New iPhone App Raises Funds for Haiti

‘Endemic Birds of Haiti and the Dominican Republic’ Authored by National Aviary Researcher Dr. Steven Latta Provides Content for New iPhone, iPod Touch App

(PITTSBURGH – June 7, 2010) – A new iPhone/iPod Touch App featuring a rich catalogue of the birds endemic to the island of Hispaniola is raising funds for Haiti.

The new app uses content from the field guide The Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, authored by National Aviary Assistant Director of Conservation and Field Research, Dr. Steven Latta, and published by Princeton University Press. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Macaulay Library, the world’s largest archive of natural sounds, provided recordings of bird songs and calls.

A total of 58 species and subspecies that are unique, or endemic, to the island of Hispaniola, the birthplace of John James Audubon are featured. With comprehensive information on each, strikingly detailed paintings, and an astounding library of bird songs and calls, The Birds of Haiti and the Dominican Republic app is an insightful look into some of the most remarkable bird habitats on the planet. At the same time, it provides a powerful tool to support the rebuilding efforts of a nation in great need.

One hundred percent of app sales will go immediately to relief efforts in Haiti led by Partners in Health and Habitat for Humanity. Funds will directly support on-the-ground efforts to provide medical care and critical supplies to those affected by the earthquake, as well as to long-term strategies to rebuild stronger and more sustainable communities in Haiti.

“We chose these two organizations because they have a long history in helping the people of Haiti and have been doing amazing work there since the earthquake -- they really need our help,” says Dr. Latta. “Although Haiti itself has been deforested, many people are not aware of the amazing wealth of birdlife in Hispaniola. Seeing the images and hearing the songs of birds native to the island will, we hope, remind people that the need in Haiti is and will continue to be great for many months and years to come.”

As National Aviary assistant director for conservation and field research, Latta’s work includes research and conservation programs with partners in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island of Hispaniola (where Haiti and the Dominican Republic are found) is a high conservation priority because of the number of threatened and endangered species there, its contribution to global biodiversity, and the need for more attention by conservationists. Because many migratory birds that breed in western Pennsylvania also spend the winter in Hispaniola and Central America, Latta’s work has natural linkages to the Pittsburgh region.

The idea for the iPhone app was hatched by Kent McFarland, biologist at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

“With nearly 100 million birders in North America alone, we hope this will be a way for all of us to easily contribute to Haitian earthquake relief efforts and learn about the island’s amazing birdlife at the same time,” said McFarland.

This project was wholly underwritten by the partners,” said Green Mountain Digital Creative Director Charlie Rattigan. “Not a single penny will be charged for our time, effort or materials. All of the funds we raise from the sales of this app will go to help Haiti.”

“It was an easy sell to convince each of the partners to contribute,” said McFarland. “From the artists and authors to the publishers, designers and software developers, all leaped at the opportunity to help Haiti.”

Using materials provided by the project’s partners, Green Mountain Digital, creators of natural history guides for mobile devices, and Brisk Mobile, a Canadian mobile application developer, designed and developed The Birds of Haiti and the Dominican Republic app.

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About Partners in Health
Partners In Health (PIH) has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. They urgently need your support to help those affected by the recent earthquake. The work of PIH is inspired by three primary goals: to care for its patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world. Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers.

About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity has 26 years of experience serving families in Haiti. It has provided more than 2,000 families with housing solutions through a variety of initiatives including projects for new home construction, progressive building, and home improvements. It also builds capacity in construction skills, disaster mitigation and financial literacy, and works in coordination with community and government representatives. Habitat has responded to Haiti’s current crisis by addressing both immediate relief efforts and long-term shelter solutions for low-income families.


Partners of The Birds of Haiti and the Dominican Republic iPhone and iPod Touch app include:

Green Mountain Digital
www.greenmtd.com
www.audubonguides.com
A digital media company that designs, develops, and publishes interactive programs with emphasis on nature and field guides.

Brisk Mobile
briskmobile.com
Brisk Mobile is a full service mobile development house focusing on providing development services on all major mobile platforms with extensive experience on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.

Vermont Center for Ecostudies
www.vtecostudies.org
Dedicated to the understanding and conservation wildlife, VCE promotes conservation practices to benefit biodiversity. With a reach extending from northern New England through the Caribbean to South America, VCE’s work in wildlife research and population monitoring unites people and science for conservation.

National Aviary
www.aviary.org
The Department of Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary focuses on applied conservation problems linked to the impact of human population and resource consumption on birds, environment, and environmental sustainability.

Princeton University Press
press.princeton.edu/titles/8270.html
Our fundamental mission is to disseminate scholarship (through print and digital media) both within academia and to society at large. Material for this app comes from the field guide, The Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, published by PUP.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Macaulay Library
www.birds.cornell.edu
macaulaylibrary.org
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology uses the best science and technology--and inspires the widest range of people and organizations--to solve critical problems facing wildlife. The bird vocalizations in this app come from the Macaulay Library, the world’s largest archive of animal sounds.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Without Borders Program
www.fws.gov/international/DIC/dic_home.html
Conserving international wildlife and plants for future generations.

Barry Kent MacKay
www.metalorchids.com/artists-detail.php?artistid=13
A naturalist, writer and illustrator, Barry portrayed all of the endemic birds of Hispaniola in the field guide, The Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and shared them here.