Sulawesi before meeting Papua Bird Club founder Kris Tindige in 2005. Shita joined Papua Bird Club initially in the role of legal advisor, and later began to make use of her NGO experience to develop alternative education programmes for indigenous Papuan communities.

 

Under the tutelage of Kris, Shita enhanced her experience of leading wildlife tours in Papua, Sulawesi, Maluku, Bali, and Komodo. When Kris sadly passed away in 2007, Shita chose to continue his work with Papua Bird Club and began leading tours full time. She has since become widely regarded as the premier bird tour leader in Papua and eastern Indonesia. 

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Although most of her time is spent leading tours, she is still able to support the local communities both through employment and income opportunities stemming directly from the tours themselves (as local guides, porters, landowners, cooks, etc.) and through volunteer work offering guidance and training to the local people. She is currently in the process of founding a new non-profit sister organization to Magnificus Expeditions, PAPUA KONSERVASI DAN KOMUNITAS, which will provide English language, field guide, hosting skills and other trainings with the help of collaborators SDSP. 

 

Because of her commitment to and respect for the indigenous Papuan people, Shita is welcomed by local villages throughout Papua. Some have even recognized her contribution to their lives by giving her name to their new-born daughters.

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