Namory Traoré

Chef de la Section Promotion Communautaire de la Faune, Direction Nationale de la Conservation de la Nature, Mali [Community section head Promotion of Fauna, National Direction of the Nature conservation, Mali]

Today's Date: 26 Septembre 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Le jour où j'ai caressé un éléphant dans le Jardin Zoologique du Caire en Egypte. [The day when I cherished an elephant in the Zoological garden of Cairo in Egypt.]

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Oui: Une mare à 1(un) kilomètre de mon village [Yes: A pond with 1(un) kilometer of my village]

Now? Oui: Le village de Banankoro à 30 kilomètre au sud-ouest de Bamako, capitale du Mali. [Yes: The village of Banankoro with 30 kilometer in the south-west of Bamako, capital of Mali.]

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Mon animal préféré est l'éléphant. Ses dimensions énormes font de lui à la fois une curiosité scientifique et une curiosité touristique. [My preferred animal is the elephant. Its enormous dimensions make of him at the same time a scientific curiosity and a tourist curiosity.]

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Le défi le plus important de nos jours est la déforestation. Dans l'avenir, c'est la crise de l'eau potable qui sera le grand défi à relever. [The most important challenge nowadays is deforestation. In the future, it is the crisis of the drinking water which will be the great challenge to take up.]

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Eviter le gaspillage des ressources. [To avoid the wasting of the resources.

[translations done using Babel Fish Translations, http://babelfish.altavista.com]

PARK, Sung Jin

Graduate student, Wildlife Lab, Seoul National University

Today's Date: Sep. 23 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

My little house rabbits, which were brought from my maternal grandmother, raised in elementary school

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

a small remnant area near house where I could catch grasshoppers and nearby elementary school where I used to catch frogs, insects and so on.

Now? My rural house with a pair of tits inside of nest box nearby small stream and cliff

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Siberian Chipmunk! So cute and curious animal!

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Construction! Development! now and in the future. Immense habitats are being destructed and deteriorated!

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Please no more "waste" construction for election. Do not vote them.

Mrs. Madelaine Jay

Mount Usher Gardens, Ireland

Today’s Date: September 12, 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Visiting the majestic Redwoods with their lovely bird and animal life

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Sitting on a great fallen hemlock tree with my dog in our Eucalyptus grove with the sun shining on my back!

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

A dog, because they are faithful, clever, courageous, and delightful companions

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Overpopulation, if nothing is done about this

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Do not waste water, us it as sparingly as possible

**sent via postal mail**

Bernard O'Callaghan

Program Coordinator - IUCN Viet Nam Country Program

Today's Date: 17 September 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

2. Did you have a favourite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Long summer evenings were spent on the rocky shores of coastal southern Australia. This lead to a love of the coast, rock pools and marine life..

Now? - Any wind-blown beach....

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favourite animal is, and why?

Seals...... So beautiful and graceful underwater..... On land a little goofy !! We all like familiar territory - but sometimes must spend some of our lives in places less comfortable...

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

- Greatest current challenge is the high level of consumption of resources in developed countries- with no change in sight. In developing countries, poverty / need for income for consumption is the greatest challenge......

- Responding to the change in the natural environment as a result of climate change due to over consumption...

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Tread lightly with a small footprint..

Harry Schram

Executive Director, European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA)

Today's Date: 13 September 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Perhaps early childhood in the immediate vicinity of Antwerp Zoo, and daily walks through the zoo on the way to and from home.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Depends on what you consider “the great outdoors”. A large nearby city park was quite “outdoors” to us, urban kids. It was where I first went looking for chestnuts in autumn, or went sleighriding in winter, and birdwatching a few years later.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

I don’t really have any favorite animal (or species).

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Now and in the future : changing the behaviour of people/consumers to make them act in a sustainable way, is our only chance for global survival!

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Always keep in mind that you have the power to make a difference.

Emily Sanson

Communications Department, the Jane Goodall Institute
www.janegoodall.org

Thank you for your interest in the Jane Goodall Institute. We would love to take part in your survey, however we simply do not have time at this moment and on short notice. Dr. Goodall is currently on a world tour, which makes things very busy here at the Institute. However, many of the questions presented in your survey are addressed in Dr. Goodall's books. It may be helpful for you to consult these books; they are available at all bookstores and our web store http://commerce.janegoodall.org/store/customer/. Reason for Hope would answer many of the questions you posed. Hopefully, this will provide you with some assistance. We apologize that we cannot be more involved at the present. We appreciate your interest in wildlife, the environment, and Dr. Goodall.

John Berry

Director, National Zoo

Today’s Date: 9/6/06

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Scuba diving opened my eyes to the wonders of a whole new world.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Hiking along the C and O Canal and Potomac River

Now? The same

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Maureen, our 28 year old sea lion, who is the sweetest animal

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

current: habitat loss
future: availability of clean water for fish and wildlife

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

We should all work to make the world richer and more abundant in wildlife and natural resources for the next generation by living more carefully and sustainably.

**sent via postal mail**

Dan Mauger

Supporter Information Team, Friends of the Earth, www.foe.co.uk

Thank you for sending the survey. Unfortunately, because of the enormous pressures on time we are not able to answer each question in turn.

However, I can point you to the book Tony [Tony Juniper] wrote on a species that is very dear to him: http://www.amazon.com/Spixs-Macaw-Race-Worlds-Rarest/dp/074347550X

I can also say that the single most important issue we are working on is climate change or global warming. This is the biggest threat facing us and the lack of action by Government's and big business borders on a crime against humanity.

You can read more about efforts in the US to get action on the issue at:
http://www.foe.org/globalwarming/index.html

Eric Hanquinet

Curator, Siit arboretum botanical garden, Philippines

Today's Date: September 6, 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Impossible to select one!, I would say monitoring gorillas in Africa, witnessing the birth of a volcano, deep sea storms on small crafts..

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

The Mediterranean rocky coasts

Now? Africa (central and eastern)

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

I wouldn't know how to select one; it would be a lie..
The tiger because It is gorgeous
The gorilla because It is human with innocence
The whale because It talked to me

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

OVERPOPULATION, and the lack of love for nature, without a doubt, the total lack of education governments are giving to their populations to that effect, keeping it unconcerned for reasons of commercial, political and religious interests. (Developing nations mostly for overpopulation matters, developed nation mostly for their irresponsibility in international law making in saving biodiversity and control pollution)

In the future the challenge is similar, the materialist greed of men taking over respect for nature, their egoistic nature ignoring the better tomorrow for their descendents for their present enjoyment. Non existent sense of Ethics, self respect of our own species, someone has to tell them, education.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Get involved, because if you don’t now, there is no more time for those after you. The only substantial pride of being a human being that is left for you to have. Get informed, and talk around you, decide for yourself which environmental groups are worthy of your support, our governments are not interested in helping, we must pressurize them or we have to help ourselves.

For the least educated, and for the great majority of the planet's population, help them to see how to love nature, many don’t know yet there is something to love there..

Jaqueline M. Goerck

Director, BirdLife/SAVE Brasil

Today's Date: 04 September 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

When I started working for a bird-banding initiative at the University of São Paulo in 1985 and held birds in my hands for the first time, I realized how fragile they were and decided to dedicate my life to study and conserve them.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

I did not have a favorite place, I just loved being outdoors, observing small and big animals, enjoying nature.

Now? Still the same

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Such a hard question. I love to see bizarre animals in zoos. I think it is great to have national animals because most children or adults will never see these animals in nature. However, I think it is also interesting to see exotic animals (at least from my perspective), such as aardvarks and others, because it is unlikely that I will ever see them in nature myself.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Changing human's perception about the responsibility each individual plays in conserving the natural environment for themselves and for future generations.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

My advice would be that human beings should slow down, try to understand the importance of each one of their attitudes and avoid living in a frenetic rhythm imposed by the current society. This way they would be, perhaps, more likely to understand the consequences of their attitudes.

Les Carlisle

Group Conservation Manager, Conservation Corporation Africa, (CCAfrica)

Today's Date: 4th September 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

Teaching 5 orphaned cheetah to hunt.

2. Did you have a favorite during your childhood?

Yes Cheetah, and Cape Buffalo.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Cheetah because of their vulnerability and speed, Buffalo because of their attitude.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Habitat remains the main issue, Space for wildlife needs to become a bigger priority, the future lies in Tran frontier park encompassing different ownership regimes of land. Private Communal and National Parks.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

We have to change the way we use our resources and the value we place on space. We must start using all land for the optimum use including changing some parks to food production and huge amounts of agricultural land in low rainfall areas back to wildlife.

Luis Palma

Wildlife biologist/University of the Algarve, Portugal

Today's Date: 1st September 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

The sighting of Iberian lynx at close quarters and its wilderness habitat while I was studying them.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

None in special.

Now? Boavista Island in the cape Verde Islands, West Africa

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

The Bonelli's Eagle because I've been studying it for the last 15 years.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Global Climate Change and putting pressure on the main responsible countries to sign international conventions that may help reversing it, especially the United States.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Fight for awarding the future of mankind and our accompanying biodiversity.

Christine Artist

Private Citizen - Australia

Today's Date: 04/09/06

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

There have been many, but rearing a baby Pademelon was very satisfying.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Yes, the Kruger National Park (in South Africa)

Now? I live on a 100 acre bush block with lots of birds. Also pademelons, koalas, possums, bandicoots and the odd echidna. Also a visit to the Kruger Park whenever I return to S.Africa on a visit.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

To pick one is very difficult - I love All animals - probably beside man's best friend, my faithful dog, a Giraffe. I just love the giraffe - why, I'm not really sure - she is so tall and yet so graceful.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Technology - making things better and bigger - WHY???
Water - start recycling - you can't live without it.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Slow down - we're killing the planet (and ourselves) at a mighty rate of knots.
Start protecting what we have left - it isn't much.

Quote: When the last tree is cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish dead, we will discover that we can't eat money

Dave Taylor

York Green Party

Today's Date: 1st September 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

I tried to keep a ladybird as a 'pet' in a matchbox when I was a really quite a young kid. I was fond of it but didn't know what I was doing and so naturally it died. I realised that I was responsible for its death and that the captivity that I'd inflicted on it was wrong.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

I lived in a town but loved to play in the green and open areas where there were trees and streams between the housing developments. Due to in-fill development these places no longer exist in my home town and are disappearing in cities like York where I now live.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

Tiger. The majesty of these beasts and all the big cats really. I love my pet cat and occasionally think of the quote, "Why do we keep cats as pets? Because we can't stroke tigers."

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Global warming and other forms of climate change due to our unsustainable misuse of fossil fuels. The USA is already fighting wars for access to the last reserves of oil instead of working to reverse its dependence on the stuff. The problem will only get worse as China and India seek to emulate the USA's bad example.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Think global and act local. We have to change the world and this means making the worst polluters pay for their environmental crimes, however, we have all got to accept responsibility for this. It would be no use me criticising Bush and the Oil Barons if I were to drive around in an SUV, would it?