Katala Foundation launches book on conservation studies in Palawan

Dec. 13, 2008 - PRLog -- On the occasion of the 10th year anniversary of the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program (PCCP), the Katala Foundation launches a book titled “Conservation studies on Palawan biodiversity”. This is a compilation of researches conducted in cooperation with or initiate by the Katala Foundation, Inc. (KFI). The intent of this publication is to share with everyone the diverse researches conducted in Palawan in order to work harmoniously for effective biodiversity conservation. The book launching will take place at Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri on Dec. 12, 2008.

Conservation Studies on Palawan Biodiversity is a compendium of 21 papers on land vertebrates found on Palawan Island and associated smaller islands, the Philippines. Most of the papers had been published earlier in journals but may not be readily accessible to the public.  Dr. Angel Alcala who writes the Foreword for the book said “Gathering them together in this single volume will make them more useful to the public, including leaders of the conservation movement in the Philippines and elsewhere as well as government officials responsible for the conservation of the unique biodiversity on Palawan. The Katala Foundation, Inc. should be commended for taking the step, through this volume, to inform the public of the results of its research program, its supporters and its research collaborators.”

The first part of the publication describes the results of KFI’s Katala Quest expedition in Northern Palawan, Philippines. Flagship species of the expedition was the critically endangered Philippine cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia, an endemic to the island nation. The expedition was designed to provide a better understanding of the rich fauna of Pagdanan Range where information on this species and associated fauna is scanty and outdated. Four articles are included in this section which discusses about the four taxa (mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles) covered in the Quest and one article on conservation education. The Katala Quest bagged the Silver Award from the British Petroleum (BP) Conservation Leadership Programme in 2003 along with 32 other winning projects among 360 applicants all over the world! The sponsors of the expedition were the British Petroleum, Fauna and Flora International, BirdLife International, Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society.

The second part of this volume is a compilation of conservation studies and researches on Palawan biodiversity which were conducted in cooperation with or initiated by the KFI. Several papers on the land vertebrates were published in the past by other authors, including scientists from Silliman University, Field Museum in Chicago, University of Kansas and California Academy of Sciences.

# # #

The Katala Foundation (KF) implements the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program in the Philippines and uses the Philippine cockatoo as its flagship species but employs an ecosystemic and participatory approach for conservation.