People working for the GFN
Chris Hassell - Australia
Chris being assisted with colour-banding. Image: © 2007 Danny Rogers. Press image for enlargement.
Chris Hassell is based in Broome, north Western Australia, where he has lived since 1996. Initially, Chris worked at Broome Bird Observatory (BBO) before establishing Turnstone Nature Discovery: a birdwatching and nature tour business. He has also conducted research and monitoring programs on migratory shorebirds during this period. Turnstone Nature Discovery has ceased its tourism component and Chris is now spending the majority of his time working for the Global Flyway Network.
Chris is also contracted to the Australian Federal Government to undertake shorebird population censuses at Roebuck Bay and 80 Mile Beach, north Western Australia, for a project called 'Monitoring Yellow Sea Migrants in Australia' (MYSMA). The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) also contract him to trap waterfowl and shorebirds for Avian Flu monitoring.
Chris's main role for the GFN is fully funded by BirdLife Netherlands until the end of 2009 and is a collaborative project with the Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG)
Volunteers
Projects of this magnitude can only run with the help of dedicated volunteers. I am very lucky here in Broome to have a fantastic core volunteer team. This help is augmented during the dry season when visitors who are staying at the BBO join us on our catching days.
This is hot and hard but hugely rewarding work and everyone is welcome to join in. A brief training session is given on how to handle birds and if we make a good catch then it is most definitely a 'hands on' experience in which you will, be involved!
I look forward to meeting you for some active research.
Contact us to find out how you can become a part of this exciting conservation initiative.