BIRD'S PUBLIC TALK

Society for Natural Science
and
Grand Perfect Sdn. Bhd.
presents
A Conservation Talk

Title: “Birds of the planted forests of Sarawak”

By Dr. Alison Styring

Date: 09 August 2008

Time: 04.00 p.m. (Registration at 4.00-4:30 p.m.)

Venue: Conference Room 2, Li Hua Hotel, Bintulu

The Planted Forest Zone (PFZ) of the Forest Department Sarawak’s Planted Forests Project, Bintulu Division, extends over about 500,000 hectares. In the coming years, about 170,000 ha will be planted with the fast growing tree Acacia mangium to supply industrial wood, while several large forested areas of the PFZ will remain for conservation of flora and fauna. The GP Conservation Programmed is based on cooperative studies with local and international experts on biodiversity, conducting biological inventories with GP staff, university students and NGOs. GP Conservation plans to catalogue the species richness of the PFZ, and to develop an effective long-term biodiversity conservation programme for the landscape.

Dr. Alison Strying came from Batom Rounge, Louisiana. She currently acts as an assistant professor in Environmental studies at the Evegreen state college in Olympia, Washington. She obtained her PhD in Biological Science from Lousiana State University (LSU) in 2002 where she wrote a dissertation research about the ecological of lowland woodpeckers in the managed forest of west Malaysia. While conducting the study, she was given the opportunity to work with a great team of students studying forest recovery for their master's degree under the supervision of Dr. Mohamed Zakaria Hussin, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Dr. Frederick Sheldon had served on her PhD committee at the LSU from 1998 – 2002. On 2005, they began concentrating on a collaborated research on the plantation project. Among her research interest are avian natural history, community ecology, field methodology, as well as survey design.

All are welcomed and registration will be done upon arrival. GP especially welcomes members of local NGOs such as the Sarawak Nature Society, Malaysia Nature Society and the Society For Wilderness to attend and enjoy this talk.