Conservation through
Exploration
Simply,
what is Frontier?
Set up in 1989 as the
expeditionary division of The Society for Environmental Exploration, Frontier
is a professional tropical natural-resource conservation, research and
development agency.
Frontier is an
international Non-Government Organisation (NGO) with offices in the United
Kingdom, Tanzania, Vietnam, Madagascar and Mozambique.
Frontier is dedicated to
conservation and research of the ecosystems, flora and fauna of developing
countries.
Being a non-profit
making organisation, it relies on volunteer research assistants from around
the world to undertake expeditions to developing countries and be involved in
vital scientific fieldwork.
The
projects
Frontier conservation projects are developed
and operated with institutions from host-countries, providing essential
training for local students and environmental officers. The projects are run
by a permanent field-based team of 4-5 field staff comprising of experienced
logistics and science officer, who are joined by a new expedition team of
about 20 volunteers every ten weeks.
Frontier's
main aims and focus points
The
promotion of environmental responsibility.
Working
with the local communities in the host country.
Offering
volunteers and staff the opportunity to gain field experience.
Developing
projects wanted by the host-country, yet sensitive to the local needs.
Providing
training to students and workers from the host-country.
So
what has frontier achieved?
Through its expeditions Frontier has had a
great impact on conservation in many countries. Amongst other accomplishments:
Frontier data has been
used to set up Marine Parks in Tanzania
Frontier workers have
discovered many new species of flora and fauna
Frontier has written
and published guide books and their scientists have published over 100
scientific papers and reports
Numerous Ugandan,
Vietnamese, Tanzanian and Mozambican students and workers including
Tanzania's FIRST female Fisheries Officer have been trained.
The conservation needs
of Vietnam and Mozambique have been brought to world-wide attention.
Frontier have devised
and promoted alternatives to coral for building and construction and played
a part in the prohibition of dynamite fishing in some areas.
