Bill will give an introduction to Thailand and Thailand birding, based on a 3 week tour of the country in January 2009. Bill will give a feel for the country and what it's like to visit and travel there. The program will feature photos of some of the almost 500 species of birds seen during the trip.

Biography

Bill Benner was born and raised in southeastern Pennsylvania on a small farm--and one of his first words was "mockingbird", so his mother says. He spent most of his childhood tramping through the woods and fields of his home, helping tend the gardens and his many assorted pets, from salamanders to monkeys. He then wandered through a series of jobs and adventures before deciding to return to college to study bird biology. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Delaware Valley College in 1987, then went to Cornell University to study ornithology. He maintained a captive research flock of House Finches while he was there, and through them he became involved with the Cornell veterinary community. That led to a Master's Degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 1991, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1995. He currently practices small and exotic animal medicine in South Hadley.

Bill has traveled extensively over the years, birding in 45 of the 50 states as well as overseas locations ranging from Latin America to Russia to Madagascar to Australia. Birds and butterflies are the main focus for his photography — he is the current president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club — but he has a keen interest in all of nature. His trip to Thailand was his first visit to Asia.