Bill Wallauer

This past spring, during the theatrical release of Disneynature's Chimpanzee, Bill Wallauer, JGI's research videographer and wildlife cameraman, and one of the movie's principal photographers attended the premiere of the movie at the Toronto International Film Fest. Read on to learn about Bill's experience. 

Each year along the shores of the Platte River, near Kearney, Nebraska, a phenomenal natural event takes place—the spring migration of the whooping and sandhill cranes. Though the great migrations of the buffalo and passenger pigeon have become obsolete, there still exists, unknown to many, an opportunity to witness an equally spectacular occurrence in the crane migration.

When not filming in the field, Bill Wallauer, the Jane Goodall Institute's (JGI) wildlife cameraman and research videographer, speaks with a variety of audiences about JGI and Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, JGI's environmental and humanitarian youth program.  Below, Bill recalls a lecture he gave last fall at Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots North America Training Summit.

Interested in meeting JGI's Bill Wallauer and learning more about rare birds?  Travel with the Jane Goodall Institute, Bill Wallauer and acclaimed natural history writer Scott Weidensaull to witness the largest concentration of sandhilll cranes!  This extraordinary adventure in Kearney, Nebraska, takes place

Latin Name: Vitex fischeri

Local Name:  Mpapa

Mpapa trees grow in the valleys and lower slopes of Gombe National Park in Tanzania. The trees are tall, up to 70 feet high, and typically possess one straight trunk. The fruiting season usually takes place between late March and the end of April. During a good year, mpapa is one of the most important chimpanzee foods.

Bill Wallauer, JGI wildlife cameraman and research videographer, celebrates the birthday of Gombe National Park’s Ferdinand.

Ferdinand, the alpha male of the Kasakela chimpanzee community in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, turned 19 years old last Friday, August 19, 2011.

Regardless of where I am in the world, I celebrate Ferdinand’s birthday every year.  Last Friday was not only the day that brought Ferdinand into the world, it was also the day I was able to film the first great ape birth ever recorded in the wild.

In his most recent blog entry, Bill Wallauer, JGI wildlife cameraman and research videographer, discusses lamb’s tail, one of his favorite plants found in Gombe National Park.

Favorite Chimp Food
Latin Name:  Antidesma venosum
Local Name:  Mnziganziga
Common Name:  Lamb’s Tail, Tassleberry

"For the past 10 days, we have taken a different angle on filming chimps. Rather than shooting a fig-eating sequence in the traditional way—from the ground looking up 100 feet or so to the treetops—we decided to move up to the chimps' level.