 |  SFS is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Center Director for our Center for Rainforest Studies in Australia. Dr. Nigel Barton holds a PhD in Zoology from Glasgow University, UK. Prior to joining SFS, Nigel was Director of the Steppe Forward Programme, Zoological Society of London, living in Mongolia and coordinating a conservation program to provide local and professional Mongolians with skills necessary to design their own conservation initiatives. As a consultant for the Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo, his work focused on defining management areas to help identify human-wildlife conflicts in the eastern steppes of Mongolia. Nigel's PhD research on raptor feeding ecology was followed by several years as a veterinary assistant and as director of a veterinary clinic specializing in raptor veterinary medicine. He has worked on captive-breeding programs for threatened species and an international research program on falcon conservation in Central Asia.
Nigel is keen to integrate research and communities in conservation bringing together NGOs, stakeholders, researchers and government to discuss environmental issues. As a professional zoologist, he has a wide interest and involvement in wildlife and habitat requirements. He enjoys all outdoor sports, especially trekking and hiking, and has recently started rock climbing and mountain biking. He is also an avid jazz fan. Nigel will commence his position as Director, Center for Rainforest Studies this June.
How did you hear of SFS and why were you interested in joining us?
I have been aware of SFS since reading about your program activities in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2003. At the same time, I was leaving for Mongolia to run field courses for the National University of Mongolia. Courses held in unique environments where real environmental and indigenous community conflicts are seen first hand provide students with a more effective teaching classroom. SFS provides this through their courses integrating research, community outreach and natural resource management for effective conservation.  Which of our Australia projects are you particularly excited about?
Biodiversity conservation is important worldwide and tropical rainforests hold such a large proportion of animal and plant species that there is an urgent need to implement conservation measures in these regions. As a zoologist, I look forward to researching the unique vertebrate communities found in the rainforest. More exciting than the individual components is to see student research projects developing as part of a larger research program and watch the progress as data are collected and analyzed, and management plans are developed.
What expertise do you bring to our Australia program?
I have just spent two years living and working in Mongolia, where I ran field courses for Mongolian undergraduates in remote areas. At the end of the courses, it was great to receive feedback from the students to realize the positive impact the courses had on them. Effective conservation requires more than just teaching the facts. Students require stimulation and motivation. I have worked in different countries and with different communities. I have worked with those exploiting natural resources for wealth as well as those utilising it as a means of survival. Previous jobs have required an understanding of pure zoology, animal husbandry, economics, politics and cultural differences, often on a global scale. I hope students will realize the importance of different sectors working together to achieve effective field conservation. What's the most rewarding experience you've had in the field?
My most recent "wildlife experience" occurred this summer while running a field course in a remote region of Mongolia. Having stumbled across a fresh Red Deer carcass high on a hill, I watched in amazement as more than 60 Cinereous Vultures descended upon the carcass in a very short space of time. Each of these vultures has a wing area the size of a large table, so it was quite a spectacle. Vultures have this unique ability to find carcasses and to follow the flight paths of other descending vultures such that they can gather from a radius of hundreds of kilometres. I sat close to the carcass and watched as squadrons of these immense birds arrived at the site.
 How did you get interested in your field in the first place?
As a child I was interested in wildlife and had a particular fascination for raptors, having trained my first falcon at the age of eight. Most of my summer vacations were spent training eagles, vultures, owls and falcons and as my career took a natural course towards zoology, I became more interested in the conservation status of these as well as other groups of animals. I became involved in captive breeding and veterinary care of threatened species and more recently in the challenges of running effective conservation programs. What advice do you have for students interested in following a similar career path?
I think you have to try something to discover whether you really like it. Spending time in a field situation is a great way to work as a team with other people who share conservation aims. You will have a much better idea of what is right for you. Some of you will enjoy the program's research components; others are more suited to social studies with indigenous communities. Still others may decide that this kind of work is not for them but may nevertheless promote conservation and protection of threatened rainforests through businesses or work contacts later in life. My philosophy has always been to follow my interests and see where they lead. The path to a chosen career is not as direct and there are bumps along the way but it certainly provides many more interesting experiences in life!
Previous Page Back to Australia News Archives Next Page | |