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