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Staff and Collaborators

	James Gilardi Ph.D. Executive Director James Gilardi is the Executive Director of the World Parrot Trust. He is a conservation biologist specializing in behavioural and physiological ecology with special focus on tropical forest birds and marine vertebrates. He has studied wild parrots and other birds for more than 25 years, authoring a number of papers on ecology and parrots in the wild bird trade. Read more »
	Steve Milpacher Operations Director Steve’s passion for conservation began early in life and has continued for more than 30 years. He has cared for numerous species of parrots and has traveled to study wild parrots in Central America and the Caribbean. After completing two years of undergrad studies in the biological sciences, Steve received a Certificate in Endangered Species Management from the Durrell Preservation Trust (UK). Read more »
	Rowan Martin Ph.D. Director, Africa Conservation Program Rowan is an ecologist and ornithologist with a strong interest in evidence-based conservation of threatened species and ecosystems. He joined WPT in 2013 to head up WPT’s Africa Program, where he co-ordinates a variety of field projects, education initiatives and efforts to address threats posed by the wild bird trade. Read more »
	Luis Ortiz-Catedral, Ph.D. Director, Oceania Conservation Program Luis is a conservation biologist and wildlife manager specialising on recovering populations of threatened island vertebrates. He has studied wild parrots in New Zealand and Australia for 17 years. Read more »
	André Saidenberg DVM, Ph.D. Brazil Program Manager André is a Brazilian veterinarian with a special interest in medicine for birds and other wild animals. He completed his Masters degree in Veterinary Epidemiology in Microbiology in captive and free-living psittacines in 2008, his PhD working with confiscated birds undergoing the release process back into the wild in 2013 and currently postdoctoral surveys of the health of free-ranging Lear's Macaws. Read more »
	Mehd Halaouate Indonesia Program Manager Mehd has been fascinated with birds from a very early age when he lived with his family in Morocco. He has been a WPT member since 1994. In 2010 Mehd started assisting the World Parrot Trust in a program to help protect the remaining small populations of Yellow-crested Cockatoos, Mitchell’s Lorikeets and Red-and-blue Lories. Read more »
	Oka Dwi Prihatmoko, DVM Indonesia Program Coordinator Veterinarian Oka Dwi Prihatmoko's role includes overseeing the well-being of wild and released parrots, ensuring the successful rehabilitation of confiscated birds and management of WPT projects underway in Indonesia. Read more »
	Tiwonge I Mzumara-Gawa, PhD Lovebird Research Officer Tiwonge is an ornithologist, ecologist and conservation biologist by training; and an activist by passion. She is a Lecturer in the Biological Sciences Department, at the Malawi University of Science and Technology, and holds a PhD in Ecological Sciences from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an MSc in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Read more »
	Sascha Düker, M.Sc. Lovebird Conservation Coordinator Sascha is setting research priorities and coordinating conservation projects for African Lovebirds, Agapornis spp. Identifying research gaps of wild lovebirds has helped him to better understand the threats and knowledge gaps of all nine of these charismatic species. Read more »
	Karen Whitley U.K. Administrator Karen Whitley has been the Administrator for the World Parrot Trust for the UK and the rest of the world since 1998. She has an educational background of Business Management and employment as a Print Production Manager with a Management Consultancy firm. Read more »
	Charlotte Foxhall, M.Sc. U.K. Administrative Coordinator Charlotte Foxhall achieved an Honours degree in Environmental Science from Oxford Brookes University and a Master's degree in Conservation Ecology. Conservation has been a huge part of her life ever since she can remember. Read more »
	Lauren Schmaltz BA(Biol, Spanish), M.En. USA Administrator Lauren Schmaltz completed a dual Bachelor degree in Biology and Spanish and a Master of Environmental Studies, spending several years living overseas in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Costa Rica, and Bonaire. Read more »
	Michelle Kooistra Canadian Administrator, Publications Coordinator Michelle Kooistra has been a bird lover for most of her life, so falling in step with the work of the World Parrot Trust was a natural fit. Michelle's journey through the bird world has included sharing her home with numerous cockatiels, budgies, and the occasional dove. Read more »
	Cristiana Senni Bird Trade Specialist Cristiana Senni was born and grew up in Rome, Italy where she graduated from Art school. She then spent 8 years in New York, after which she moved back to reside in Italy. Cristiana always loved animals, and started keeping parrots many years ago. She now shares her life with four male Amazons, and a female Grey parrot. Read more »
	Alisa Davies Wildlife Trade Specialist Alisa's work with the World Parrot Trust supports efforts to end the trade in wild parrots, particularly online, through research to understand patterns in trafficking and trade, advocacy for better regulation and engagement with corporations. She also assists WPT's in-country partners in developing impactful behaviour change campaigns to end parrot trade. Read more »
	Desi Milpacher Publications Editor Desi Milpacher grew up loving animals -- her parents instilled in her a love of wild animals and plants, and she grew up a dedicated conservationist and naturalist. Once in university she studied biology and other sciences, eventually graduating with a diploma in Animal Health Technology (AHT) from Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada. Read more »
	Richard Kooistra Technical Assistance Provider Richard has a background in Information Technology (IT) with an emphasis on web development. He discovered his love of parrots when he and his wife began sharing their lives with a pair of cockatiels a number of years ago. Read more »
	Melodie Krieger Communications Coordinator As a writer with a background in marketing communications, Melodie enjoys the opportunity to put both her creative and organizational skills to use working on WPT’s various campaigns, videos, and other content and communications. Read more »
	Ian Griffiths e-Commerce Coordinator Alongside his bird art, for nearly 30 years Ian worked in a large multi-outlet retail environment before becoming involved with the World Parrot Trust, heading their e-commerce and retail development. Read more »
	Kirstin Furman New Media Specialist Kirstin enjoys the opportunity to flex her design and writing skills by creating social media posts and content that draws attention to WPT's conservation efforts to help save parrots. Read more »