Birds-of-Paradise Help Turn a Country Toward Conservation

In 2018, when leaders in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, in Indonesian New Guinea, pledged to protect 70% of their remaining intact rainforests, the Cornell Lab provided science, compelling stories, and inspirational film and photography of the birds-of-paradise to raise awareness of this ambitious and important effort.

Watch the video above to learn more about the #DefendingParadise campaign and how you can lend your voice to support the protection of the tropical forests of eastern Indonesia.

Now, the Lab is partnering with the Indonesian environmental organization EcoNusa on a social media campaign, “Defending Paradise,” to build support among urban youth in Indonesia and help conserve one of Earth’s most important and imperiled intact rainforests.

“EcoNusa has the ability to reach millions of young people across Indonesia who care about the environment but aren’t necessarily connected to or even aware of the amazing places that exist in their own country. They are drawing on our expertise and the Birds-of-Paradise media we’ve created to tell the stories of these forests and to build a network of people who will actively engage in their protection.”
Ed Scholes, Birds-of-Paradise Project Leader

Indigenous peoples of Papua and Maluku Islands depend on the forest for their livelihood. For them, the forest is like a mother who fulfills their needs. Many animals that live in the depths of the rainforest, including birds-of-paradise are also depend on forests for their life cycle. The video above the second episode of the video series Defending Paradise: Our Motherland, Home of the Birds-of-Paradise.

The powerful visual storytelling of the Center for Conservation Media’s Birds-of-Paradise Project is central to the campaign.