On behalf of myself and Pilar, I'd like to thank everyone who has supported our mission and so generously donated to our fundraiser. We are all touched and humbled by your support; words can never thank you enough.
After our designated search for the Pink-headed Duck with Richard Thorns and Errol Fuller in Myanmar Pilar and I will cross borders and head north to relocate to Assam, India, which also crosses the border into Bhutan.
We will be the humble guests of the Manus National Park, making valuable contacts and documenting the wildlife in the area. This part of the World also has historical accounts and records of the existence of the Pink-headed Duck and although it is very unlikely that it is still here any new information will be an invaluable addition to the body of data and the continued and greater understanding of this #LostSpecies.
Pilar and I will also be conducting some research for other projects for the GWC Lost Species initiative of which our #PinkHeadedDuck expedition has become a flagship expedition.
This is the beginning of an exciting journey for us all. We have a lot of hard, stressful times ahead of us. Trust me the ‘glamour’ of such an adventure soon disappears when the reality of time, heat, humidity plus the extensive and laborious travel kicks in. When you’re fighting of voracious mosquitoes, leeches and a myriad of other creatures that would like to dine on our European blood. The humid nights when you’re trying to grab some well-needed sleep and all you long for is your own dry, clean and safe bed. This is in no way an easy mission but we promise to do the very best we can.
If on this expedition we do not uncover a remnant population of our quarry then I hope to discover new data and species unknown to the natural sciences that will give us a greater understanding of this important environment that in turn can lead to an initiative to help protect and conserve these important habitats for future generations.
We will not give up until we have answers.
All our team and sponsors are in for the long haul.
Never in the history of our time on this planet have our ecosystems been in more immediate peril. We are losing more species every year than we are discovering due to the effects of climate change, environmental toxins and the ever increasing human population and the pressure on our planet’s resources. The more we understand what we have the easier it is to protect.
How do we protect something if we aren’t aware of its existence?
This is why we do what we do, to advance the body of knowledge, educate, protect and conserve.
The opportunity to work in this field of exploration and help document our natural world is a dream come true for Pilar and I. To work alongside Richards Thorns whose solo vision and personal dedication to finding the Pink-headed Duck have brought us to this place today. We are about to take the research to the next level and finally get answers to the question, ‘is the Pink-headed Duck still in existence?’
Of course, we firmly believe it is, in a small but viable number, going mostly unnoticed by the native population but occasionally showing it’s elegant pink head, although briefly, but leaving a lasting impression so that we can follow its shadow.
The habitat is most definitely still there, but for how long? The country we are searching has been closed to the outside world for so long. This bird was never seriously hunted and much of the habitat is still in place in parts of Myanmar so we have no obvious reason why it has all but disappeared. Nobody has really conducted a serious survey because of limited access and resources.
The work Richard has done will go down in the historical annuals of this species whether we rediscovery it or not, thank you for including Pilar and I in your dream and life’s work.
The other member of our team is the internationally renowned artist, author and highly acclaimed expert in endangered and extinct species Errol Fuller. Long before I met Errol his magnificent books where an established part of my library. His last work co-authored with my hero Sir David Attenborough ‘Drawn From Paradise’ is, in my opinion, the definitive work on the incredible Birds of Paradise, it’s a feast for the mind and eyes. It’s an honour to be working with Errol and I hope we can have many future projects together.
This year’s expedition is just the first stage in a much larger project. Next year will see the beginning of a documentary film project and a return and much longer field trip. None of this would have been possible without the full support of our corporate sponsors GWC (Global Wildlife Conservation), Bushnell EU & Charles Martell & Son Ltd.
On a personal note, the encouragement both financially and emotionally in putting this project together from family and friends and of course the people who have selflessly donated to our fundraiser has amazed both Pilar and I. You know who you are; you have our deepest love and gratitude. Thank you for your belief in us.
John Hodges and Pilar Bueno Oct 2017
#AnnHodges
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