This website is maintained by the non-profit French association APALIS (association for the study and conservation of birds of Casamance in Senegal). APALIS was created on May 9th, 2016, and its registered office is located in Réserve Naturelle des marais de Séné, route de Brouel, 56860 SÉNÉ, France. Its founding members, as amateur or professional ornithologists, are either residents in Casamance or regular visitors of this region.
The mission of this association is to bring a technical, scientific, logistic and financial assistance to the Senegalese GÉPOC association (Group for the study and protection of birds of Casamance).
Notice in the French Official Journal
GÉPOC was created on April 30th, 2015, by decision of the governor of the Ziguinchor region. During its constitutional meeting, the founding members elected Jérôme SEGA (President of Rural Council of Enampor) as President, Victor TENDENG (headmaster in Tionk Essyl) as Secretary General, and Simon TENDENG (doctor in Ziguinchor) as Treasurer.
The association has set the following goals :
APALIS wishes to relay the GÉPOC activities with the European ornithological community, to muster all available human and material resources in order to achieve these activities, and to promote cooperation and exchanges between both Casamance and European communities.
First target :
looking for financial funds for acquiring observation equipment and identification guides, as well as helping to the training of birders and to the logistics of GÉPOC projects.
APALIS wishes to facilitate fund-raising in two ways: by requesting the membership of the European naturalists and by submitting grant applications to key European agencies and fundations. APALIS will ensure that money reaches destination and is used according to GÉPOC priority tasks.
Second target :
Contribute to achieving the Atlas of the Birds of Casamance, mapping the actual distribution of the breeding and wintering avifauna all along the 28,350 square kilometers of that natural area. It's the essential starting point for any effective conservation action.