BIRDING PEOPLE - Guyana Birding News Vol 3
| IN THE NEWS | BIRDING SITES | FEATURE BIRD | BACK TO NEWSLETTER |
Ron Allicock, Forest Ranger,
Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development
Where in Guyana were you born? I was born at Lethem hospital, Central Rupununi, but I grew up in Surama with my family.
How did growing up in Surama affect your love of nature? My family always depended on the forest as a source for food, clothing, medicine, firewood and housing materials (just to name a few). Hunting and fishing with arrows and bow has always been my hobby and I will always love and respect that.
Can you describe a typical day from your childhood? A normal day of my child hood: Wake up at 5:00 am in the morning to start the fire so mom can prepare breakfast, then me and my brothers and sisters would head down to the well or creek for an early bath before eating breakfast. Then we would get dressed and ready to go to school. School ended at 1:30 pm and after eating a late lunch, my three brothers and me would head to the lake to catch fish; depending on what we saw, sometimes we’d hunt on the way. My mom and sisters would go to the farm to harvest cassava to make farine and cassava bread to eat with the fish or the wild meat that we caught. My dad worked in the farm all day doing the planting.
How did you first become a birdwatcher? I first became a birdwatcher after seeing tourists get so excited to see all the birds that I see on a daily basis. I could never understand why they would be so excited. When I joined the Iwokrama Ranger Training Program, I received a package with Nikon binoculars in it. I started using the binoculars and seeing all the beautiful colors that birds have and I began to get excited as well. After seeing one I always wanted to see another one and another one, and it never stopped.
When did you start working at Iwokrama? I started working with Iwokrama in 1996. I was a local research assistant for the flora and fauna survey of the Iwokrama forest with Dr. Graham Watkins. This is when I learned some scientific words and began to understand the whole idea of science and the outside world.
Have you been a Forest Ranger since you first started, or did you begin as a normal guide? When I started I was a local research assistant and my job was to take the scientists into the forest and show them where they can find certain species of trees, birds, mammals, fish, frogs, snakes and habitats and wildlife in general.
What was the training process you went through to become an Iwokrama Ranger? The training process was for two years; in 1999 the ranger training started at an intense pace. As a new recruit one had to have a basic knowledge of the surrounding area and forest, a sound primary education and strong environmental interests. The training involved caring and sharing and also learning.
When acting as a guide, is birdwatching your favorite activity? Yes because I have a passion for birds. I also always want to learn more about them and so I can teach others. Plus, there are a lot of birds in my county that are usually easy to see, and I find birders are generally great people to work with.
What are some of your favorite birds to spot in the field? My favorite birds are Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo, Crimson Fruitcrow, Guianan Red-Cotinga, White-winged Potoo, Agami Heron…there are so many more that the list is too long.
Are there any birds that you haven’t spotted yet, but would like to? I have not seen the Red Siskin and the Hoatzin.
In your opinion, what is the role of Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development in the larger world? I think Iwokrama plays a key role in promoting conservation and sustainable development, including eco-tourism.
You recently attended the British Birdwatching Fair, how was your experience there? I never realized that there are so many people involved in the birdwatching field. It was unbelievable to see the amount of people that visited the fair. I have learned that there are many countries out there that Guyana has to compete with and that we should not take things for granted – we have to be competitive in the birding business. I also learned two birds while I was in England: Wood Pigeons and Great Black-backed Gull. Finally, I would like to say that England is a completely different world from where I live, but the experience and people were great.
Are you excited about attending the Massachusetts Audubon Society international guide training internship next year? What do you hope to learn while you’re there? Yes, I am very excited about attending my training internship in Massachusetts next year. I feel strongly that by having this training it will help me to upgrade my academic ability and be a good tour leader in my country. I also hope to learn the basic steps in becoming a professional birding guide.
What is your vision for the future of birding in Guyana? I am confident that Guyana will become one of the best places in the world for Neotropical birding. There are many talented people in this country and I would like to work along with them, both to learn from them and to teach them what I know. I see myself becoming a local professional birding guide in Guyana and would like to help promote birdwatching in every possible way.
