Biography

Dr. Rob Butler is an ornithologist best known for his research on herons and shorebirds, He is President of the Pacific WildLife Foundation. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University near Vancouver, and former senior scientist with the Canadian Wildlife Service. Rob is a Fellow International of the Explorers’ Club, a Fellow of the American Ornithologists’ Union, and an Outstanding Alumnus of Simon Fraser University.

For over 30 years, Rob has advised governments and organizations on international, national and regional wetland restoration and conservation in North and Central America and Asia. He has published over 120 papers, books chapters monographs and other publications on conservation issues and co-chaired scientific conferences in North America, Europe and Asia. He has served on the executive of many national and international science, education and conservation executive and committees including terms as president and associate editor. Some of his accomplishments are the designation of the Fraser River Estuary in Canada as a Hemisphere  Reserve under the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, establishment of the Important Bird Areas in Canada (with others), founding director of the Young Naturalists Club of BC, founding Director and President of the Pacific WildLife Foundation, as well as instrumental research that led to the establishment of Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area (Canada), and Hemisphere  Reserve designation under the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network for Panama Bay.

Rob’s passion for nature is reflected in his books including The Great Blue Heron (University of BC, 1997) and The Jade Coast (Key Porter Books, 2003), nature videos, his blog for the Vancouver Sun, and nature tours. His bird paintings have been presented to Prime Ministers and Presidents, and held in collections in North America, Europe and Asia. Rob was a regular on CBC Radio One in Vancouver and guest on national and regional radio, television, and in the print media. Among his recent projects is serving as coordinator of a Breeding Bird Atlas for British Columbia with Bird Studies Canada, President of the Pacific WildLife Foundation that he co-founded, video production, writing and public speaking.

For more see Rob’s web site at Simon Fraser University.