Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the NT Field Naturalists Club will host the 2006 Birds Australia Members Day and Twitchathon this weekend (27 and 28 May).
Saturday’s program will include a range of well-known Top End identities, including CDU senior lecturer in biology, Dr Richard Noske. The evening’s theme is Papuan birds, featuring an Indonesian dinner, a presentation on Papua Birding and a screening of the film, Attenborough in Paradise (concerning birds-of-paradise).
Sunday’s ‘Twitchathon’ involves teams of bird-watchers racing to find as many species as possible in 12 hours, starting 6am and finishing at 6pm, with sponsors donating money for each bird seen.
The profits will go to FOKTA - Friends of Kris Tindige in Australia, a small group dedicated to promoting village-based bird tourism in West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) through Papua Birding, founded by Indonesian bird guide, Kris Tindige. A prize will be given to the team raising the most money, as well as to those recording the most birds.
Kris Tindige has had many experiences with tour guiding and has led numerous tours and scientific expeditions through out Indonesia's easternmost provinces, with a particular emphasis on West Papua and islands within Wallacea (including Sulawesi).
In addition to birding, Kris also sponsors natural history trips such as to the Korowai and Kombai 'tree house tribes’ of Southern Papua.
Download the weekend’s program.