A few words about us....
Barefoot Conservation is a small 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, the community and other 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. The part of your expedition fee that doesn’t cover diving, insurance, food, accommodation, transport, fuel and local staff wages (most of our non Indonesian staff, even the CEO, work for free!) etc.. 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. Monies will go towards wages for Indonesian science staff and Indonesian English teachers, or supporting Indonesian University students to come study and do there thesis research with us. Some will go to support projects set up by the local community, or provide donations to the village.
Some of the money will go toward wider community based projects involving waste management: from installing rubbish bins around the island to keep plastics out of the ocean, to education on recycling (Ocean Warrior Project) and working with local rubbish banks. 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.
We employ Indonesian Marine Biologists, and Teachers, to work along side our overseas's staff, as we feel this is vital in communicating the importance of conservation in Indonesia and protecting the environment, to the local communities.
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.