Amidst the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 the Orangutan Veterinary Advisory Group (OVAG), has decided through difficult considerations to move the 2020 veterinary workshop to a virtual setting. This applied conference is typically held in-person in Southeast Asia (2019 – Jogjakarta), but taking into account the current global health crisis we want to make the best and most informed decisions possible.
Today’s world is ever-changing and our primary concern with the OVAG workshop is the participants safety and well being, but we also do not want abandon our mission statement even in this time of stress. OC is dedicated to the conservation of orangutans and their rain forest homes, and managing the OVAG workshop every year is a large part of that.
In deciding to host this year’s workshop as a virtual conference we are pleased to announce our partnership with the University of Minnesota in collaboration with their One Health Initiative via their Canvas platform. We hope that despite the strenuous circumstances we can still provide useful and informational workshop sessions for our participating vets.
All of the grants and funds specifically attained for the purpose of hosting the OVAG 2020 Veterinary Workshop will be held and contributed towards the OVAG 2021 Veterinary Workshop.
We must not forget that even though this crisis steams on in our own lives, the orangutans and other animals that have been at risk in the Southeast Asian regions are left without protection if we are not able to do our work. We are still calling on you, our supporters to stand with us (from home of course!) during this difficult time. Orangutans are counting on you to keep their plight alive!
As the pandemic crisis continues, we are staying up to date on all pertinent information and will update our website and OVAG 2020 as we need to. We will be curating all conservation related COVID-19 updates on: Conservation Amidst COVID-19
Update 4/13/2020
Subject: University of Minnesota Partnership
As part of our partnership with the University of Minnesota, the extensive website under Canvas, an online platform for sharing educational resources and curriculum, will be opening up this week for our OVAG partners and participants. This will also include a valuable COVID-19 HUB that will carry any and all information concerning the current pandemic, for both humans and animal populations. We are looking forward to this resource being open to both OVAG and PASA partners.
OVAG is working hard to create multiple resource channels for our partners across the world. We hope that this will allow rescue and rehabilitation centers to better operate in these trying times.
We Still Need Help
Due to COVID-19 our donation streams are beginning to dry up. We understand the tough circumstances that have pervaded everyone’s daily lives, but we can still use any help you have to give. Consider donating, sharing, following, commenting — anything to help spread the plight of orangutans and how everyone can help these dwindling populations
