Gregory Churchill is a retired American lawyer, researcher and reformer, has been living and working in Indonesia since 1976.  As a member of the Board of Supervisors of the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) from 2013 to 2018, Mr. Churchil provided critical legal advise to the organization’s activities in protecting marine biodiversity in Indonesia and the Coral Triangle. He actively joined the team during  its annual staff retreat.

Most importantly, Mr. Churchill inspired and supported the development of CTC’s Wayang Samudera (Ocean Puppets) collection.  Wayang is the famed Indonesian traditional shadow puppet theater that has been in existence for more than a thousand years, while Samudra means ocean in Sanskrit.

Wayang Samudra were hand crafted by puppeteers Sujono Keron and Sih Agung Prasetya from Magelang, Central Java. Working in collaboration with CTC’s science team, they developed 32 unique puppets representing marine life found in the Coral Triangle.  Wayang Samudra performances focus on the unique attributes of each marine species and shine a spotlight on contemporary ocean issues such as fish bombing or ocean plastic pollution. Through these puppets, CTC combines science, art, and traditional storytelling to inspire others to care for our seas and all those that depend on it.