Page 18 - 80 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER IMPACT WITH FAO

Jerome Montague

FROM THE WILD TO THE WORLD:

HOW ONE VOLUNTEER BRIDGED

CULTURES AND CONTINENTS

In 1978, Jerome Montague, from the United States of America, set out on an adventure that would shape his life, and
many others. As an international UN Volunteer of the first hour, he found himself as a Wildlife Officer with FAO, working
at Lake Murray's Baboa crocodile station, in Papua New Guinea. The country was newly independent, and Jerome’s
mission was as unique as the place: turn crocodile hunting into sustainable crocodile farming, providing income for
rural communities while preserving wild crocodile populations. Most of the locals lived as hunters and gatherers, but
soon saw how raising crocodiles could change their lives: “It was about showing that you can make more money by
14 harvesting fish and wildlife and native plants than you could by harvesting crops and animals," Jerome explained.

Working closely with the Kuni, Biami and Pari indigenous groups, he gained a deep understanding of their lifestyle. He
learned how non-verbal communication could go a long way when one was overwhelmed by the more than 800 spoken
languages in Papua New Guinea. That connection and learnings stayed with him. He went on to earn a PhD degree in
Wildlife Ecology, run a crocodile farm in Australia, work with Aboriginal groups and even conduct research in the Arctic,
serving as a bridge between the Iñupiat communities and industrial development. His UN Volunteer assignment with
FAO became the foundation for a lifelong journey of listening, learning, and linking worlds and gave him a unique gift:
the ability to connect with people through respect, science and shared purpose.

“When I worked with native people elsewhere, even though
they weren’t for the most part living a true hunter-gatherer

lifestyle like the New Guineans were, I understood where
they came from and what their perspective was in a way that

someone who hasn’t had that experience could never do.”