The Peregrine Fund
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THE PEREGRINE FUND working to conserve birds of prey in nature fall /winter 2006 newsletter number 37 The Peregrine Fund Staff THE PEREGRINE FUND UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL Linda Behrman Panama NEWSLETTER NO. 37 • FALL/WINTER 2006 Sue Bello Thank You, Bill Eloy Aripio Roger Benefield Edwin Campbell Joell Brown Calixto Conampia Remembering Bill Burnham Joe Burke Marta Curti We celebrate the life and legacy of our late president . 1 (1947–2006) Kurt K. Burnham Sean Davis illiam A. Burnham, our President and When TPF had an oppor- Pat Burnham Briceno Flaco Aplomado Falcon Jack Cafferty Próspero Gaitán leader for the past 23 years, has died tunity in 1983 to consolidate m a First releases in New Mexico prove successful . 4 Emma Christensen Noel Guerra h Tom J. Cade n at the age of 59 after a brief battle its eastern program at Cor- r David Cline Yanina Guevara u W B . with cancer. What can one say about a person who dies nell University and its west- Donna Daniels Kathia Herrera K California Condor t r Sam Davila u before his time? In Bill’s case quite a lot. ern operations into one Magaly Linares K Lead-free ammunition use may lead to fewer Condor poisonings . 6 Edward Feltes José de Los Santos On the cover: Bill We all die; “therefore,” as John Donne cautioned, facility, Bill was put in charge Robert Gay López Burnham holds two Eastern Peregrines Revisited “never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for of finding a location, con- Brian Gloshen Gabriel Minguizama Gyrfalcons during Sherri Haley Rodolfo Mosquera The Peregrine Fund’s founder returns to once-empty eyries . 8 thee.” How long we live is not as important as how well structing the new campus, 2004 research in r e Michael Haynes Angel Muela we live—how much we contribute to the good of and making the move. At the n East Greenland. e d Tim Hauck Julio Ovispo San Diego Zoo Award i humanity and to the welfare of the earth, the sustainer same time the directors W Bolívar Rodríguez n Bill Heinrich e Three leaders of The Peregrine Fund receive Conservation Medal . 10 of all life. Bill Burnham made outstanding contributions decided to expand the mis- B Grainger Hunt Fidel Sabugara to the preservation of his beloved birds of prey and sion of The Peregrine Fund to embrace work on birds of Martha Jenkins Saskia Santamaría Orange-breasted Falcon J. Peter Jenny Hernan Vargas other wildlife, and to nurturing the habitats they require. prey worldwide. Through Bill’s leadership and ability to Leslie Jonart José Vargas de Jesus Propagation efforts succeed after years of perseverance. 11 Therefore, we should not mourn but celebrate his life organize the volunteer efforts of many falconers and rap- Justin Jones and move forward, strengthened by our association with tor enthusiasts, members of the business community, Paul Juergens Asia Neotropical Raptor Conservation him and thankful for all he has done. and government agencies into a unified and productive Meagan Kaiser Muhammad Asim Turning to other species with lessons learned from the Harpy Eagle . 14 Lloyd Kiff Faisal Farid Bill became associated with The Peregrine Fund endeavor, the World Center for Birds of Prey came into Thom Lord (TPF) in 1974, after receiving his MS degree at Brigham existence on a hillside overlooking Boise, Idaho, in Angel Montoya Asian Vulture Pan Africa Young University under Prof. Clayton White. That sum- 1984. The site was dedicated in May, construction began Amel Mustic Simon Thomsett A closer look at a reviled—but remarkable—raptor . 16 Brian Mutch Munir Virani mer, Jim Weaver met him on a field trip to western soon after with much comradeship and enthusiasm, and Frank Nebenburg Crowned Eagle Greenland. Hiking and camping with Bill in the arctic the birds from Fort Collins were in their new quarters Trish Nixon Madagascar Grabbing the attention of tourists and conservationists in Kenya . 18 wilderness, Jim became greatly impressed by his stamina before the next breeding season in 1985. The Cornell Chris Parish Nick Piccono Tolojanahary R. A. in the field and by his eagerness to face up to hard chal- birds followed a year later. Andriamalala Mark Purdy Bird’s-Eye View lenges. Jim recommended that TPF hire Bill to head up a It quickly became clear to the small group of directors Adrien Batou Travis Rosenberry Brief but noteworthy news . 20 new program of captive breeding and reintroduction of that TPF’s expanded global mission would require a much …he wisely left Be Berthin Cal Sandfort Peregrines that we were just starting in collaboration bigger board of influential people and a strong and deter- Amy Siedenstrang Augustin Noël Bonhomme The Peregrine Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. © 2006. Edited by Pat Burnham. Photo Editor Jack Cafferty. Design ©2006 by Amy Siedenstrang. us with the Cindy Thiel Business Office (208)362-3716 • Fax (208)362-2376 • Interpretive Center (208)362-8687 • [email protected] • http://www.peregrinefund.org with the Colorado Division of Wildlife to restore falcons mined chief executive. Bill became President in 1986, and Russell Thorstrom Razafimahatratra in the Rocky Mountains. he began to build a more active and diverse board of Christophe Randy Townsend capability to Eloi (Lala) Fanameha On Christmas eve of 1974, Bill and his wife, Pat— directors, including people from the business world, sci- Rick Watson Board of Directors of The Peregrine Fund David Wells Eugene Ladoany soon to be joined by a son, Kurt—moved into some entists, and conservationists. Through Morley Nelson’s Eric Weis Kalavah Rox Loukman OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS rooms on the second floor of an old game farm facility introductions, he began to establish personal relation- move forward Jim Willmarth Jules Mampiandra Ian Newton, J. Peter Jenny Tom J. Cade, Ph.D. Paxson H. Offield the Colorado Division of Wildlife made available for ships with local business people in the Boise community, Archivist Moïse D.Phil., D.Sc., FRS. Acting President Founding Chairman Chairman of the Board, without him, Chairman of the Board and Director Emeritus, and Director TPF use on the outskirts of Fort Collins. Kurt was born meeting weekly with some of them for breakfast and dis- S. Kent Carnie Charles (Vola) and Director Karen J. Hixon Professor Emeritus of Chairman of the Board and in May, 1975 at the same time the first baby Peregrines cussion. Several joined the board and brought some of Rabearivelo Senior Ornithologist (Ret.) Treasurer and Director Ornithology, Cornell CEO, Santa Catalina Island but ever in Jeanneney Natural Environment Conservationist University Company were hatching. Pat not only mothered her child, she also their friends along. Our vice presidents, Jeff Cilek and Rabearivony Research Council United Kingdom D. James Nelson Roy E. Disney Julie A. Wrigley cared for many young falcons over the years and always Peter Jenny, whom Bill wisely chose to help him, made Berthine Rafarasoa Secretary and Director Chairman of the Board, Chairman of the Board, remained the person Bill relied on most for running The important additional contacts, as did Frank Bond and Bob memory of Norbert (Velo) Lee M. Bass Chairman of the Board, Emeritus, and Director Emeritus, and Director Rajaonarivelo Vice Chairman of the Emeritus Chairman of the Board, Chairman and CEO, Wrigley Peregrine Fund. Bill quickly attracted several skilled and Berry. Currently the board consists of more than 30 mem- Board and Director President, Nelson Shamrock Holdings, Inc. Investments LLC him. Jeannette Rajesy President, Lee M. Bass, Inc. Construction Company dedicated associates to help with the breeding and bers, and it is considered to be one of the strongest boards Marius P. H. release of Peregrines. Two of them, Bill Heinrich and Cal of a non-profit, conservation organization in the country, Rakotondratsima DIRECTORS Sandfort, are still with TPF 31 years later. thanks largely to Bill’s ability to forge personal ties with Yves A. Rakotonirina Robert B. Berry Scott A. Crozier Z. Wayne Griffin, Jr. Carl E. Navarre By the 1980s the Fort Collins team, under Bill’s influential and supportive people. Gaston Raoelison Trustee, Wolf Creek Senior Vice President, General Developer, Book Publisher and CEO, Charitable Foundation, Counsel, and Secretary G&N Management, Inc. MyPublisher, Inc. supervision, had produced hundreds of Peregrines and The combined fund-raising abilities of Burnham, Bien Aimé Rancher, Falcon Breeder, PETsMART, INC Robert Wood Johnson IV Peter G. Pfendler Rasolonirina and Conservationist had released them in several Rocky Mountain states and Cilek, and Jenny, and their equal facility in dealing with Patricia A. Disney Chairman and CEO, Rancher Gilbert Harry L. Bettis Vice Chairman, The Johnson Company, Inc., in the Pacific Northwest. At the same time all this inten- government bureaucrats and legislators, were beautiful Lucia Liu Severinghaus, Ph.D. Razafimanjato Rancher Shamrock Holdings, Inc. and New York Jets LLC Research Fellow sive work was underway, Bill somehow managed to earn to observe in action. They allowed TPF to move beyond Joseph P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D. James H. Enderson, Ph.D. Donald R. Kayser Research Center for Biodiversity Razafindrasolo Wadsworth Endowed Chair Professor Emeritus of Biology Private Investor Taiwan a Ph.D. degree from Colorado State University without its original focus on the Peregrine and to take on many in Conservation Science The Colorado College Jacquot Martial Patricia B. Manigault Russell R. Wasendorf, Sr. ever taking time off from his job. Bill’s effectiveness in other projects around the world, although we had been University of Washington (Lova) Razanakoto Caroline A. Forgason Conservationist and Rancher Chairman and CEO, managing the western operations did not go unnoticed involved previously in cooperating with Carl Jones on Frank M.