Mr. Calvin Bernard

  • Senior Lecturer


  • Department of Biology
  • Turkeyen Campus

About Mr. Calvin Bernard


Born in the capital of Guyana, Georgetown, August 1977 I am the youngest of three boys who grew up with a single parent mother on the East Coast of Demerara. My love for travelling, adventure and nature led me to begin travelling away from home since age 14 while in mid high school.

My high school education was split between Central High and St Joseph High Schools. I graduated in 1998 with a BSc in Biology with distinction from the University of Guyana. And I was awarded an MSc in Development Management from the Open University, UK, in 2005.

At the University of Guyana I have taught in introductory biology, vertebrate zoology and resource management in the Department of Biology. I have also served as de facto Manager of the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity. I have been an appointed member of the Guyana Wildlife Scientific Authority since 2005, and the National Biodiversity Advisory Committee - Applications Sub-Committee betwen 2003-2012. I have been recently appointed to the boards of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture and the Transparency Institute Guyana.

My research experience has been in general studies of flora and fauna, assessment of the environmental impacts of development activities and planning for biodiversity conservation and natural resources management. I have also been involved in conservation planning at the Guiana Shield Regional level.

I am now preparing for PhD work in religion, science and nature and I am particularly interested in understanding how religious organization can influence a positive (tending to ecocentricity) environmental ethic in the Guyanese population.

On a different note, I am married to a beautiful woman and have three fantastic children.

Natural Resource & Environmental Management

Include ecological and biological assessment of freshwater systems in particular but also other terrestrial ecosystems. Include forestry, wildlife, fisheries (freshwater and marine), Gold mining

Participatory Decision Making (Natural Resources Management)

Institutional design, process design, negotiations, empowerment.

Religion, Culture and Environment/Environmental Humanities

Intersection of religion, culture and environmental behaviour allows for an understanding of the driving forces which determine that state of the environment locally and globally. We study how religious texts, organisations and teachings, and religious or cultural practices relate to environmental behaviours.

Qualification Specialization Institution Country Year
B.Sc. Biology University of Guyana Guyana 1998
Post-Grad. Dip. Ed. University of Guyana Guyana 2000
M.Sc. Development Management The Open University 2005
Course Code Course Name
UGC1102 Biology for Non-Science Majors
BIO4200 Capstone Research Project
BIO4113 Entomology
BIO4212 Environmental Ethics
BIO3115 Herpetology
BIO4114 Human Ecology
BIO3116 Ichthyology
BIO4205 Internship
BIO1102 Introduction to the Biology and Ecology of Living Organisms
BIO1101 Introductory Biology I
BIO1201 Introductory Biology II
BIO1100 Laboratory and Field Biology I
BIO3218 Mammalogy
BIO3217 Ornithology
BIO4100 Research Project
BIO2202 Survey of the Animal World II - The Vertebrates
BIO3105 Vertebrate Zoology I - Ornithology & Herpetology
BIO3203 Vertebrate Zoology II
Title Year Completed Research Type Status
Dealing with uncertainty in the Darwin Initiative funded projec 2004 Individual Completed
Project working towards aEUR~Water for LifeaEUR(TM) aEUR" World Water Day 2004 Individual Completed
Sustainable Management of the Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment and People 2004 Individual Completed
Sustainable Management of The Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment And People 2004 Individual Completed
A Participatory Spatial Decision-Support Tool For Natural Resource Management; RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2005 Collaborative Completed
The development of an open content course on natural esource management: A virtual team production between Guyana and the UK. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology 2005 Collaborative Completed
The development of an open content course on natural resource management: A virtual team production between Guyana and the UK. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology 2005 Collaborative Completed
A study of the Post Mining Remains of Yararibo Drainage Basin, Demerara River. 2007 Individual Work in progress
An Introduction to GuyanaaEUR(TM)s Biodiversity. Presented at the closing event of the Rupununi Wetlands Project. 2007 Individual Completed
Apareiodon agmatos, a new species from the upper Mazaruni river, Guyana. 2007 Collaborative Completed
Getting to Know the Amazon. Presented to participants of the Smithsonian Effective Leadership and Communication Tools for Environmental Management and Conservation training course 2007 Individual Completed
Survey of the fishes of the Coastal Streams. 2007 Individual Work in progress
Survey of the Vertebrates of Omai Gold Mines Essequibo Mine Site. 2007 Collaborative Work in progress
The Reproductive Response of Poecilia reticulata to Captivity. 2007 Individual Work in progress
Understanding Traditional �atural Resources Management in Guyanese Indigenous communities. 2007 Individual Work in progress
Understanding Traditional Natural Resources Management in Guyanese Indigenous communities. 2007 Individual Work in progress
Apareiodon agmatos, a new species from the upper Mazaruni river. 2008 Collaborative Completed
Description of �eblinichthys brevibracchium and echinasus and recognition of �. roraima and �. yaravi as distinct species. 2008 Collaborative Completed
N�ever Give Up - A collection of encouraging messages 2008 Individual Completed
A study of the Post Mining Remains of Yararibo Drainage Basin, Demerara River. 2009 Individual Work in progress
Description of Neblinichthys brevibracchium and N. echinasus from the upper Mazaruni River. Siluriformes: Loricariidae), and recognition of N. roraima and N. yaravi as distinct species 2009 Collaborative Completed
Doing Science 2009 Collaborative Work in progress
Doing Science (Book) 2009 Collaborative Completed
Fish diversity of the Upper Mazaruni River with comments on the implications for delineating the boundaries of the proposed Mt. Roraima Protected Area 2009 Collaborative Completed
Ichthyofaunal survey of the Upper Mazaruni River, Guyana, South America. 2009 Collaborative Work in progress
Only a final report is to be completed to conclude on this piece. 2009 Collaborative Work in progress
Reconnaissance visit to relocate the site of the Eremotherium in the Middle Mazaruni 2009 Collaborative Completed
Survey of Freshwater Fishes of Guyana 2009 Collaborative Work in progress
Survey of Freshwater Fishes of Guyana 2009 Collaborative Completed
Survey of the Vertebrates of Omai Gold Mines Essequibo Mine Site. 2009 Individual Work in progress
The Reproductive Response of Poecilia reticulata to Captivity. 2009 Individual Work in progress
Date Seminar / Conference Location Title
TItle Details
A Participatory Spatial Decision-Support Tool For Natural Resource Management; RGS-IBG Annual International Conference Book Title: A Participatory Spatial Decision-Support Tool For Natural Resource Management; RGS-IBG Annual International Conference
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Published
Apareiodon agmatos, a new species from the upper Mazaruni river, Guyana. Book Title: Apareiodon agmatos, a new species from the upper Mazaruni river, Guyana
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Work Completed but not Submitted /Accepted for Publication
Dealing with uncertainty in the Darwin Initiative funded projec Book Title: Dealing with uncertainty in the Darwin Initiative funded projec
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Work Completed but not Submitted /Accepted for Publication
Description of �eblinichthys brevibracchium and echinasus and recognition of �. roraima and �. yaravi as distinct species. Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Published
Description of Neblinichthys brevibracchium and N. echinasus from the upper Mazaruni River. Siluriformes: Loricariidae), and recognition of N. roraima and N. yaravi as distinct species Publisher: NIL
Publish Location: NIL
Page Start: NA
Page End: NA
Book Title: NA
Chapter: NA
Volume: NA
Author: NA
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Accepted for publication
Project working towards aEUR~Water for LifeaEUR(TM) aEUR" World Water Day Book Title: Project working towards aEUR~Water for LifeaEUR(TM) aEUR" World Water Day
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Published
Sustainable Management of the Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment and People Book Title: Sustainable Management of the Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment and People
Volume: Nil
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Work Completed but not Submitted /Accepted for Publication
The development of an open content course on natural esource management: A virtual team production between Guyana and the UK. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology Book Title: The development of an open content course on natural resource management: A virtual team production between Guyana and the UK. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Published
The development of an open content course on natural resource management: A virtual team production between Guyana and the UK. The International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology Book Title: Practices and Open Content for Participatory Natural Resource Management. In:
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Published
Sustainable Management of The Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment And People Publication Date: Mar 2005
Book Title: Sustainable Management of The Rupununi: Linking Biodiversity, Environment And People
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Work Completed but not Submitted /Accepted for Publication
Apareiodon agmatos, a new species from the upper Mazaruni river. Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: NIL
Publish Location: NIL
Page Start: NA
Page End: NA
Book Title: NA
Chapter: NA
Volume: NA
Author: NA
Publication Type: Publication
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Published
Getting to Know the Amazon. Presented to participants of the Smithsonian Effective Leadership and Communication Tools for Environmental Management and Conservation training course Publication Date: Jan 2008
Publish Location: Airlie Conference Centre Virginia, USA
Book Title: Getting to Know the Amazon. Presented to participants of the Smithsonian Effective Leadership and Communication Tools for Environmental Management and Conservation training course
Publication Type: Papers read at scholarly/professional gatherings
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Not Applicable
An Introduction to GuyanaaEUR(TM)s Biodiversity. Presented at the closing event of the Rupununi Wetlands Project. Publication Date: Mar 2008
Publish Location: Le Meridien Pegasus, Georgetown Guyana.
Book Title: An Introduction to GuyanaaEUR(TM)s Biodiversity. Presented at the closing event of the Rupununi Wetlands Project
Publication Type: Papers read at scholarly/professional gatherings
Publication Item: Paper
Publication Status: Not Applicable