What's New @ Ramsar

Ramsar Bureau fêtes its interns once again

Bureau welcomes Evans Okong'o, celebrates Mr Belokurov's birthday

In gala festivities today, the Ramsar Bureau welcomed Evans Okong'o of Kenya as our newest Intern for Africa and Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Africa.  Mr Okong'o was born in 1968 and has a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and a master's in Wildlife Management and Conservation, both from Moi University in Eldoret. A secondary school teacher of chemistry, mathematics, and biology in the interim between his undergraduate and graduate work, he has most recently served as a research assistant with the National Museums of Kenya's Department of Ornithology and on a consultancy basis with the Kenya Wildlife Service, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and a number of national NGOs.

Evans Okong'o of Kenya, shown with his predecessor as Intern for Africa, Musonda Mumba of Zambia, who is now with the Freshwater Programme at WWF International down the street from the Ramsar Bureau. (Photo: A. Belokurov)

Mr Okong'o has particular experience in working with communities using consultative methodologies and community participation in the development and promotion of sustainable practices for the management and wise use of natural resources, as well as in the integration of ecosystem values into regional planning. He has been occupied with projects at the Saiwa Swamp National Park and the Lake Nakuru National Park (and Ramsar site). He has also worked with biological inventories of several wetlands in Kenya.

Alexander Belokurov (left) celebrates his birthday with the infamous Ramsar Bureau. (Photo: R. D'Cruz)

Amid the welcoming antics, Bureau personnel took the opportunity to celebrate the birthday of Sasha Belokurov, our Intern for Europe and Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Europe, and to toast his continuing good health with large sips of geniune Russian vodka, whilst making absolute pigs of themselves on genuine Russian caviar and a number of other national delicacies, all thoughtfully provided by the birthday guest of honor himself.

And the Ramsar Interns got together for a brief group photograph before, unfortunately, freezing to death on the front steps of the headquarters of IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

From left to right: Parastu Mirabzadeh (Iran), former Intern for Asia, presently assisting in the Bureau's finance department; Flor Maria Salvador (Peru), Intern for the Americas; Taeko Takahashi (Japan), Intern for Asia; Alexander Belokurov (Russia), Intern for Europe; Musonda Mumba (Zambia), former Intern for Africa; and Evans Okong'o, Intern for Africa.

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 28 January 2000, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.