We are proud to announce that Dr. Aparajita Choudhury of India is one of five 2007 recipients of a Home Study Course in Bird Biology Scholarship.

Dr. Aparajita Choudhury is a veterinary surgeon, currently working for International Animal Rescue in Goa, India. She assists with wildlife rescue efforts to assist stray animals (many of which are birds). Previous employment included working as a Veterinary Officer at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Noida, near Delhi. Her work basically includes neutering and vaccinating stray animals, as well as emergency rescues of sick or injured animals and birds. The SPCA there also handles cases of cruelty and illegal trade of animals. Dr. Choudry has been interested in birds and nature since childhood and she feels lucky to have grown up in the countryside. Her parents encouraged her to observe nature closely, identify birds and insects, and collect wildflowers and fossils. Her interest in animals and birds led her to become a veterinarian. Further on, her interest in emergency rescues and rehabilitation led her to do her post-graduation studies in Veterinary Surgery and Anesthesia, with one-year of research in Canine Ophthalmology. Dr. Choudry is currently participating in a one year correspondence course with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on ‘Basic awareness of Ornithology’, which will conclude in October 2008.

Dr. Choudry has been to several bird watching trips to major birding hotspots in India, such as the Ramsar sites, Loktak, Chilka, and Pulicat Lakes, and Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Recently she has been networking with the Extension Departments of various Veterinary colleges of India to raise awareness about the near extinction of the Indian Vultures due to the use of the drug Diclophenac Sodium. Dr. Choudry applied for the Home Study Course Scholarship, because she felt that it would provide her with a broad-based, in-depth understanding of the birds of the world. In her role as a vet she is required to identify and treat exotic birds, as well as educate their owners (who are generally children) on their normal physiology, behavior and nutrition. The rescue and rehabilitation of illegally imported exotic or endandgered species is an issue that she expects to be associated with in future years. Her work also requires a good knowledge of the birds of the world and their natural habits and habitats. In addition, she is also interested in raisisng awareness about conservation and wildlife issues among the youth and especially in the veterinary community. Dr. Choudry believes that the Home Study Course will provide her with the requisite training and information that she needs in order to fulfill these roles.

Congratulations, Dr. Aparajita Choudhury!

We are proud to announce that Richard Elsam of England is one of five 2007 recipients of a Home Study Course in Bird Biology Scholarship.

Richard studied Agricultural Sciences at the National University of Asuncion and went on to do his postgraduate studies in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development with Imperial College - University of London. His interest in birds began while working on sustainable development projects with Guyra Paraguay, the local BirdLife International partner. During this time, Richard further developed his knowledge and interest in Paraguay’s avifauna and was able to contribute to the ornithological components of several other Guyra Paraguay projects. Amongst his most recent achievements, Richard has compiled an illustrated ‘Guide to the Birds of the Humid Chaco’ as part of the results of a joint Darwin Initiative - Natural History Museum - Guyra Paraguay project in Paraguay and Argentina. He then went on to work as a consultant for UNDP and GEF funded sustainable development and climate change projects with Paraguay’s Ministry of the Environment, SEAM.

More recently, Richard has moved to England where he has been taken on as an Agriculture Policy Research Assistant with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), while also helping out at ‘Aren’t Birds Brilliant’ public events in London, where the RSPB brings birds and people closer together. He is also carrying out research for BirdLife’s Caribbean Program and volunteering with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species.

Richard strongly feels that through effective research, policy and advocacy mechanisms, environmental conservation and sustainable agricultural development can work together to ensure enough food is produced for an ever-increasing global population, while having a minimal impact on the natural environment.

The Home Study Course Scholarship Program will provide Richard with the opportunity to receive further formal training in ornithology while he continues researching more sustainable farming practices that are less damaging to birds and the environment at large. Richard plans to apply this knowledge in Paraguay where, in spite of a growing awareness and local interest in nature, unsustainable agricultural practices and misguided rural development continue to be strong potential threats to the environment.

Congratulations, Richard Elsam!

We are proud to announce that Karim Kara of Kenya is one of five 2007 recipients of a Home Study Course in Bird Biology Scholarship.

Karim Kara is employed in Mombasa, Kenya, where he also resides. For several years now he has been interested in Ornithology and has volunteered with the Museums of Kenya/Nature Kenya, as well as Arocha Kenya for their bird counts and bird banding programs. Karim believes that the Home Study Course in Bird Biology will assist him in attaining further knowledge regarding birds and bird studies. It will add to the advantages that his previous and current experiences have earned for him in the field outside the academic umbrella, and will also alllow him to project himself as a more experienced and professional Ornithologist in the field of conservation in his area of the world. Karim is hopeful that he will be able to apply the knowledge gained from taking the Lab's home study course towards bringing harmony to what he refers to as a fading world of nature, and to the people that surround it.

Congratulations, Karim Kara!

We are proud to announce that Godfrey Thuranira M'mariu of Kenya is one of five 2007 recipients of a Home Study Course in Bird Biology Scholarship.

Godfrey Thuranira M'mariu is from Nairobi, Kenya. He is currently volunteering at the Nairobi National Park in their research department as a Field Assistant. He attended Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute, where he earned a Diploma in Wildlife Management. He has worked for the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy as a Research Officer, and was responsible for ecological monitoring; collecting, analyzing, and logging ecological data into a computer, and writing scientific reports. He has also worked at the National Museums of Kenya, Ornithology Department as a Research Associate. While at the National Museums, he assisted with bird identification and classification; collecting and analyzing specimens; cleaning and treatment of specimens; taxidermy; and assisted with various research projects.

Before Godfrey attended college, he says that he had little knowledge about birds, but through his Ornithology lecturer he developed an interest in avifauna identification and conservation, which ultimately led to him acquiring a deep love for the birds. Because of this, Godfrey is grateful for the opportunity to take the Home Study Course, since it will help him to further his knowledge of birds and conservation.

Congratulations, Godfrey Thuranira M'mariu!

We are proud to announce that Ursula Poole of New Zealand is one of five 2007 recipients of a Home Study Course in Bird Biology Scholarship.

Ursula Poole works for the New Zealand government's Department of Conservation in the National Kakapo Team as a KPO (Kakapo Project Officer). She is based on two islands off the south coast of the south island, working to preserve the 86 remaining Kakapo (a flightless nocturnal parrot). In the past decade she has worked with many of New Zealand's rarest birds including the Okarito Kiwi, Takahe and Rock Wren, studying their behavior and trying to protect them from the many threats they face. Ursula believes that the Home Study Course will teach her the fundamentals of Bird Biology which will help every aspect of her field work, from understanding bird behavior to knowing more about bird anatomy and physiology for performing research activities such as bleeding, measuring, or doing radio transmitter changes. Because she works offshore, Ursula says that taking the Home Study Course is a fantastic opportunity, since she can study the course materials at home, as it is impossible for her to be able to attend university courses. Also, she says that in her area of New Zealand, there currently no courses dedicated to Bird Biology. Ursula is hopeful that the knowledge that she will gain from taking the course will help her toward working on her own projects, as she believes that there is still so much to learn about NZ birdlife.

Congratulations, Ursula Poole!