Mike, who has penned this week’s cover story, is co-founder of the Save the Gouldian Fund (STGF), which has been up and running since 2005. Many of you will already be familiar with the STFG’s work given that numerous bird clubs in the UK provide financial support. But for those of you who haven’t heard about it, the STFG is tasked with promoting awareness and funding scientific research into the decline of this beautiful Australian native species, whose numbers are estimated at just 2,500 mature birds in the wild.
One of the driving forces behind the STFG’s establishment was Mike’s desire to give something back to nature but also to reverse birdkeeping’s negative image. “With STGF we have a genuine chance to save the Gouldian,” he writes. “And if we do that, what better publicity could aviculture get?”
Indeed.
You can read all about the STFG, including its aims and ongoing research activities, on pages 14 & 15 of this week's issue. If you feel inspired to do your bit, then visit the Save the Gouldian Fund website to make a donation or send a cheque/money order (preferably in Australian dollars) payable to Save The Gouldian Fund to: SAVE THE GOULDIAN FUND, PO BOX 147, COORANBONG, NSW 2265, AUSTRALIA.
We plan on covering more of the fund’s work in future issues, so if you have any questions for Mike, do let us know and we’ll forward them on for a response.
In the meantime, if you keep Gouldian finches, why not pen us an article about them and share your experiences with other fanciers. You don’t need to be the world’s best writer as we’ll edit it here to read correctly, plus we’ll pay you for your efforts. Drop me an email to find out more…
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