GIVE 'EM THE BIRD...

Kindly allow me to plug this worthy event for my good friend, Mike Lu of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines:

Endemik: 2006 Philippine Bird Festival
September 22 and 23
Crossroad 77 Convenarium,
Mother Ignacia Avenue corner Scout Reyes Street, Quezon City.

The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) is sponsoring the the 2nd Philippine Bird Festival themed "Endemik: Dito Lang sa Pinas (Only here in the Philippines)" to promote the conservation of endemic bird species, bird watching as a hobby and the responsible appreciation of nature. The Bird Festival will feature exhibits by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and 14 participating conservation groups and social development foundations, screenings of the award winning entries of the 2006 Moonrise Film Festival, free public lectures on bird watching and nature conservation, merchandise and an arts activity center for the young and the young at heart. The WBCP hopes to raise the bar of awareness about the unique bird life of the islands, to promote public interest in conservation and to encourage the creation of more urban parks and green spaces in Metro Manila.

"There are more than 570 species of birds in the Philippines, no fewer than 180 species are found only in the archipelago." says Bird Festival Committee Chair, Alice Villa-Real, "The endemic birds include the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and the White-Eared Brown Dove which are present in a number of parks and wooded areas in the core of Metro Manila," she added.

This year's participating exhibitors include: Conservation International, WWF-Philippines, Philippine Eagle Foundation, Katala Foundation, Haribon Foundation, Isla Biodiversity Conservation, Polillo Island Biodiversity Conservation, the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education (CEAE), the Children's Environmental Awareness and Action Foundation (CEAAF), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-NCR, the Protected Areas & Wildlife Bureau, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Happy Earth, Inc. and the Figaro Foundation.

Contact:
Alice Villa-Real 0917-5397861, pathway93@yahoo.com
Michael Lu 0926-6902972, myckle@thenet.ph
The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, www.birdwatch.ph
Website: www.birdwatch.ph