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Current Scholarship Awardees

We are proud to announce that we have chosen five scholarship recipients for the year 2009.

 


    • Bernard Amakobe

    Bernard Amakobe was born and raised in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, where a biologist friend encouraged him to learn science through the study of birds. In 1997 he started as a volunteer for the Ornithology Section of the National Museums of Kenya. He also joined the Nairobi Ringing group as a trainee in bird ringing (banding), and at the same time joined Nature Kenya, the premier conservation body in the region. He is now the regional organizer for the Ringing Scheme of eastern Africa and the Bird Activity Coordinator for Nature Kenya, despite a background as a would-be accountant. 
         Bernard is the trainer, treasurer, and mobilizing officer of the Nairobi Ringing group, a small group specializing in training amateur bird ringers. He has been working closely with researchers as a field technician for the past 12 years, collecting data throughout Kenya. He specializes in bird ringing, behavioral ecology studies, construction of bird traps, implementing researchers’ ideas into actual fieldwork, and organizing and coordinating field protocol. He has been the team leader on various projects, including research on Gray-headed Social-Weavers for Cornell University’s own Dr. Steve Emlen. He was a core member of a team collecting samples from wild birds for investigation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
         Bernard’s passion is to give science a human face, to make stakeholders aware that what they are conserving is for the good of all. Birding and ringing are powerful tools for spreading this message, and creating community awareness of their ecological importance makes research even more fun for him.
         Bernard believes the Home Study Course in Bird Biology will increase his knowledge of bird biology and will help him to train others, be a knowledgeable bird guide, and help him interpret complex ornithological publications.


  • Paul Gitau
     Paul Gitau was born and raised in Kenya.  His love for nature and especially birds came at an early age when he was able to nurse a sick bird to health.  Paul studied wildlife ecology and tourism at Wildlife Clubs of Kenya Center for Tourism Training and Research and has worked as a safari guide specializing in ornithology for the past 6 years.  His passion for birding and environmental conservation is contagious. In his spare time Paul volunteers in teaching the people of his country about conservation and assisting in the creation of rural birding groups.  He also participates in bird ringing and counting expeditions on a regular basis. Paul is among the founders, and currently chairman, of Kenya Eco Bird Guide Association, whose main task is to improve the knowledge of birds across the nation.
      Paul is always looking for ways to further his education and share the knowledge. This program will advance Paul’s knowledge of birds which he looks forward to sharing with his countrymen and clients. 

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  • Remy Lary

  • Remy Lary of Vermont is an artist who specializes in carving birds. He always had an interest in birds, conservation, and art, and started learning bird identification at a very early age. Throughout his high school days he volunteered at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science's (VINS) Raptor Center. He rescued and transported injured birds to the VINS rehabilitation center, and monitored Peregrine Falcons on a local mountain summit. He participated in the World Series of Birding in 1999, 2000, and 2001 as a member of the VINS sponsored youth team, the Twin State Tanagers. He traveled to Costa Rica to study biodiversity in 2001.
          After graduating high school Remy began carving birds under the mentorship of master carver, Floyd Scholz, and has been successful selling and exhibiting his work. Recently he lead a group of adult volunteers in counting birds in central Vermont as part of Audubon Vermont's Forest Bird Initiative, which keeps track of breeding bird populations.
          Remy hopes that taking the home study course will help broaden his understanding of birds. He would like to acquire additional skills and knowledge of birds to help him educate the community, facilitate his contribution to the art of bird sculpture, and to become a strong advocate in conservation efforts in Vermont and abroad.


  • Matt Lea

  • J. Matt Lea of Tennessee has four pet parrots and is a local aviculturalist who studies both exotic and native birds.  His passion for birds began when he was a child and progressed throughout his life. He is passionate about bird conservation efforts and protecting native bird habitats, as well as promoting the hobby of bird watching.  His work includes visiting schools and various organizations with his parrots to discuss and promote avian awareness and respect for exotic birds as pets, the responsibilities of being a responsible parrot owner, and the basics of bird watching and bird identification. In addition to parrots, he is especially interested in owls, birds of prey, and nest box construction and design. 
         Matt is involved in several ornithological and avicultural organizations and serves as the Legislative Liaison for the Southeast Tennessee Aviculture Society where he helps develop and lobby for legislation regarding exotic bird ownership, husbandry, and native bird population management.  He and his wife, Sharon, are the founders of the Greater Chattanooga Aviculture Society and are members of the Chattanooga Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society.  He has published several articles for Bird Talk Magazine’s online subsidiary, www.BirdChannel.com, www.SmallAnimcalChannel.com, and is a contributing author for Chattanooga Parent Magazine.
          Being a self-taught bird enthusiast, Matt hopes the information he will learn from the home study course will help him further his ornithological education and teach others about the fascinating world of parrots and other birds.  





Colleen Wanke


Colleen D. Wanke of Manitoba, Canada is an elementary school teacher who loves to bring science into her classroom.  She is an enthusiastic learner and has a passion for birds. Her love of nature, especially birds, can be traced back to her early childhood.  By the time she was able to drive, Colleen was an avid birder, spending many hours in the field observing and photographing birds.  Armed with a pair of binoculars, camera and bird identification guides, Colleen is always willing to share her knowledge with others.
     Colleen has spent many hours as a nature interpreter at two conservation centers, Fort Whyte Alive and Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre.  For over 10 years, she has delivered several Canada Goose migration flight programs and waterfowl identification walks, as well as working on the center’s Wood Duck conservation project.  Colleen’s recent projects to educate people about birds include a monthly newsletter, a website dedicated to personal bird and nature photos, a blog documenting various bird web cams, and the preparation of classroom materials.
     Colleen holds degrees in Education and Environmental Science, and she hopes the bird biology course will round out her strong conservation and ecology knowledge. She expects that the course will deepen her great love for birds. She hopes to gain a better understanding of birds and their behavior, which will benefit her classroom as well as her conservation work.  Colleen’s desire to learn more about birds and thus work towards conservation efforts and education is a lifelong commitment.




To view past scholarship recipients, please click HERE.