Project Leader - Scientific Education, International Affairs and Grant Applications
Stewart Metz has been a physician for 32 years, having served in capacities as a clinician, biomedical researcher, administrator, and teacher. He trained at Yale University (from which he graduated summa cum laude and Scholar of the House) and Yale Medical School, and was tenured Professor of Medicine at two major universities. He was Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Head of the Diabetes Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is author or co-author of over 120 scientific publications, and uses his biomedical background to enhance both the Medical Initiative of the Seram Program, as well as the disease and laboratory testing aspects of the Wild Parrot Re-Release program.
He left the medical profession of in 2001 out of a deep concern about the threat of extinction of some of the planet's most magnificent birds (especially the cockatoos of Indonesia), as well as the mistreatment of many of these creatures when sold into captivity. Stewart is a frequent contributor to Companion Parrot Quarterly, PsittaScene, PARROTS Magazine and LaJoie. His book “The Flight of Cornelius Cockatoo: a Fable for Children and Adults” (to be published along with a compendium of his essays, fiction and poetry) is due to be released in 2005.
BONNIE ZIMMERMANN - Vice President of PBW
Project Leader – Eco-Tourism, Public Education, PR & Marketing, Media Development
Founder of The Wild Connection, and Vice President of Project Bird Watch, Bonnie Zimmermann has been involved with the parrot world for twenty years. Like many people in the avian world, she started as a “pet owner” but gradually evolved to where she is today, working to promote education, rescue, rehabilitation and enrichment for parrots in captivity and developing programs to protect and study endangered parrots in their natural environment. Her passion and quest for knowledge about parrots led her to work at the California Exotics Clinic in Simi Valley, California as an avian vet technician, volunteer for the LA Zoo California Condor team, and work with indigenous American birds, as a vet tech for the Wildlife Waystation. To date she has worked in Central and South America, and Eastern Indonesia. She lectures at bird clubs, conservation organizations, schools and universities, and has written articles for Bird Talk, Companion Bird Quarterly, American Federation of Aviculture, and the Journal for the American Society of Aviculture.
Prior to moving to the Bay area, she spent eighteen years as a media and event producer in Los Angeles, producing commercials, television programs, and philanthropic events around the world. She is strongly committed to educating the public about conservation, protection of wild parrots, and rescue and rehabilitation of companion parrots through all forms of media and hopes to encourage the collaboration of knowledge between scientists, zoos, conservationists and aviculture. Bonnie produced Project Bird Watch’s DVD “The People of Parrots of WILD Indonesia” and is presently editing their newest project “Return to Freedom.” She is also developing a series of documentaries about parrots.
BARBARA BAILEY - Secretary of PBW
Project Leader - Merchandising
Barbara Bailey has been living with birds since she got her first budgie at age 10. It wasn't until 1985, during a trip to Australia, that her fascination with cockatoos began. She started breeding cockatoos in 1995 and found it to be very rewarding-and difficult and frustrating! Barbara also became aware of the growing number of unwanted and mistreated parrots at about the same time and stopped breeding after six years to devote herself to parrot welfare. In 1998, she and two friends founded Tucson Avian Rescue & Adoption Foundation (TARA), a 501(c)(3) organization. TARA has taken in over 500 birds and recently opened its own avian veterinary clinic, TARA Bird Clinic. This clinic also seeks to educate people about birds and Barbara has received training as a vet tech to assist at their busy clinic. Barbara also developed an interest in the protection of wild cockatoos in their native habitat and joined Project Bird Watch. She has visited Indonesia numerous times and has come to love the people as well as the birds. After a 27-year career in speech pathology, Barbara retired in 2002 in order to work with birds full-time. She is a regular contributor to the Companion Parrot Quarterly and a popular lecturer.
LORRAINE OTTO
Chief Financial Officer
Founder and President of Starfish Unlimited Inc., dba Starfish, a boutique located in the prestigious “Hamptons”, New York. In addition to her management and fiscal skills, Lorraine brings a profound passion
for the welfare of both wild and captive porrots. She is owned by 9 parrots, 3 of which are rescued cockatoos. A member of the Long Island Parrot Society, and a monthly contributor to their newsletter, Lorraine educates the public about the needs of parrots in capitvity. She is the Vice President on the board of directors, of Wings of Love Ministry, founded by Sister Barbara Seaward. Wings of Ministry seeks to enrich the lives of rescued parrots in capitivity, and to educate and enhance the lives of people, through interaction with these amazing birds. She has a BA degree, from CW Post University. Long Island, NY, and graduated summa cum laude, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She majored in Art and Design Concepts, and has specialized in avian art, primarily watercolors. She has created the various artwork on the tees and gift items offered on our Cafe Press stores.
DIANA HOLLOWAY
Species Specialist – Great-Billed Parrots (Tanygnathus megalorhynchos)
A parrot keeper for 20+ years, Diana had bred seven species of Amazons (several to the third generation) and five species of macaws before retiring her flock. Diana feels that promoting environmental enrichment, researching natural instinctive behavioral traits, and generational breeding, will ensure the survival of some species and therefore is currently concentrating on educational programs revolving around these concepts. Diana has observed her flock of Tanygnathus megalorhynchos (Great-Billed Parrots) since 1991 and has successfully bred second-generation domestic Great-Bills since 2000. This extensive experience provides Project Bird Watch with expert insights into this species, which is one of the ‘flagship’ parrot species in its program. Diana is President of The Amazona Society and Vice-President of The Tanygnathus Society.
Ms. Holloway retired from the field of clinical psychology but keeps active by holding a board position on a family and child advocacy agency, and as a councilwoman on the Bryan, Ohio City Council.
CHRIS SHANK
Species Specialist – Cockatoos
Chris Shank is a lecturer and educator on cockatoo care and training. For twenty years, Chris has bred and raised a variety of cockatoo species for the companion bird market. She no longer raises cockatoos and has turned her attention to promoting proper training techniques of companion parrots to the public. To this end, she offers her Smart Parrot Training Workshop to vet clinics, pet shops and private clientele. The workshop offers demonstration and instruction in positive reinforcement training, popularly known as clicker training. Clicker training is a science-based system for teaching behavior using a non-punitive, reward-only approach to modifying behavior. This method has proven to be quite successful when used with companion parrots.
Along with Chris' training workshops, she has organized and presented biannually, day-long seminars devoted entirely to cockatoo care, training and conservation. Her 'Cockatoo Walkabouts' have attracted attendees from across the country to listen and learn from world-class speakers on cockatoos.
Over the years, Chris has specialized in training cockatoos to free fly. She has published many articles on free flying in avian magazines such as The Original Flying Machine and Companion Parrot Quarterly. She has also lectured extensively on cockatoo flying, as well as their care, at seminars and bird clubs around the country.
Chris is very concerned about the future of wild cockatoos and their native habitat. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Project Bird Watch, an organization that assists the local people of Indonesia in a variety of ways to help save and conserve their indigenous cockatoo population.
JOHN SPENCE, PhD
Ornithological Advisor
John obtained his Ph.D. in botany from the University of British Columbia. He has been a birder since age 12, and has conducted ornithological field research and birded in North America, East Africa, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and most recently Indonesia. He is the author of 60 peer-reviewed papers. John's research interests include the ecology and conservation of rare plants and birds, and bird survey and monitoring techniques. He has extensive experience as a U.S. National Park Service ecologist.
Advisors to Project Bird Watch
MONICA ENGEBRETSON is a Senior Program Coordinator at the Animal Protection Institute and works on a variety of issues including, Captive Birds, Wildlife, and Vegetarianism. As part of her on captive birds, Monica helped to make California the first state to prohibit the sale of unweaned birds in pet shops and retail markets and hopes to pass similar legislation in other states in the coming years. Monica has also produced educational materials including a 16min video "Wild at Heart" on the plight of exotic birds in the wild and in captivity. Monica has had a lifelong commitment to conservation and animal welfare and holds a B.S. degree in Wildlife with a minor in Environmental Ethics. She is also a board member of the Avian Welfare Coalition. Monica traveled to Indonesia in 2001 and again in 2003 with the Indonesian Parrot Project/Project Bird Watch. .
KRIS TINDIGE is an experienced birding-and tour-guide of 11-yrs. He helped to guide David Attenborough in order to find and film Birds of Paradise for Attenborough’s acclaimed documentary The Life of Birds. Kris is heavily involved in conservation efforts in West Papua through Yayasan Papua Bird Club ("The Papua Bird Club Foundation"), a nongovernmental organization.
JOAN AND GERRY TILKE are artistic designers and consultants. Joan is an experienced artisan, and received on- site training in batik in Indonesia. She created (and donated to PBW) the original batiks used for our Seram t- shirts, greeting cards, and posters. She has just finished original artwork depicting the citron-crested cockatoo, palm cockatoos and a Wilson’s Bird of Paradise for our new line of Sumba and West Papua t-shirts. (See our Store for examples of all of these.) Gerry has converted these magnificent artistic donations into saleable items by overseeing and consulting during the remarkably complicated and subtle screen-making and color-combining process. Joan and Gerry share their home with Sammy (a Seram cockatoo; see "Photos").
COLLABORATORS
YAYASAN WALLACEAN
Yayasan Wallacean is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Ambon City, Maluku Province, Indonesia whose mission is:
Conservation and preservation of the environment
Understanding local community needs and finding solutions to the issues so we can sustain the preservation of environment.
Assisting local communities to increase their well-being without abandoning environmental health.
Attracting sponsors to sustain these activities, in order to make the greatest positive impact on the environment and communities.
Presently YW works with Sawai and Masihulan, two neighboring villages on the north Coast of Seram Island, as well as the villages of Yenwapnour and Wailebed in the Raja Ampat archipelago. The islands of Raja Ampat are part of West Papua, Indonesia.
Yayasan Wallacean supports community-based conservation of birds, forest and coral reefs by developing economically sustainable alternatives to bird trapping and habitat degradation. To date, Yayasan Wallacean has supported health, educational and agriculture programs in Maluku and West Papua regions working together with Project Bird Watch. They also promote and manage eco-tourism programs in Maluku and West Papua.
CEISAR RIUPASSA
Director, Yayasan Wallacean
CEISAR CHR. RIUPASSA was born in Banda, a small island in Maluku Province, in 1970. He first became interested in a career involving the conservation of Nature when working as a guide in Banda and Seram. Eight years ago, he attended a course dealing with the protection of coral reefs and began to implement that knowledge in the Banda sub-district because, at the time, the practices of the diving and tourism industry in the region did not stress protection of the reefs. After several years, Ceisar came to realize that conservation programs cannot stand alone without the development of community. In 1998, he and some colleagues founded a conservation-oriented organization named Yayasan Wallacea (Wallacea Foundation). In the same year, Ceisar first met a member of Project Bird Watch in Sawai village on Seram and was asked the best way to reduce animal (especially bird) smuggling there. Ceisar suggested emphasizing community improvement and welfare at the center of all conservation activities. Since then, Yayasan Wallacea (now Yayasan Wallasean) has worked together closely with PBW towards the same goals. For example, Ceisar is currently overseeing the project (funded by Seacology) to build new clinics in both Sawai and Masihulan villages.
NALDO SAHUBURUA
Indonesian Ecotour and Business Consultant
Leonardo Sahuburua (known as Naldo) was born in Ambon (a small island just South of Seram) and grew up in Masohi (on the southern part of Seram), so, like Ceisar; he is intimately familiar with the people of Maluku. Naldo met Ceisar by coincidence on a boat to Banda in 1994. He was on his way to attend the Banda International Dive Competition, followed thereafter by the tourist guide training school at Masohi. At the end of the training, he was appointed the leader of the tourist guide association of Central Maluku; Ceisar was named the Secretary.
Whereas Ceisar guided tourists in Ambon, Banda and occasionally Sawai, Naldo specialized in adventure guiding. He took guests across Seram Island on week-long treks. This continued for about 7 years, until 1999, when there was no longer any tourism work in Sawai, due to the social unrest in Maluku province. However, Naldo soon assumed responsibility for all aspects of the PBW MoluccaNut program. This involves convening a wadah (council) of townspeople to set terms for the operation in which villagers collect nuts of the kenari tree (Canarium indicum) from the forest floor. Then he must coordinate the complex operations (involving a series of different workers) involving opening the nuts (a laborious procedure); sun-drying them; transporting them to Ambon and then to Bali; roasting and packing them; and then shipping them to the U.S. Naldo is also in charge of, and our liaison for, several other of the Indonesian aspects of Project Bird Watch’s operations, including eco-tourism.
PROFAUNA INDONESIA
ROSEK NURSAHID – Director
ProFauna Indonesia is a non-governmental organization working for the protection of wild animals and their habitat. Formerly known as KSBK, it was established in Malang City, East Java in 1994 and has offices in Jakarta and Bali, with members throughout the country. ProFauna is the only animal protection organization in Indonesia which has a voluntary membership system, enabling the organization, despite limited staff, to achieve a great deal more than otherwise would be possible.
The majority of ProFauna's work involves advocacy campaigning for the protection of wild animals; undercover investigation into the illegal trade in wild-caught animals; and animal rescue, all using non-violent means.
ProFauna Indonesia has conducted numerous investigations into the trade and exploitation of Indonesian wild animals, with notable examples including:
trade in sea turtles in Bali
trade in bears and bear-parts
monitoring of zoos
illegal capture and trade of parrots.
They released an extensive report ("Flying Without Wings") about corruption, illegal trapping, and marketing of Indonesian birds, especially from Papua and the Moluccas (notably North Maluku province, a site proposed for action in this application).
Investigations are regularly followed by campaign and law enforcement programs. Research by ProFauna has resulted in several major raids on traders in sea turtles, with illegal trade reduced by up to 80% as a direct result. They are also actively involved in confiscation strategies under the auspices of the Forestry Department of the Republic of Indonesia. During 2002, they were involved in 28 confiscation activities resulting in the rescue of over 300 protected and endangered indigenous animals. They also seek to expose exploitative and cruel activities carried out in the name of conservation.
PUSAT PENYELAMATAN SATWA (PPS)
The Network of Wild Animal Rescue Centers in Indonesia
Indonesian Wild Animal Rescue Centers (Pusat Penyelamatan Satwa in Indonesian and shortened as PPS) have become an important part of the national program for the Indonesian protected animal management. Indonesia is one of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Fauna and Flora) ratified countries. One of the resolutions of CITES implies building rescue centers for protected animals, like the PPS in Indonesia.
The strategic function of PPS is to support the law enforcement effort for conservation of Indonesian protected species.
The need for PPS became clear during a Workshop about 'the Management of Indonesian Protected Wild Species Kept as a Pet', conducted in Bogor, West Java on 20-21 July 2000. The workshop resulted in 11 important recommendations, one of them being the building of rescue centers for protected wild animals derived from law enforcement effort.
PHKA (Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of Forestry Department as the CITES Management Authority in Indonesia), the Gibbon Foundation (GF) and partners from Indonesian NGOs have developed a program for the founding of 10 Wild Animal Rescue Centers (PPS) through Indonesia. Up to the beginning of 2004, 9 PPS have been developed and are in operation.
Today, plans for new rescue centers in Medan (North Sumatra), and Biak (Papua) are being processed. Formally, the existence of PPS is acknowledged by SK Menhut (Forestry Minister Decree) No. 447/Kpts-II/2003 on article 117 about Procedures of Harvesting or Capturing and Distribution of Wild Animals and Plants.
To reinforce the work of PPS, a PPS Network has been established, consisting of a partnership between the Forestry department and the management of the PPS. The PPS Network has been built to develop consensus and commitment to law enforcement for the conservation of government-protected wild animals.
In conclusion, the main goal of PPS is to take care of the confiscated animals and, if possible, release them into their natural habitat again. Furthermore, PPS is a center for environment education, especially regarding animal protection, monitors the trade in protected wild animals and supports the preservation of several conservation areas.
In running the Centers, PPS has 4 targets:
Decreasing the number of protected species which are illegally circulating (traded, kept, smuggled, handed over, etc).
The guarantee of animal welfare of protected animals (based on IUCN criteria).
A shorter animal transit time to reach the nearest PPS.
The readiness of animal release locations.
selected release programs as examples:
Releasing Program of Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelli), which is managed by PanEco (Project of Sumatran Orangutan);
Releasing Program of Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), which is managed by PROWS, the Malayan sun bear sanctuary;
Releasing Program of Javan Gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Javan Ebony langur (Trachypithecus cristatus), Surili (Presbytis comata) and bird of prey (raptor) which is managed by PPS Cikananga with its Research Station in CA Takokak, Cianjur-West Java;
Releasing Program of the sea raptor which will be managed by PPS Jogjakarta with the Karimun Jawa National Park-Central Java as the releasing location .
