Meet Thomas Norman,
Community Relations Officer
Newsletter: Volume1, Issue 2 - August 2004
Thomas Plagbalah Norman was born March 19, 1966 into the Sapo
tribe of Sinoe County, Liberia. Although Liberia has an 85% illiteracy
rate, Thomas was fortunate to begin school at age 10. However,
his mother's untimely death required that he drop out. Overcoming
many obstacles, he returned to school and graduated from the regional
high school at age 25.
 At
19, Thomas married his girlfriend from school, Rebecca Smith.
Today they have six children and still live in Juarzon. Thomas
is an active member of his church, and is also a member of the
Sapo Culture Association.
In 1986, Thomas was among the students who accompanied the first
American researchers into the newly founded Sapo National Park.
It was during these early years of the park that Thomas met FPI
board member Dr. Richard Nisbett, who was there to study primate
populations in Sapo National Park.
With the outbreak of civil war in 1989, all activities in the
park ceased and Sinoe County was embroiled in the conflict. While
many people fled to refugee camps, Thomas remained throughout
the war despite having to hide in the forest for long periods
of time.
By the time hostilities ceased in 1997, Sinoe County had been
left in ruins with thousands living in refugee camps. All carry
memories of those that had been lost in the war. Thomas, like
others, was left to pick up the pieces of his life.
In 2000, FPI's President, Reg Hoyt (then Sr. V.P./Conservation
& Science for the Philadelphia Zoo), met Thomas, who was then
a volunteer teacher in Juarzon. The Philadelphia Zoo was establishing
a Rural Extension Project, and Thomas was hired as the first Community
Relations Officer. His duties were to promote conservation awareness,
collect data on the wildlife harvest in Sinoe, and serve as a
liaison between Sapo National Park and the people of Sinoe County.
While the Zoo continues to fund Thomas's salary, FPI has taken
the lead in managing this program.
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