Welcome to the new Bushmeat.org!
After several months of work, BCTF is pleased to unveil a new website, with a cleaner look, better navigation and more features. The site is built on a portal system managed by Conservation International, a supporting member and co-host of BCTF.
The new site combines information previously distributed across three public interfaces: the main BCTF site, the Bushmeat Information Management and Analysis Project portal (Bushmeat IMAP), and the BCTF Information CD.
The most notable improvement in the site is reorganization of BCTF publications and short reports into topical areas important to understanding the many facets of the bushmeat trade. Called Bushmeat in Brief , the organization system includes over 100 newsletter articles and dozens of summary publications sorted by issue area, solution type, wildlife affected, region affected, and/or policy relevance, with dedicated pages for each topic. Each issue has a 'home' page with a brief summary, a featured article, links to BCTF publications and other resources, and a list of all articles related to that issue. The home page for bushmeat.org highlights two current or timely reports from the article database.
The new BCTF website took nearly one year to develop, and provides a new face to our continuing history and accomplishments.
Andrew Tobiason, who managed Bushmeat.org from October 2002 - September 2005, returned in April 2007 to assist the content migration to the new site. He helped transferring the content and designed the Bushmeat in Brief topical organization system.
"People visiting the BCTF website want to know what are the issues, what animals are threatened, where is bushmeat trade a problem?" says Tobiason. "The Bushmeat IMAP directs people to maps and research results, but we never had a system for guiding the average person to the summary information regularly produced in BCTF newsletters, fact sheets and other short communications. It was very satisfying to create Bushmeat in Brief, which not only archives old reports but simplifies the addition of new articles."
Moving the Bushmeat IMAP has been the most challenging aspect of the new website. The IMAP itself used to exist in three places - bushmeat.org (a typical, externally web host), a dedicated reference server (housed at the BCTF office), and a GIS server (hosted by the University of Missouri and managed by World Resources Institute [WRI], another BCTF member). The Digital Library is now part of the new website, but the Central Africa mapserver continues to be hosted by WRI. In time, the mapserver and "World Search" feature -- a geographic projects browser not currently available -- will be built on a Google Maps application.
While the Bushmeat IMAP is getting a facelift, the new Asian Wildlife Trade IMAP is getting ready for launch. The Asia IMAP is the cornerstone of BCTF's expansion beyond its historical focus on wildlife consumption in Africa. Fabiano Godoy, BCTF's Information Management Coordinator, is managing the transfer and development of both IMAPs.
Other New Features
The Bushmeat Education Resource Guide (BERG) is prominently featured and includes an updated "BERG Showcase" of education and outreach projects making use of the Guide. Two BERG videos previously only available as large downloads are now embedded as QuickTime movies for easy viewing.
A new Media Center includes information on the services BCTF provides to journalists, documentary filmmakers and others, and includes a list of over 60 newspaper, magazine, radio and television publications supported by BCTF.