Simon Liao was a mathematics teacher and school principal in Changhua, Taiwan.  His serious interest in birds began in adulthood, after a birdwalk with his young son.  Simon’s subsequent desire to learn about birds led him to establish the Changhua Wild Bird Society in 1991.  He became Executive Secretary, then President.  He established the “Ba-Gua Mountain Bird Fair”, which first took place on March 21, 1991 and hosted the event annually for the next 10 years on Ba-Gua Mountain (Baguashan) on the outskirts of Changhua.  The Fair celebrates the northward spring migration of the Gray-faced Buzzard over Taiwan.  The event also promotes environmental and conservation education through the schools and to the general public, and attracts thousands of visitors.  In 1999, the global organization BirdLife International, recognized the Fair as a model for the world.

Also in 1991, Mr. Liao felt that the decades-old practice of shooting the Gray-faced Buzzards during their migration, should stop.  Thousands of these birds were being killed each year for the taxidermy trade, for export.  He set up a team to visit schools to explain to the students why the hunt should stop.  With the aid of the media, he reached out to the public at large with the same message.  Within a year, the annual hunt ceased.

Mr. Liao’s efforts on behalf of wild birds and their habitats continued.  From 1999 to 2002, he was Chairperson of the Wild Bird Federation of Taiwan.  From 2001–2003, he was Asia District Vice-Chairperson for BirdLife International.  During that time, the WBFT and BirdLife International dedicated collaborative efforts to several wildlife conservation plans, including:

            — Rescue of Brazilian rainforest;

            — Establishment of the Paraguay natural reserves by assisting its government in purchasing rainforest land;

            — Assisting Sri Lanka and India in the designs and operations of their major bird habitats;

            — Participation in the “Albatross Plan”, a global action to save the seabirds; and

            — Organization of the first global promotion plan in bird conservation education.

            Simon Liao is Honourary Chair of the Wild Bird Federation of Taiwan.  In 2002, while living in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, he organized the first Canada Taiwan Bird Fair, in Vancouver, BC, an annual event (until 2005) to raise international awareness of birds, their protection and habitat conservation in Canada and Taiwan, and facilitate the exchange of information between the two countries.  He is President of the Taiwan International Birding Association (Canada).  Simon Liao and the TIBA actively encourage birding eco-tourism to Taiwan.