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Statement of Aims of our Association

VEO’s Objectives

VEO stands for Vision Ecologique de l’Ornithologie, the French for An Ecological Vision of Ornithology, i.e. an environmentally-friendly approach to bird-watching. The aim of this brand-new non-profit organization is to train naturalists and ornithologists in those places on our planet where guiding tourists is often limited to just walking or driving them around. These training tours will be an opportunity for rich and fruitful encounters with and exchanges of local knowledge. Also at the heart of VEO’s mission is the aim to set up actions and activities which will raise awareness for the protection of sites and environment in the host locations and which will give concrete help to local associations and organisations in the work they are trying to achieve.

The funds which will be needed to carry out these aims will be collected thanks to other activities of the association such as tours, week-ends and parties.

So, our primary activities will involve travelling. There are two specific kinds of tours: those which are organised with the aim of enabling training for local guides, which are called “touraco”; and more classical bird-watching tours, such as those organised in collaboration with “la Formation Ornitho”, called the “épeichette” tours, and which help us finance our projects.

VEO’s Philosophy

All activities aimed at raising the public’s awareness of the environment pollute. Such paradoxical situations are difficult to deal with. A lecture, a guided tour, a consciousness-raising day will cause many people to move around, take their cars or other means of transport. Postmail, computers, telephone, all have a negative impact on the environment. Should we therefore stop doing anything? We, at VEO, think on the contrary, that we should act but take measures at the same time to limit this negative impact. We try to make the global balance of our actions a positive one for the environment. Can good bird-watching tours also be acceptable ecologically? How do we avoid the contradiction between travelling and polluting on one hand and training and consciousness-raising on the other hand? This is our answer:

We have established the following schedule of conditions that we commit ourselves to respect in all our tours ( both “Touraco” and “Epeichette”):

-to optimise and limit both the need for journeys and the use of vehicles;
-to train the drivers not to waste the fuel;
-to limit both waste and wastage (especially plastics);
-to choose and use accommodation which is doing the most to limit their environmental impact (by practising the recycling of waste, by buying and using locally-sourced and organic food, and by using alternative forms of energy wherever possible, etc.) ;
-to support the efforts of local associations and organisations, by working in collaboration with them;
- to visit protected sites (and being willing to pay any entry fees that may exist)

We think in this way we are able to offer the most positive possible tours in terms of both ecological balance and balance-sheet. We want to be able to claim after each of our activities that the positive side of our action widely justified and compensated its negative impact on the environment.

For the “Touraco” tours the following elements are to be added to our schedule of conditions:

-to provide direct material help to those involved locally in the protection of nature (guides, local associations);
-to offer support to agencies specialising in ecological tourism via advertising them on our website and to our members;
-to help provide training and awareness raising for local guides;
-to put on-line information and updates on nature, eco-tourism, ornithology, and any relevant trips or tours.

VEO in practical terms:

Becoming a member is a way of being able to support the action we take. You just have to pay the annual subscription of 15€ and to fill in the membership form at the bottom of the page. As a member you will be regularly informed of our activities either by email, by visiting our website or by post (if you have specifically requested this)

If our project appeals to you, you can also help us in various ways :

Take part in our “épeichette” tours
You will spend a holiday in comfortable style, and extend your knowledge of the natural world, birds and other areas, all the while significantly helping our projects and the environment

Take part in our “touraco” tours
You will spend holidays that are both exclusive and exotic in style, where you will experience an interesting approach towards nature and the country concerned, an approach that is distinctly less superficial than the usual nature-centered tours. You will be able to choose whether or not to participate in the classes and training of the local guides. You can also choose to give those guides support in what they are doing. Our “touraco” tours fulfill the same standards of quality as our “épeichette” tours.

Give us the gift of your time and volunteer some help:
VEO needs your skills and support for optimum functioning, most especially in the field of communication –the writing of texts, translations, preparation of events and activities, the creation of presentation material for our classes, of formal presentation sessions or lectures for our projects, and photos, etc.

Help us financially
VEO is a brand-new association (born in October 2007) that is not yet fully-fledged financially. All financial help is both welcome and appreciated.

Our account details:

- From Belgium: N°523-0416997-69
- From all other countries:
IBAN: BE71 5230 4169 9769
BIC: TRIOBE91
ADDRESS :
Banque Triodos sa
Rue Haute 139/3
1000 Bruxelles
Belgium

Give information about VEO
We need members and people willing to be participants in our activities. Tell your friends about us, encourage them to become members, and to participate in our tours and events evenings.

Become a full member
You can become a full member. This enables you to vote at our general assembly, and to choose our directors who will be responsible for taking all major decisions. You can support this association even more by giving your time to help establish our projects and by being willing to pay a yearly subscription of 100,00 € minimum.

 

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SUBSCRIPTION FORM TO VEO (An Ecological Vision of Ornithology) –non- profit organisation
VEO - rue de la Frête 23 – 1367 Ramillies - Belgium

Name…………………………………First Name…………………………….Postcode…….........

Street…………………………………N°…………..Country…………….Area……………............

Telephone……………………………Email…………………………………………………................

I wish to subscribe to VEO and to pay a minimum of 15,00 € to the account n°523-0416997-69 mentioning “VEO subscription” + my surname and first name

 

Signature

 

 

SUBSCRIPTION FORM TO VEO (format pdf, 296 ko , format doc 108 ko )