Abstract
Conservation organisations and
environment-related charities began
to emerge as a strong force in the
decade of the '80s. Now we are in the
'90s and the impact that they can
make on conservation issues is
widely felt throughout the world, but
especially in the tropics where many
issues are a matter of great urgency.
If an area of rainforest is not saved
this year, ten, twenty or thirty species
could be irrevocably lost to
extinction next year. Unfortunately,
this is a scenario which is repeating
itself in countless areas of the globe.
Throughout the world, bird populations
act like an environmental
barometer, often giving an early
warning to the fact that man is damaging
the environment to an unacceptable
degree, and that some
action must be taken to reverse the damage, whether it is due to pollution, destruction ofhabHat or hunt
ing and harvesting of wildlife. Gone
are the days when protection of the
environment was seen as an activity
for groups with an interest in saving a
certain species of bird or animal.
Now it is recognised that it is the survival
of the human race which is also
at stake. And with this recognition
also comes the awareness that every
one of us has a voice which can be
heard and which can influence environmental
issues.