has porportedly been seen
Rwenzori Mountain National Park, sometimes known as the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda
The RFCG is registered as a non-profit organisation and is totally dependant on donors and sponsors for its existence and future survival . If you would like to find out more about this pioneering conservation group then please contact the operations director Eelco Meyjes at editor@avitalk.co.za
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