BAREFOOT CONSERVATION

At the moment, there is a huge problem with pollution - primarily plastic - in the oceans which is largely self-inflicted; as writer of southeast Asian travel guide, Stuart McDonald says, the answer is in education. We started Barefoot Conservation to give people the opportunity to explore, but most importantly to help preserve and sustain the stunning Coral Triangle of Indonesia. This area has the highest known concentration and diversity of marine life on earth, and surrounds the remote island of Raja Ampat; whale sharks, manta rays, sperm whales, turtles, and tropical fish - you can find it all here in the Coral Triangle! We need all the help we can get to clean up these beautiful oceans, plus while exploring this underwater world, our volunteers can gain scuba diving qualifications, as well as the field skills essential for those pursuing marine biology careers.

We are a non-profit organisation, so the fees that our volunteers pay are used to fund the projects we embark on. Each project is designed to meet both the immediate and long term needs of the island and its inhabitants, and we work in partnership with the Raja Ampat government. Aside from marine conservation, environmentally, this extends to river and beach clean-ups, renewable energy programmes, and climate change research. We encourage our volunteers to also engage with the islanders through teaching English and educating them on environmental issues. Over-tourism is an extremely damaging factor contributing to the environmental crisis, but our mission seeks to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in the community so as to discourage unsustainable ways of living and combat poverty.

The money raised in this campaign will go towards the purchase of a new boat, something that is paramount to our diving excursions. We also intend to extend our cause to an additional location, Komodo. This is a fast-growing market that is nowhere near saturated, so we intend to take advantage of this. As a 'thanks' for your pledge, we are offering rewards - you can even join us on our stunning island and see for yourself how your money is used!