British High Commission supports Guyana's Birding Tourism

British High Commission supports Guyana's Birding Tourism
Guyana Chronicle, 13 April 2008.

THE Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and
Development has received a US$8,000 boost from the British High
Commission and two 'Guides to Birds of Northern South America' books.

The Commission is assisting in sponsoring a training programme for
birding guides in recognition of the need and potential of Guyana's
tourism industry.

The programme will facilitate the training of 16 guides who will
undergo two weeks of intermediate level training at the Bina Hill
Institute, Surama Village, Region Nine, and at the Iwokrama Field
Station in Region Eight. In addition, three or five persons will be
trained as trainers, a British High Commission release stated.

The training programme is scheduled to start mid-May, and will be
conducted by two trainers from the United Kingdom and Peru.

Recently, the British High Commission launched a 'Best practices in
ecotourism' workshop to train and prepare tour operators and birding
guides, among others, in the tourism industry, to improve the
management of Guyana's tourism resources.

The workshop started on April 7-8 at the British High Commissioner's
Residence and continued at the Bina Hill Institute in Annai on April
9-10. The last workshop is planned for June 3-4 at Lethem.

The workshop is being sponsored by the Commission at a cost of 20,000
pounds sterling.

The Iwokrama centre manages one million acres of forest in central
Guyana. The centre's main objective is to show how tropical forests
can be conserved while being used to provide ecological, social and
economic benefits to local and international communities.

Features of Iwokrama include the only state-of-the-art canopy walkway
in the Guianas, bird-watching with over 500 species of birds, jungle
trekking through one of the nine designated trails, guided nature
walks, nocturnal wildlife spotting by vehicle, foot and boat, and the
Indian Island sunrise boat ride.

Another feature to come on stream soon will be a butterfly farm where
visitors can enjoy a guided tour, viewing at least 10 different
species. Visitors will also be able to learn the Amerindian technique
of using a bow and arrow. (GINA)