Anyone who has seen the grin Bruce Beehler flashes when he talks about slogging through deep mud in Indonesian Papua can tell how much he relishes his work. And who wouldn’t enjoy a job that involved waking up to discover that a bird previously thought lost to science had casually wandered into your camp? That’s exactly what happened one morning in December 2005, when a male Berlepsch’s Six Wired Bird of Paradise playfully displayed its feathers for the astonished team of scientists. That was just one of the amazing discoveries Bruce’s team made in the remote Foja Mountains. The findings made headlines from Ireland to Japan, capturing the public imagination worldwide with the possibility of an unspoiled paradise waiting to be explored. Bruce returned to Papua over the summer of 2006 to further survey this unmapped Eden, and is now available to discuss his astonishing findings and his passion for preserving the biodiversity of this pristine wilderness.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Birds: Bruce’s expertise goes far beyond the bird of paradise and wattled honey eater his team found in Indonesia. Bruce’s lifelong passion for ornithology extends to a diverse range of bird species.

Forest ecology: A flourishing ecosystem requires more than just birds, though. Bruce is an expert on the ways all a forest’s flora and fauna all contribute to its wellbeing.

Melanesia: Bruce heads up CI’s initiative for this incredibly diverse region, one of only three High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas remaining on Earth.

Foja Mountains Discovery: The wealth of biodiversity Bruce’s team discovered in the Foja Mountains captured the public imagination worldwide. No one describes the thrill of discovery quite like the man who led the expedition!