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About Alveus Sanctuary
Alveus is a nonprofit organization founded by Maya Higa that functions as a wildlife sanctuary and as a virtual education center facility to provide permanent homes to non-releasable animal ambassadors.
We aim to spread conservation awareness and education to the next generation through harnessing the power of online platforms, such as Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. We are committed to delivering high-quality, curated and well-researched educational content that tells a story, through series such as Animal Quest, and through collaborations with other creators.
Viewers can also follow along with our ambassadors and their daily lives at the sanctuary, fostering a deeper connection between our audience, the ambassadors, and the species they represent, while learning about the conservation stories for each of them. Each and every ambassador at Alveus plays an important role as a representative of their species, sharing unique stories about conservation and consumer choice.
Our goal is to inspire online audiences across the world to get involved with conservation efforts. We hope to create more awareness for the diverse planet we live on, and to encourage people to take action to protect it, with every individual being able to make a difference.
Why Twitch.tv
Twitch offers Alveus and our guests the opportunity to connect with online viewers from around the globe. Through educational content collaborations with other creators, and with our own streams, we can maximize the number of people we can reach who may otherwise not be exposed to conservation efforts and stories.
We see Twitch as an untapped reservoir for doing good.
Twitch's Daily Viewers
35 Million
Each day, an average of 35 million visitors tune in to a Twitch stream. [1]
Average Daily Watch Time
95 Minutes
The average user spends 95 minutes each day watching live streams on Twitch. [2]
U.S Market Share on Twitch
> 20%
The United States accounts for over 20% of Twitch's market share. [3]
Maya Higa founded Alveus in February 2021
She is one of the top female streamers on Twitch and has amassed a large following on YouTube and other social platforms. She has experience as a licensed falconer, wildlife rehabilitator, zookeeper, and conservation outreach educator.
Learn more about Maya and the team at Alveus
Alveus' History
December 2020
December 2020
Initial idea + 3-5 year plan written
February 10, 2021
February 10, 2021
Alveus Sanctuary was founded by Maya
A 15-acre property in Texas was purchased on which Alveus would be built.
Ella joined the team from the start to handle animal care duties.
February 2021
February 2021
Fund-a-thon charity stream
Over $573,000 USD raised through donations during the 20-hour long livestream to kick-start the sanctuary.
May 2021
May 2021
Fencing and pasture installed
A total of 4,000 linear feet of predator-proof fencing was installed around the property, and a barn was built at the top of the pasture.
June 2021
June 2021
Parrot Aviary constructed
A 20ft by 20ft wire-mesh enclosure with a solid floor and planters, plus an addon with enclosed rooms for the parrots to shelter in and storage for supplies.
Sponsored by Michele Raffin (previous owner of the parrots), and flimflam.
July 2021
July 2021
Crow Aviary constructed
A 15ft by 18ft wire-mesh enclosure, with a solid rear wall.
Sponsored by PointCrow.
August 2021
August 2021
Chicken Coop constructed
A 10ft by 20ft wire-mesh enclosure with a bark/dirt floor, and a 6ft by 6ft indoor area for shelter at night.
Alveus Tour Part 1
Watch the video and join Maya for a tour of Alveus, exploring the parrot aviary, the chicken coop, and the pasture. Meet some of our ambassadors and learn about their stories.
August 2021
August 2021
Training Center constructed
A large 50ft by 40ft wire-mesh building with grass inside, allowing for training and enrichment activities as well as hosting content collaborations.
August 16, 2021
August 16, 2021
First stream from the studio
Animal Quest Episode 1: Chicken Edition was the first official stream hosted from the Alveus studio.
October 2021
October 2021
Kayla and Connor join the team
Kayla joins Alveus as the Animal Care & Training Manager, and Connor joins as the Operations Manager.
October 31, 2021
October 31, 2021
Halloween fundraiser stream
Over $101,000 USD raised through donations during the live event at Alveus, with 34 creators from the industry joining us.
January 2022
January 2022
Fox enclosure constructed
A 40ft by 26ft wire-mesh enclosure, with a grass/dirt floor, trees + tree-house, and an air-conditioned indoor area.
Sponsored by QTCinderella and her community.
April 21, 2022
April 21, 2022
First educational collaboration stream
Jack Manifold and his community joined us at Alveus for a stream exploring Alveus, getting to know many of our ambassadors at the sanctuary and learning about their conservation missions.
April 2022
April 2022
Art Auction fundraiser
Livestream viewers donated over $42,000 USD for signed prints and artwork produced by the ambassadors at Alveus.
September 2022
September 2022
Falcon/Crow Aviary constructed
Originally built for Orion, Alveus' falcon, prior to his passing. Re-purposed as the new crow aviary.
A two-part enclosure with a 8ft by 17ft sheltered indoor area and a 12ft by 17ft wire-mesh outdoor area, all with pea-gravel flooring.
Sponsored by Oni Studios, and Merkx.
Alveus Tour Part 2
Watch the video and join Maya for a tour around more of Alveus, exploring the training center, the studio, the reptile room and critter cave, the nutrition house, crow aviary and the new fox enclosure.
November 16, 2022
November 16, 2022
24/7 live-cam streams started
Alveus started streaming 24/7 on Twitch with live cams of many of our ambassadors.
February 2023
February 2023
Valentine's Day fundraiser
Over $40,000 USD was donated by viewers of the livestream event, with hand-crafted plushies being sent to 24 donors.
April 2023
April 2023
Art Auction fundraiser
Over 30 pieces of artwork produced by our ambassadors, and over 250 signed prints, were donated for during the event, raising over $63,000 USD.
June 2023
June 2023
Marmoset enclosure retro-fitted
The original crow aviary was retro-fitted, with a new 8ft by 18ft indoor area added to the rear to provide air-conditioned shelter for the marmosets and space to store supplies.
July 2023
July 2023
Lindsay joins the Alveus team
Bringing a wealth of animal care experience and knowledge, Lindsay joins the team as an Animal Care Coordinator.
July 2023
July 2023
Summer Camp and merch drop
Alveus hosted a 24-hour long charity stream from the training center, accompanied by a limited-time merch drop to raise funds for the sanctuary.
November 2023
November 2023
Fall Carnival
To celebrate fall and raise some money for the sanctuary, Alveus hosted a carnival-themed stream where live viewers could compete against each other and the ambassadors in mini-games.
January 2024
January 2024
Nomination for Streamer Awards
Alveus Sanctuary was nominated, along with three other Twitch channels, for the Streamer Awards 2024 in the category of Best Shared Channel.
February 2024
February 2024
Valentine's Day fundraiser
Once again, Alveus hosted a fundraiser for Valentine's Day, sending over 450 signed postcards to donors, raising over $32,000 USD.
April 2024
April 2024
Sruti joins the Alveus team
As the number of ambassadors at Alveus continues to grow, Sruti joins the team as an Animal Care Coordinator.
May 2024
May 2024
Wolf enclosure constructed
Located behind the crow and fox enclosures, the wolf enclosure is a massive open-air 200ft by 65ft enclosure, including a river/pond, with a 30ft by 30ft air-conditioned indoor area on the side.
May 2024
May 2024
Art Auction fundraiser
Once again hosted in the Session Yard at Alveus, the art auction sold 35 paintings from the ambassadors, and just under 500 postcards, raising over $44,000 USD.
July 2024
July 2024
Summer Camp and merch drop
Accompanied by a limited-time merch drop, Alveus hosted a 12-hour long stream for the staff at Alveus to participate in some fun activities, with over 3 million minutes watched live by the end.
July 2024
July 2024
Amanda joins the Alveus team
Revealed during the Summer Camp stream, Amanda joins the team as another Animal Care Coordinator.
November 2024
November 2024
Fall Carnival
Celebrating fall and halloween once again, live viewers tuned in to a fundraising stream at Alveus where they could participate in games and activities with the ambassadors.
Alveus Recap 2024
Join Connor in this video as he recaps the progress at Alveus in 2024, reviewing the additions to the sanctuary as well as the data behind the growth of the organization. He also takes a look back at how it all started and shares some of the plans for the coming year.
January 2025
January 2025
Lukas joins the Alveus team
Announced at the start of the year, Lukas joins the team as the Herpetology & Invert Lead as well as a Habitat Specialist.
March 5, 2025
March 5, 2025
New studio launch
Alveus unveils a completely refurbished studio space, featuring live plant walls, an interactive whiteboard, a new fish tank and improved equipment for live streams.
April 2025
April 2025
Art Auction fundraiser
Celebrating Earth Day and hosted in the Session Yard at Alveus, the art auction sold 36 pieces of art from the ambassadors and staff, as well as over 450 signed prints, raising over $87,000 USD.
Platinum rated transparency
Alveus' transparency has been rated platinum on Candid (GuideStar). Candid is a leading source of information on non-profit organizations, helping donors and funders make informed decisions about their support. Check out our non-profit profile on Candid.
Three-star charity rating
Alveus has also attained a three-star rating from Charity Navigator, a powerful trust indicator recognizing our commitment to accountability and transparency. Charity Navigator is America's largest and most-utilized independent charity evaluator, an unbiased and trusted source of information for more than 11 million donors annually. Explore our Charity Navigator profile.
