Archived Talks
December 2008: Breeding Management of Endangered Antelopes
On December 3 our speaker was Catrin Hammer. Her talk is entitled, “Breeding management of endangered antelopes at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. Catrin Hammer is a certified animal keeper with a master diploma and 19 years professional experience. She spent three years as animal keeper in the Zoo Braunschweig in Germany, seven years as manager of a private Animal Park in northern Germany (Tierpark Essehof), and a year as supervisor at the Nature Zoo Rheine in Germany. Since 2000 Catrin has been the Mammal Curator at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, a private breeding centre for endangered species in Qatar/ Middle East, with an emphasis on primates, felids and ungulates. She is responsible for the entire Mammal Department at Al Wabra, which includes about 1700 mammals and reptiles in 50 species. Her work includes staff management, coordination of the animal breeding management, running the nursery unit for orphaned or neglected neonates, scientific projects, international correspondence including animal shipments and breeding loan arrangements, participation and initiation of wildlife conservation.
November 2008: Marine Biosecurity
Our speaker on November 5, 2008 was Dr. Iain Macdonald, scheduled for Wednesday November 5th 2008. His talk is entitled “Marine Biosecurity – the worldwide invasion of alien marine species and, in particular, in relation to Qatar”. Dr. Macdonald is an environmental specialist and has worked for Qatar Gas for almost five years. He holds a PH.D on coral reef growth and has been a regular and popular speaker at QNHG meetings.
October 2008: The World is an Oyster
Our first meeting of the season on October 15, 2008 was a talk entitled “The Water World is an Oyster: natural and unusual pearls and their formation” presented by Dr Hubert Bari. Dr. Bari is the curator of Gems and Jewellery at the Museum of Islamic Art and Manager of Temporary Exhibitions for the Qatar Museums Authority. He holds a doctorate from the University of Strasbourg in Mineralogy and for 25 years was employed at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. He previously worked in Qatar from 2003 – 2006 as curator of various exhibitions, including Lost Worlds, in Doha. He then took a sabbatical for two years to study pearls, a subject which has always fascinated him, before returning to Doha in June this year. Dr. Bari is currently preparing a large exhibition on pearls which will be opened to the public in 2009.