A few words about Barefoot Conservation....
Barefoot Conservation is a new and exciting, not-for-profit organisation that takes a fresh look at marine conservation and community awareness.
Our focus is grass roots conservation and community action. Our aim is to engage, educate and empower the local community to make sustainable conservation a way of life, not just a project.
We feel this holistic approach to conservation will give you/us a greater depth of experience and understanding. Through community projects we gain vital insights into the needs and values of the community and how marine conservation efforts can be integrated to benefit local people.
Our conservation strategy is to help the local community build their resilience to climate change, globalization, and the economic and ecological choices the region will inevitably face.
A major part of our scientific work is our marine research program. This will monitor and assess the impact of climate change, over-fishing, and pollution on the marine environment and the people whose livelihoods depend on it. The information we gather will be used by the local government, local stakeholders, community and NGO's to implement measures to prevent and mitigate ecosystem degradation.
What sets us apart from similar non-profit dive volunteer organisations (other than the stunning pristine untouched paradise location!) is that volunteers see exactly where their contribution to the community is going, and the ratio of your fee that goes into the community is very high. The part of your expedition fee that doesn’t cover diving, insurance, food, accommodation, transport, fuel and minimal staff wages (most of our staff, even the CEO, work for free!) will be spent on community projects. For example, this money may go towards special solar panels that provide clean drinking water for the community and you will help the villagers install them. Or your money combined with others may buy new school books or medicines which are vital for education and health in the communities. You will then help distributing these in the schools/villages and be able to stay in touch with the children you have helped educate.
Some of the money will go toward wider community based projects like installing rubbish bins around the island to keep plastics out of the ocean, but it won’t go to support a fancy head office far away and it certainly won’t be making anybody rich.
Our community projects work to alleviate poverty and create entrepreneurial solutions to ensure conservation is a viable and attractive economic alternative to current practices such as shark finning and/or dynamite fishing. By raising awareness of, and helping implement, strong ecotourism and sustainable fisheries management, we can ensure that the community and visitors benefit from the remarkable marine resources for generations to come.
Under our Indonesian Universities Scholarship Programme, we invite Indonesia's future marine biologists to work and study with us for free. This provides a wonderful opportunity for synergy between international volunteers and Indonesian students, sharing ideas and building a cohesive environmental ethic for the future.
Make a difference. See a difference. Be the difference.
Find out more about Barefoot Conservation and the work they are doing in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia