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Macaw Me Maybe

Problem Statement:

Organizer: Intertwined Conservation Corporation

Poverty is the most significant underlying factor driving the loss of global biodiversity. The inadequate level of education of poor rural peoples equates to equally poor job prospects, frequently forcing them to have a high dependence on local natural resources, including the harvesting of threatened plant and animal species. Such is the case in Central America where wild populations of the great green and scarlet macaws continue to steadily decline due to depletion of the natural lowland rainforest, their capture for the pet trade, and hunting for food and feathers. In Costa Rica, poaching for the illegal pet trade, as well as the birds being kept as pets, are the major factors affecting their status. Without urgent action, these important birds could disappear in the near future. Reversing population decline in these species requires increasing fecundity of the natural populations while simultaneously decreasing removal of birds from the natural population.

Our Solution

Macaw Me Maybe is an online web application that promotes rare bird awareness through the use of an image rating system. Users can upload pictures of birds through the twitter hashtag #savethebirds2017 texted in or uploaded online through our web application. We seek to bring excitement to the community through user submissions, creating an online community committed to wildlife conservation. Submissions give local ornithologists data regarding a bird's migration patterns, nesting locations, and commonly spotted areas. We have created an incentive based system where users gain points based upon their submissions and ratings received from others. The incentive program will make the highest voted picture submissions availible on our online shop to be purchased. Proceeds will go to local ornithologists along with a specified percentage going to users of the top submissions.