The Ornitho Centre is an educational institution for new bird watchers. This page will tell you something about the people involved.
I started this centre some time ago because I realised that there were many people who really only wanted to get to know the birds in their immediate neighbourhood. People who felt no need to go out in the field every week with their binoculars. However, it was not possible to accommodate more than twenty participants on any one course and the demand was much greater. Now that we have Internet, we need not disappoint anyone and everybody who wishes to can take the courses.
I take care of the content and composition of the lessons and other material. My field experience and what I have learned form giving lectures and producing radio and TV programmes have played an important part in this. Experienced educationalists have contributed significantly to the way in which the lessons have been put together,
Frank Oosterhoff takes care of the technical side of things. Frank, besides being a lover of birds, is an Internet specialist, a professional.
Erik van Ommeren made the illustrations for this site available. He is internationally known as an artist, has exhibited widely and has illustrated many books and guides on natural history subjects.
Ad Cameron, another leading international artist, supplied the illustrations for the lessons. He, too, has illustrated countless important publications. He has an unique, almost photographic, way of depicting his subjects. Precisely what one needs to support the written text.
René Wanders supplied the recordings of the songs and calls of the birds., René is Holland's greatest expert in birdsong. His recordings can be found on almost all birdsong disks. Clear reproduction and the availability of almost all species-related calls make a significant contribution to the quality of our courses.
You may not recognise the names of our contributors, but, believe me, they are among the leading European experts in their fields. I hope that you will decide to subscribe to our courses. If you do, I guarantee that you will shortly really get to know the birds around you, and be guided by acknowledged authorities in their fields, and in your garden or park.
With kind regards,
Dear Visitor,