Hundreds of Photos!

Check out our U.S. project teams photos from Istanbul and Dushanbe at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25807896@N07/

Zoo Project Updates April 28, 2008

This week was very busy. There was a lot of hard work. We completed the improvements of the wild pig habitat and the room for a new Volunteer and Information Resource Center. In addition, I have negotiated with Zoo Director to create a legal volunteer organization with volunteer regulations, rules, rights and obligations.

Today we have moved the wild pigs to their improved habitat. The pigs are so happy
now! I think the pigs still can’t believe to have real dirt and a big water pool.

The room for Volunteer and Information Resource Center is almost completed. Tomorrow we will just paint the floor, clean the carpets and furniture, fix up the lock and have a phone cable for a very nice VIRC office.

It was negotiated with the Dushanbe Zoo to create a "legal" volunteer organization with volunteer waivers, staff regulations, rules, rights and obligations. That would be great to use the same legal form of organization in Dushanbe Zoo as it is at Black Pine Animal Park.

We will start the process using samples from Black Pine. We will translate the core documents, we will need to hire a professional lawyer to complete the registration or legalization portions.

I think, once we complete the repairs of the office and install computers for the
Volunteer and Information Resource Center, it will provide more opportunities to arrange meetings with volunteers and to work on more detailed planning. At least there will be safer sockets to plug in the computer equipment!

The status for the lion’s habitat: We need a special construction worker to weld the upper levels of fence and rolls. We made a request to the mayor's office to help us with this. We hope to get it going next week.

Most of our volunteers are school students. We may have a lack of volunteers because of oncoming school exams. Students are very busy with getting ready for their school examinations.

Regards,
Victor (Ibragimov)