Hi everyone

The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute has announced the 2005 total count of waterbirds in Tanzania.

For this to be successful we invite YOU to form teams of 2 or 3 experienced counters to participate in training and counting programmes of 2 to 3 weeks duration.

Ideally you will spend 3 or 4 days at your count site training Tanzanians in identification and counting techniques and then 6 or 7 days counting sites within a small area. This will be a co-ordinated count of all the major and many of the minor wetlands throughout the country. Counting will begin during the second week of January. You will then be free to visit other bird rich sites in Tanzania. There will be institutional support for shared costs such as in country travel and participants will have free access to parks and reserves. If there is sufficient interest from Europe then deals will be arranged with the airlines. Ethiopian and KLM fly to both Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam. Remember it is cheaper to fly just after Christmas and just after New Year than a day or so before either.

We would much appreciate friends and colleagues translating this msg and placing it on their own countries bird nets and email groups.

The 1995 count identified some 36 shadow Ramsar sites but some have only been counted once and there are others not yet documented. The latest waterbird species Atlas maps for Tanzania are on our web site but there are still far too many gaps so do consider coming out to this beautiful country and helping us.

Please respond with initial interest to Maurus Msuha at TAWIRI as detailed below.

Apologies for cross posting but we want as many participants as possible to ensure the success of this count.

all the best

Neil
Neil and Liz Baker
Tanzania Bird Atlas
http://tanzaniabirdatlas.com
interested in the birdlife of Tanzania; send a blank email to
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Subject: JANUARY 2005 NATIONAL WATERBIRD COUNT 


Dear all,
                RE: JANUARY 2005 NATIONAL WATERBIRD COUNT

Please refer to the above subject:
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) is coordinating a second national waterbird count in Tanzania to be held in January 2005. Some of you may be aware of the first national wide count  that took place in January 1995. This second national waterbird count is going to take place after a period of 10 years. The objectives of this count are:
1. To train Tanzanians in bird identification and monitoring techniques and participation in data collection in the field
2. To determine population estimates of waterbirds in some selected wetlands
3. To establish a monitoring scheme for wetland avifauna in Tanzania
4. To compare waterbird population estimates in 1995 and that of 2005
5. To promote awareness through participation of stakeholders and production of a report 

The success of the proposed waterbird count depends on the collaboration and participation of various stakeholders interested in Tanzania's avifauna and in this case wetland birds. We are therefore requesting  to collaborate and participate in this important undertaking. The 1995 count drew participants from within and outside Tanzania e.g. TAWIRI, Wildlife Division, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), National Environment Management Council (NEMC), Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Danish Ornithological Foundation (DOF), BirdLife International and many others. 

The Wildlife Division in and TAWIRI are putting money to the 2005 waterbird count. We expect increased participation of Tanzanians, mostly trainees for which there will be a pre-count training workshop in December 2004. We would be most grateful if you could assist in whatever way possible e.g. provision of binoculars, funding, field guide books etc.

We look forward to getting your collaboration and participation.

Yours truly,
TANZANIA WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Maurus Msuha
FOR DIRECTOR GENERAL

Maurus Msuha, MSc.
Project Manager
Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI)
Tanzania Carnivore Monitoring Project
P. O. Box 661, Arusha, TANZANIA 
Tel: + 255 (0) 27 2548240 / 2509871
Fax: + 255 (0) 27 2548240
www.tawiri.org
www.habari.co.tz/carnivores
The Tanzania Carnivore Monitoring Project is supported by the Darwin Initiative Scheme of the UK Government, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS-USA) 


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