However, his exciting talk covers the other sides of East Timor, its largely unexplored rainforests and its unique jungle environments.  Into this setting, Hinrich Kaiser and Mark O’Shea’s intrepid research team set foot in 2021-2, equipped with blowpipes and snake sticks. 
 
Their objective was to learn which of nature’s treasures had endured the conflict and took with them the courage to attempt to make a difference to East Timor’s future.
 
The team, which also included Timorese, German and American researchers, delved into mostly virgin, uncharted tropical forests.  They discovered new species, savoured cultural encounters and built educational opportunities in this, the first new sovereign state of the 21st century.

Professor Hinrich Kaiser is from Canada and was educated at McGill University, from which he holds a PhD.  He is Professor of Biology at Victor Valley College, California.  He is one the world most distinguished experts on snakes and an expert on East Timor.  He is also Executive Vice President at Globalfood Networks and President of T2T Global Consulting Group, where he designed a strategy for allowing East Timor to diversify its oil-based economy.