Dr.
Htin Hla (Tony) Chairman
of Wilbird Adventure Travels and Tours
Known
to his many friends and colleagues simply as “Tony,”
Htin Hla has rapidly established a reputation for himself as president
of the premier birdwatching tour company in Myanmar and as a dominant
force in Burmese ornithology. Born in 1954, Tony studied for both
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medicine degrees at the Institute
of Medicine II, Yangon. After several years of practicing medicine
and later as a representative of a pharmacutical company, Tony then
made the switch to a new career in tourism. Today Tony is president
of Wildlife Adventure Travels and Tours Tours (WATT), which he runs
from his home in Yangon. Tony has unparalleled experience and expertise
in organizing and managing ornithological expeditions to the far
reaches of Myanmar: Tony regularly leads trips to Natmataung National
Park in Chin State, Kachin State in Myanmar's far north, and recently
drove the Ledo road where he saw White-winged Ducks from the comfort
of his landcruiser!
Tony’s
other great interests (apart from good food!) are ornithology and
conservation. He is currently chairman of the Biodiversity and Nature
Conservation Association (BANCA) Sub-committee for Research and
Field Operations. He and his BANCA colleagues, together with BirdLife,
attempted a survey of Gurney’s Pitta last year, which had
to be postponed at the last minute. Tony is currently working on
a guide to the birds of Myanmar. Tony is Myanmar Country Representative
of the Oriental Bird Club and a member of FREDA (Forest Resource
Environment Development and Conservation Association. Tony is married
and has two children.
U
Uga Chairman
of the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA)
U Uga served
in the Forest Department, Myanmar from 1965 to 2000 holding numerous
positions, namely; Extra Assistant Conservator of Forests; Assistant
Conservator of Forests; Assistant Director, Forest Department; Park
Warden (Hlawga Wildlife Park, Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary, Popa
Mountain Park); Deputy Director, and Director, Nature and Wildlife
Conservation Division, Forest Department, Ministry of Forestry;
Director, Training and Research Development Division, Forest Department,
Ministry of Forestry. U Uga retired from the Forest Department at
the end of year 2000. After retirement, from the beginning of 2001
to mid of 2002, he served as Short Term Visitor, Smithsonian Institution,
National Zoological Park, Conservation and Research Center, Front
Royal, U.S.A; Visiting Research Fellow, Center for Southeast Asian
Studies, Kyoto University, Japan; and Short Term Visitor, International
Society of Mangrove Ecosystems, Ryuku University, Okinawa, Japan.
Currently, he is a member of the Myanmar Academy of Forestry Sciences;
and Chairman of BANCA. He has a BSc in Forestry and Biology from
Yangon University and a Master of Natural Resources from the University
of New England, Australia.
Hazel
worked for the Division of Nature and Wildlife Conservation for
18 years before leaving to help from BENCA. Initially she served
as education officer and developed exhibits, slide and video programs,
pamphlets and other materials. During that time, she worked on several
special projects, including: Chatthin Community Education Project
focused on the Eld's Deer. Hazel also served as Myanmar Compiler
for BirdLife’s Threatened Birds of Asia project. She was also
the resource person for the Basic Wildlife Conservation Training
Course, conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society together
with the Forest Department. During the past five years, her duties
and responsibilities increased with an assignment to Moyingyi Wetland
Bird Sanctuary. Other activities in the wildlife division included
various field work such as annual waterfowl census, bird specimen
collection, wetland inventory and curator for Myanmar Biodiversity
Museum. She also participated in an expedition to the eastern Himalayan
ranges in Kachin State searching for Blyth's Tragopan and the other
globally threatened bird species. Recently she joined the Bird Enthusiasts
and Nature Conservation Association and holds the position of secretary.
Hazel loves nature, especially birds, and has since she was young.
Her father worked as warden of the Rangoon Zoological Gardens. Hazel
was brought-up in the zoo compound and spent her formative years
among the animals there. After graduating with a Zoology major she
joined the Nature Conservation and National Parks Project (now Nature
and Wildlife Conservaton Division ). Hazel is determined to devote
her life to the conservation of wildlife.
Khin
Min Min Thwin Admin
for BirdLife/BANCA Darwin Project
She is now working
as a Administrative Assistant of the BANCA, BirdLife office in Yangon
for the Darwin project, undertaking a range of duties necessary
to ensure the smooth operation of the BANCA, BirdLife office. She
has also worked for Myanmar Triumph International LTD from 2000
and 2001. After 2001, she had been helping her aunt Hazel Khin Ma
Ma Thwin, who was then a range officer in the Nature and Wildlife
Division under the Department of Forest, in conservation works.
She has a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
U
Khin Maung Soe was born in Saw Township, Magwe Division. He is now
40 years old. He obtained his B.A (Geography) degree from Magwe
University. He joined the Forest Department of Myanmar in 1986 as
a forester in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary. Eight years later,
he was promoted to become a park ranger. In 1999, he became a range
officer. After one year working in Popa Mountain National Park,
he served as a park warden (range officer) in Minsonetaung Wildlife
Sanctuary for three years and was transferred back to Shwesettaw
Wildlife Sanctuary as a range officer. He left the Forest Department
in October 2005 and then became an active member of Biodiversity
and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA). He has been contracted
by BirdLife International as an Assistant Project Officer, to assist
research on Gurney's Pitta in Tanintharyi Division.
U Khin Maung Soe has vast experiences to resolve park issues based
on training courses he has attended, namely: (a) Two-year basic
forestry course in 1994-96 at Myanmar Forest School, Pyin Oo Lwin;
(b) Training course on handling of forestry operation equipment
at Central Forestry Development Training Center in 1997; (c) Tiger
conservation training course in Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park
in 1998; (d) Training course on conservation and management of wildlife
and wild plants held at Guwahati, Assam, India in 1999; and (e)
Training course on protected area management held at Hlawga Park,
Yangon.
Aung
Kyaw Nyunt was born in 10 July 1955 in Yangon. He joined the Nature
and Wildlife Conservation Division of the Forest Department as a
Forester in 1981. He passed his B.Sc. (Mathmatics) with credit from
the Worker's College, Yangon University in 1986 and qualified for
M.Sc. He became a Park Ranger in Hlawga Wildlife Park in 1983. His
main duties were park security, wildlife census, bird survey, and
plantation establishment in the buffer area. He was later promoted
to Range Officer and transferred to Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary.
His main duties were the annual census of Elds's Deer Cervus eldi,
habitat restoration, undertaking education programmes in the annual
Shwesettaw Pagoda festivals, and helped the Warden in park management
planning. In 1990 he was transferred back to Hlawga Wildlife Park
and promoted to Staff Officer in 1992. In the park he was in-charge
of visitor management, recreational sites, the nursery, landscaping
and mobile education programs, and helped the Warden in park management
planning. With official approval, he was hired twice by Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS), the first time in 2001 to do monitoring
in illegal wildlife trade in Kakaborazi National Park, Kachin State,
and the second time in 2002 to do socio-economic survey and hunter
interview in Ponkanrazi, Kachin State.
He resigned from government service in 2003 and joined BANCA as
a member. He was again hired by WCS in 2004 to do park infrastructure
development in Naungmun, Kakaborazi National Park and hired for
a short period by People, Resource, and Conservation Foundation
(PRCF) in July 2003 to do socio-economic survey in buffer area of
Natmataung National Park.
Aung Kyaw Nyunt became an Executive Committee Member of BANCA in
2005 and has been in-charge of conservation along with community
development programme. In other words, he is responsible for Site
Support Groups activities in and near Natmataung National Park,
Southern Chin State.
Known
to his many friends and colleagues simply as “Tony,”
Htin Hla has rapidly established a reputation for himself as president
of the premier birdwatching tour company in Myanmar and as a dominant
force in Burmese ornithology. Born in 1954, Tony studied for both
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medicine degrees at the Institute
of Medicine II, Yangon. After several years of practicing medicine
and later as a representative of a pharmacutical company, Tony then
made the switch to a new career in tourism. Today Tony is president
of Wildlife Adventure Travels and Tours Tours (WATT), which he runs
from his home in Yangon. Tony has unparalleled experience and expertise
in organizing and managing ornithological expeditions to the far
reaches of Myanmar: Tony regularly leads trips to Natmataung National
Park in Chin State, Kachin State in Myanmar's far north, and recently
drove the Ledo road where he saw White-winged Ducks from the comfort
of his landcruiser!
U
Uga
Hazel
worked for the Division of Nature and Wildlife Conservation for
18 years before leaving to help from BENCA. Initially she served
as education officer and developed exhibits, slide and video programs,
pamphlets and other materials. During that time, she worked on several
special projects, including: Chatthin Community Education Project
focused on the Eld's Deer. Hazel also served as Myanmar Compiler
for BirdLife’s Threatened Birds of Asia project. She was also
the resource person for the Basic Wildlife Conservation Training
Course, conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society together
with the Forest Department. During the past five years, her duties
and responsibilities increased with an assignment to Moyingyi Wetland
Bird Sanctuary. Other activities in the wildlife division included
various field work such as annual waterfowl census, bird specimen
collection, wetland inventory and curator for Myanmar Biodiversity
Museum. She also participated in an expedition to the eastern Himalayan
ranges in Kachin State searching for Blyth's Tragopan and the other
globally threatened bird species. Recently she joined the Bird Enthusiasts
and Nature Conservation Association and holds the position of secretary.
Hazel loves nature, especially birds, and has since she was young.
Her father worked as warden of the Rangoon Zoological Gardens. Hazel
was brought-up in the zoo compound and spent her formative years
among the animals there. After graduating with a Zoology major she
joined the Nature Conservation and National Parks Project (now Nature
and Wildlife Conservaton Division ). Hazel is determined to devote
her life to the conservation of wildlife. 
Khin
Min Min Thwin
U
Khin Maung Soe was born in Saw Township, Magwe Division. He is now
40 years old. He obtained his B.A (Geography) degree from Magwe
University. He joined the Forest Department of Myanmar in 1986 as
a forester in Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary. Eight years later,
he was promoted to become a park ranger. In 1999, he became a range
officer. After one year working in Popa Mountain National Park,
he served as a park warden (range officer) in Minsonetaung Wildlife
Sanctuary for three years and was transferred back to Shwesettaw
Wildlife Sanctuary as a range officer. He left the Forest Department
in October 2005 and then became an active member of Biodiversity
and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA). He has been contracted
by BirdLife International as an Assistant Project Officer, to assist
research on Gurney's Pitta in Tanintharyi Division.
Aung
Kyaw Nyunt was born in 10 July 1955 in Yangon. He joined the Nature
and Wildlife Conservation Division of the Forest Department as a
Forester in 1981. He passed his B.Sc. (Mathmatics) with credit from
the Worker's College, Yangon University in 1986 and qualified for
M.Sc. He became a Park Ranger in Hlawga Wildlife Park in 1983. His
main duties were park security, wildlife census, bird survey, and
plantation establishment in the buffer area. He was later promoted
to Range Officer and transferred to Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary.
His main duties were the annual census of Elds's Deer Cervus eldi,
habitat restoration, undertaking education programmes in the annual
Shwesettaw Pagoda festivals, and helped the Warden in park management
planning. In 1990 he was transferred back to Hlawga Wildlife Park
and promoted to Staff Officer in 1992. In the park he was in-charge
of visitor management, recreational sites, the nursery, landscaping
and mobile education programs, and helped the Warden in park management
planning. With official approval, he was hired twice by Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS), the first time in 2001 to do monitoring
in illegal wildlife trade in Kakaborazi National Park, Kachin State,
and the second time in 2002 to do socio-economic survey and hunter
interview in Ponkanrazi, Kachin State. 
