9-year-old girl raises P20k for critically endangered Cebu flowerpecker

A nine-year-old girl from Cebu City is proving that age is no barrier to making a difference in wildlife conservation.

According to Kuya Kim’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Gail Lim, a young environmental advocate, raised P20,000 to help protect the critically endangered Cebu flowerpecker, a rare bird endemic to Cebu.

"It is one of the species that is considered lost. This means these are birds where there is not much information from the wild, about their status, whether they are still around, or if we still have populations that can be seen in the wild," explained wildlife biologist and Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PBCFI) executive director Lisa Paguntalan-Marte in Filipino.

Gail became interested in the bird after learning that it was among Cebu’s natural treasures.

“I felt inspired to conserve this bird because I want to bloom where I am planted, and right now I am planted here in Cebu City. It’s only found here,” she shared.

She held art workshops, including one where she painted the Cebu flowerpecker. She also created crocheted amigurumi animals that she sold to raise funds.

“We did three art workshops. And in one of them, that is where I painted this bird. I also crocheted some amigurumi animals to raise funds,” Gail said.

Aside from fundraising, Gail also conducted awareness talks to encourage more people to learn about the species and the importance of conservation.

Her advocacy eventually caught the attention of various organizations, including conservation groups.

“There are many organizations who wanted to help. Some of them were active conservation groups. They were also inspired by my story,” she said.

Through her efforts, Gail was able to raise P20,000, which she recently donated to forest wardens helping protect the forests of Nug-as in Alcoy, Cebu, one of the remaining habitats of the Cebu flowerpecker.

The PBCFI has recognized Gail's efforts, noting that her advocacy helped bring wider attention to the conservation of the bird.

"It feels like it’s only now that we’ve really gotten national public attention about this species because of her. So the help she has given isn’t just about the money she raised. She’s an inspiration not just for Cebuanos, for the Cebu flowerpecker, but for all birds," said Paguntalan-Marte.

Despite the declining population of the Cebu flowerpecker, Gail remains hopeful that the species can recover.

“Every species is important here in the ecosystem. If you remove one species, then the ecosystem will be disrupted,” she said. “It’s not too early or too late to begin conservation."

The Cebu flowerpecker, which is endemic to Cebu, belongs to the family Dicaeidae, commonly known as flowerpeckers.

It is often found around flowers and flowering plants, where it searches for small fruits to eat. The bird uses its short sturdy beak to peck at its food.

—Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA News