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About Alveus Sanctuary

Alveus is a nonprofit organization founded by Maya Higa that functions as an exotic animal sanctuary and as a virtual education center facility to provide permanent homes to non-releasable exotic animals.

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 ambassador at Alveus is chosen with a purpose, being representatives of their species with unique stories to be told about conservation or 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]

  • Viewers Aged 18 to 34

    > 70%

    On Twitch, over 70% of the viewers are aged between 18 and 34. [1]

  • Average Daily Watch Time

    95 Minutes

    The average user spends 95 minutes each day watching live streams on Twitch. [2]

  • Global Site Popularity

    35th

    Worldwide, Twitch.tv is the 35th most popular website online. [3]

  • U.S Market Share on Twitch

    > 20%

    The United States accounts for over 20% of Twitch's market share. [3]

Maya Higa, holding an owl in one photo, and a falcon in the second photo

Maya Higa founded Alveus in February 2021

She is a top streamer on Twitch.tv, with a large following across many social platforms. She is a licensed falconer and wildlife conservationist with a passion for educating others.

Learn more about Maya

Alveus' History

  1. December 2020

    Initial idea + 3-5 year plan written

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

    Explore Alveus events

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. July 2021

    Crow Aviary constructed

    A 15ft by 18ft wire-mesh enclosure, with a solid rear wall.

    Sponsored by PointCrow.

  7. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. August 16, 2021

    First stream from the studio

    Animal Quest Episode 1: Chicken Edition was the first official stream hosted from the Alveus studio.

    Watch the episode

  3. October 2021

    Kayla and Connor join the team

    Kayla joins Alveus as the Animal Care & Training Manager, and Connor joins as the Operations Manager.

    Meet our staff

  4. 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.

    Explore Alveus events

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

    Watch the collaboration

  7. April 2022

    Art Auction fundraiser

    Livestream viewers donated over $42,000 USD for signed prints and artwork produced by the ambassadors at Alveus.

    Explore Alveus events

  8. 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.

  1. November 16, 2022

    24/7 live-cam streams started

    Alveus started streaming 24/7 on Twitch with live cams of many of our ambassadors.

  2. 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.

    Explore Alveus events

  3. 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.

    Explore Alveus events

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

    Meet our staff

  6. July 21, 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.

    Explore Alveus events

Gold rated transparency

Alveus' transparency has been rated gold 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.

Gold Transparency Seal 2023 by Candid

Stay Updated!

follow @alveussanctuary on all social platforms!

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