Gerard von Buurt was born in Curaçao on September 22, 1949. He grew up in the old plantation of Klein Piscadera, where as a child, ventures into the brush allowed him to develop an interest in nature. A student of biology, Gerard received a MSc degree from Groningen University in the Netherlands in 1974. Sybsequently, he returned to Curaçao, where today he is employed by the Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries ( Dienst LVV ). Along with his cousin SM. Joubert, Gerard co-authored a book on the origin of Amerindian words in the Papiamentu language. He has also written several articles on Fish Aggregation Devices ( FAD's ), a book for farmers in the Papiamentu language on local plant diseases ( with Mr. K.A. Heidweiller ), and several articles and reports on various topics.