Wonders of Bird World

from Wildlife Conservation and Photographic perspectives.

This is the 12th panel of discussion program is hosted by America Sri Lankan Photographic Art Society in Los Angeles California, USA to promote and showcase the incredibly rich biodiversity of the pearl of Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, to the world.

www.usacaaspas.com
Date:Saturday ,5th September 2020
Time: 7.30am to 8.30am Local Time in Los Angeles
8pm to 9pm Local Time in Sri Lanka

Panellists:

VIDYA JOTHI EMERITUS PROFESSOR SARATH WIMALABANDARA KOTAGAMA
Dr; SAMPATH S. SENEVIRATNE
Mr; BENNY ISAAC JACOBS- SCHWARTZ
VIDYA JOTHI EMERITUS PROFESSOR SARATH WIMALABANDARA KOTAGAMA

Graduated in Marine Ecology from University of Colombo and holds a PhD in Ornithology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He was an academic since 1974, at the University of Colombo and the Open University of Sri Lanka. First Sri Lankan Professor in Environment at University of Colombo from 1997. He has carried out research on Rainforest Bird Flocks for over 30 years at Sinharaja World Heritage rainforest. He is the author of 25 books and over 100 other publications on environment, mammals, amphibians and birds in English and Sinhala.

He was the Director of Wildlife Conservation from 1989 to 1992. He is the founder member of four Environment related NGOs and assisted in the establishment of the Coast Conservation Department and the Central Environmental Authority in Sri Lanka. He has been the chairman of the Environment Council, and member of the North Western Environmental Authority Board and the Biodiversity Experts Committee. He is the author of the National Wildlife Policy, Recipient of several national awards including the highest award Vidya Jothi for science contribution (2017); President’s Lifetime ‘Haritha Abiman’ Award for Environment (2016); and international awards, ‘Nature Interpreter’, Nagoya Prefecture, Japan; Distinguish Achievement Award, USA

SAMPATH S. SENEVIRATNE

Sampath Seneviratne has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Ecology froim the Memorial University in Canada. He is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, University of Colombo. He is also the President of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Ecological Association. He is a Consultant Biologist (Evolution | Conservation Genetics | Ornithology).

He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Bird Studies Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre in Canada, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Vancouver, Canada and a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, in Canada. He has been carrying out research at the Avian Evolution Node Laboratory, Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan endemic birds using phylogenetic sister pairs, and has been credited with the discovery of four new species to science including a bird, a tree snake and two parasites.

Mr; BENNY ISAAC JACOBS- SCHWARTZ

A California native, Benny’s innate love for nature was evident at a very young age and eventually fell in love with birds during a college study abroad program in Costa Rica in 2011. Since graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2013, Benny has passionately pursued work as an avian field biologist, international bird guide, land steward, and wildlife photographer working in a wide variety of locations including Central America, Yosemite, Trinidad & Tobago, Ecuador, and most recently to coastal Alaska. A selection of his photos can be seen in his self-published, A Field Guide to Birds of UC Santa Cruz.

Benny (or BIJS as many calls him) established the BIRDS by BIJS (pronounced bee-jus), initially begun in response to many requests for urban birding outings, the business has now grown to encompass; a nature inspired clothing line, bird photography and wildlife documentaries and of course local and international bird watching excursions. Based in Los Angeles, BUS offers unique and compelling experiences founded in natural history interpretation, local partnerships, low-impact tourism, conservation, with top-notch accommodations. He hopes his love of the natural world will inspire others to conserve and preserve the open spaces around them!