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Partners In Flight NewsletterApril 2001National Putting Bird Conservation on the Ground Partners In Flight has now been working on bird conservation for over a decade and our accomplishments are self-evident. One need only look at the development of additional conservation initiatives modeled on PIF - including taxa other than birds - and also consider the likelihood that we would have NABCI without first having had PIF. In my 20+ years in government, I've seen many initiatives come and go. Most last no more than a few years and then disappear forever. We can take considerable pride in what we've accomplished. But it's very clear to me that now is the time to put what we know into action. Our plans are not perfect, our prioritization system continues to evolve and we don't yet have all the staff we need (all direct results of rapid growth!) But we do know enough about priority birds and habitats to put a very large sum of money to very good use. The decisions we can make today are orders of magnitude more informed than they were 10 years ago. And I promise you, they're far better than many decisions being made this minute without PIF input. Talk to those experienced in
Joint Ventures (http://northamerican.fws.gov/NAWMP/jvdir.htm). Talk to partners
like your state wildlife agency, the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (http://www.nfwf.org/), Ducks
Unlimited (http://www.ducks.org/) and Quail Unlimited
(http://www.qu.org/index.cfm).
Find out what the bat people (http://www.batcon.org) and the
herp people (http://www.parcplace.org) want to do. Remember that bird
conservation is accomplished through both projects and management changes.
For example, the U. S. Forest Service is now revising a number of their
Land Use Plans (see below), giving us a great opportunity to help guide
the future of forest bird habitat management. Integrated Bird Workshops The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is now preparing to offer a series of workshops on Implementing Integrated Bird Management. At least six workshops will be offered each year over the next three years, with a capacity of around 50 attendees per workshop. The target audience are those biologists and land managers from all agencies and organizations that are interested in taking the bird initiative plans and turning them into on-the-ground management action. Workshops will be held around the country in order to provide an equitable opportunity to all.--Naomi Edelson (nedelson@sso.org). Next International Partners In Flight Conference The third international PIF conference, "Partners In Flight Conservation Plans: Implementation and Integration in the Americas," will take place at the Asilomar State Park Conference Center in Monterey, CA, on 20-24 March 2002. Concurrent technical sessions and workshops will provide ideas and tools for putting bird conservation plans on the ground in cooperation with other bird initiatives and partners. There will be opportunities for adjunct meetings of committees and working groups. A proceedings will be published. The PIF steering committee is looking for around $100,000 in conference support. Mark your calendars now and watch for the first conference circular (also see http://www.prbo.org/PIF/NPIF2002.htm). This will be a very popular conference. If you are able to help with conference funding or are otherwise interested in contributing, contact Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) or C. J. Ralph (cjr2@axe.humboldt.edu). North American Wetlands
Conservation Council - Standard Grant Application It would be a very good idea for all of us to become familiar with the NAWCA process. Consult the web site at http://northamerican.fws.gov/nawcahp.html for detailed instructions. NAWCA proposals may be submitted at any time. But to ensure adequate review time prior to upcoming North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) meetings, the Council Coordinator must receive proposals by March 23, 2001 and July, 6, 2001. If a March proposal needs to be resubmitted, the due date is July 16. For further information, contact the North American Wetlands Conservation Council Coordinator at (703-358-1784, r9arw_nawwo@fws.gov, bettina_sparrowe@fws.gov), or contact a Joint Venture Coordinator. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation In looking over the major
conservation initiatives of the past decade, it becomes obvious that the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation (http://www.nfwf.org/) has been in
the middle of all of it. Most readers are aware that NFWF provides
support to local conservation projects and fosters cooperation through
established partnerships with government and private stakeholders. Be aware of the many avenues to bird habitat conservation that NFWF provides. See new programs below and visit http://www.nfwf.org/programs.htm. Conservation Assistance Tools The premiere edition of the Conservation Assistance Tools (CAT) e-newsletter has now been issued. CAT is being updated to reflect changes in the funding priorities and other information provided for the foundations and agencies listed in the searchable database. CAT is striving to make this the most up-to-the-minute sources of information about grants, cost sharing, and technical assistance available for natural resources projects in the western United States. Visit CAT and subscribe to the e-newsletter at http://www.sonoran.org/cat/. Gulf Conservation Challenge The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in cooperation with the Gulf of Mexico Program, has launched a new initiative to support fish and wildlife habitat conservation projects along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Proposal Deadline: June 1 and October 15, annually. Topical Focus Areas: Habitat Protection and Restoration, Species Conservation/Applied Management, Applied Research, and Conservation Education. Geographic Focus Areas: Texas (Galveston Bay, Corpus Christi Coastal Area, Laguna Madre); Louisiana: Barataria-Terrebonne Estuaries, Lake Pontchartrain Basin; Mississippi: Mississippi Coastal Basin; Alabama: Mobile Bay; Florida: Pensacola Bay, Suwannee River, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor. For details, see http://www.nfwf.org/GulfChallenge.htm. NRCS and NACD Partnership: Challenge Grants For Conservation On Private Lands The National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service
and the National Association of Conservation Districts, announces
an opportunity for challenge grants. Primary goal of the program is to
support model projects which positively engage private landowners,
primarily farmers and ranchers, in the conservation and enhancement
of wildlife and natural resources on their land. Pre-proposal Deadline:
April 2, 2001. Focus areas: Grasslands in the Central Plains, Western Range
and Riparian Systems, Riparian Wetland and Forest Habitat Conservation
in the Southeast, Conservation in Critical Watersheds (Chesapeake and
Delaware Bays, Gulf of Maine, and Connecticut River watersheds are areas of
special emphasis). For details, see http://www.nfwf.org/nrcsnacd.htm. Department Of Defense Legacy Natural Resources Program Projects aimed at natural resources on Department of Defense lands. Partnership with DoD personnel on local installations is needed. Focus areas: Regional Ecosystem Management Initiatives, Monitoring and Predicting Migratory Patterns of Birds, National and International Initiatives. Pre-proposal deadline: April 13, 2001. Contact Bryan King (bryan.king@osd.mil, 703-604-1933) or see http://memphis.lmi.org/int/dienemann/legwelcome.nsf. Bird Point Count Database Underway The eagerly anticipated Bird Point Count Database, which has been under construction for just over a year, entered the on-line testing phase in March 2001, with several National Wildlife Refuges starting to enter their own data over the Web. After early testing, more users and data will be added through fall 2001. Database personalization features will allow land managers to enter data on forms tailored to their own needs, and will accommodate a variety of methods of bird count and vegetation data collection. Once the fully tested system becomes public, data will be searchable across land use types (i.e. federal, state, and private lands) using customizable query tools on the web. Users will be able to create their own custom search, for example, for species of interest in a particular Bird Conservation Region and within specific forest types.--Mark Wimer (301-497-5596, Mark_Wimer@usgs.gov). Point Count Training The BLM National Training Center is offering, for the 10th consecutive year, the class "Point Count Monitoring for Nongame Birds." This year, the class is being held in Lander, WY on 4-7 June. Objectives are to teach the method and rationale of point counts, to understand the history, objectives and roles of Partners In Flight, and to learn techniques for bird identification, focusing on birds around the training site. Mornings are spent in the field doing point counts.--Mark Phillips (602-906-5552). U. S. Forest Service Land Use Planning The USFS has begun a new round of land use planning, giving us all a great opportunity to integrate Bird Conservation Plan objectives into federal land management. The Forest Service has a website where the new planning regulations, the National Fire Plan, and the Strategic Plan 2000 can be found (http://www.fs.fed.us). A schedule of plans by forest and by USFS region also is available.--Ron Archuleta (rarchuleta@fs.fed.us). National Park Service - Park Flight Migratory Bird Program The National Park Service (NPS) has established "Park Flight," a program to protect shared migratory bird species and their habitats in both U.S. and Latin American national parks and protected areas. Park Flight is a partnership between the NPS, National Park Foundation (NPF), and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). It is made possible through the generous support of American Airlines. Assistance will be provided in some U. S. and Mesoamerican parks, focused on two program areas: 1) migratory species monitoring, protection, and management; and 2) park interpretation, environmental education, and outreach. NPF announced the very first Request for Proposals (RFP) to U.S. national parks last December, and final selections for this year will be made by late March/early April 2001.--Carol Beidleman (970-586-3776 or beidleman@aol.com). Five Star Restoration Challenge Grants Announced for FY01 On December 1, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in cooperation with the EPA, the NMFS and other sponsors, announced the Five-Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program. An outgrowth of the Administration's Clean Water Action Plan, the Five-Star Program provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland and riparian restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship. In 2000, the second year of the program, 59 projects were awarded grants of on average $10,000 out of approximately 200 applications received. Visit http://nfwf.org/5star-rfp.htm and http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/index.html Turner Foundation, Inc. Announces Grant Program The Turner Foundation (http://www.turnerfoundation.org/turner/water.html) , Inc. is soliciting new grant proposals for the protection of rivers, lakes, wetlands, aquifers, oceans, and other water systems from contamination, gradation, and other abuses. Priorities include strengthening the advocacy, outreach, and technical capabilities of organizations addressing the protection of water systems; stopping further degradation of water-dependent habitats from new dams, diversions, and other large infrastructure projects; reducing wasteful water use by conservation; promoting allocation of water specifically for environmental purposes, including habitat restoration and fish and wildlife protection; supporting efforts to improve public policies affecting water protection, including initiatives to secure pollution prevention and habitat protection; reducing pesticide use; and strengthening the advocacy, outreach, and technical capabilities addressing the disproportionate use and location of toxic material in poor and rural areas.--Peter Bahouth (404-681-9900, turnerfi@mindspring.com). Trust for Public Land Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land (http://www.tpl.org/) helps conserve land for recreation and spiritual nourishment and to improve the health and quality of life of American communities. TPL pioneers new ways to finance parks and open space; helps generate federal, state, and local conservation funding; and promotes the importance of public lands. For a list of regional contacts within TPL, contact Kelly Niland (Kelly.Niland@tpl.org) or your PIF Regional Coordinator. Sociedad Para la Estudio de los Recrusos Bioticos de Oaxaca Following the NABCI II meeting in Queretaro, PIF representatives met with the Sociedad Para la Estudio de los Recrusos Bioticos de Oaxaca (SERBO). Director Manuel Grosselet and staff biologist Silvia H. Salas Morales described ongoing activities for forest protection, forest management and ecotourism in Oaxaca. The group then visited two AICAs -- Sierra Norte and Union Zapoteco-Chinanteca -- and Parque Nacional Benito Juarez where migrant and endemic birds share large expanses of high-quality habitat. Grosselet outlined needs and opportunities to advance habitat conservation in Oaxaca.--Manuel Grosselet (serbo@prodigy.net.mx).
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is gearing up for another season of their conservation project, Birds in Forested Landscapes. BFL would really the help of birders and wildlife professionals throughout North America. The project seeks to understand the relationship between birds and their habitats so that land managers can make informed decisions about forested landscapes and the birds depend upon. This year, BFL has been expanded to include some 50 species. Results from a similar study, Project Tanager, resulted in a publication now available from the Lab, "Land Manager's Guide to Improving Habitat for Scarlet Tanagers and Other Forest-Interior Birds," available at http://birds.cornell.edu/conservation/tanager/. --Allison Wells (amw25@cornell.edu). Birdscapes -- News from International Habitat Conservation Partnerships Since its first issue in 1988, the pages of Waterfowl 2000 have chronicled the successes of the most ambitious international conservation plan ever undertaken on this continent -- the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Now, in response to changes occurring in conservation, Waterfowl 2000 has evolved into Birdscapes, a full-color magazine. Even a quick look at either of the first two issues (Fall 2000 and Winter 2001) will show that this is truly a habitat oriented publication, with stories on all kinds of birds. This is an excellent place to share your stories on projects, research results and other accomplishments.--Dee Butler (dee_butler@fws.gov), Barbara Robinson (barbara.robinson@ec.gc.ca) and Elisa Peresbarbosa (eperes@infosel.net.mx). Partners In Flight Personnel Directory The Partners In Flight personnel directory has now evolved into the Bird Conservation Directory, a comprehensive who's who in bird conservation. Hard copies are available from Elizabeth Ennis at the American Bird Conservancy (eennis@abcbirds.org). Or visit the Partners In Flight web site (www.PartnersInFlight.org) for access to the electronic version. Technical Working Groups Multi-initiative Species Assessment Committee The Multi-initiative Species Assessment Committee has produced a second draft of the Handbook for Using the Avian Species Assessment Database. This is the database created initially by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and PIF to prioritize North American bird species and habitats for conservation action. The database is currently being overhauled to better incorporate the ecological attributes of waterfowl, shorebirds and waterbirds and to refine existing data on other species. The next meeting of MISAC is tentatively scheduled for 25-27 April 2001. --Jon Bart (jbart@eagle.boisestate.edu). North American Cowbird Advisory Council The Partners in Flight Meeting "Research and Management of the Brown-headed Cowbird in Western and Eastern Landscapes" in Sacramento, CA, October 23-26, 1997 culminated in a closing workshop that recommended continuing dialog to achieve a national perspective on cowbird populations as well as improved integration of the best protocols in cowbird management gleaned from programs over the past 25 years. As a result of the PIF workshop, a broadly constituted scientific advisory group was formed to synthesize existing information and construct guidelines for the management of cowbirds at local and regional levels. For further information see http://cowbird.lscf.ucsb.edu/. GEOGRAPHIC WORKING GROUPS North Carolina PIF Receives Award The Partners in Flight Program in North Carolina was presented with the annual Wildlife Conservation Award for 2000 by The NC Chapter of the Wildlife Society, at the recent annual meeting of the chapter. Getting this award validates the efforts of many valuable partners throughout the state and region. -- Mark E. Johns (johnsme@mindspring.com). Northern Region Landbird Monitoring Program The Northern Region Landbird
Monitoring Program's 2001 field season will be devoted to the monitoring of two
habitat-specific issues of management importance: 1) dry forest
restoration, 2) tall-willow riparian structure and grazing. Results from these
projects will provide managers timely, critical information to assess
effects and revise management strategies at the site and landscape level. For
more information on this and other LBMP projects contact see http://biology.dbs.umt.edu/landbird/landbird.htm Keeping Birds in the Sagebrush Sea The subject article originally appeared in Wyoming Wildlife but has been reworked and enhanced by Sherry Ritter (ritter7@montana.com) and Chris Paige. It provides excellent coverage of the ecology and management needs of birds that breed in sagebrush habitats. The target audience is land owners and land managers. A number of very good wildlife and habitat photos are included. North American Bird Conservation
Initiative The second tri-lateral NABCI meeting was held in Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico on 14-18 February 2001. Breakout groups discussed the following topics: 1) Organizing for effective bird conservation action, 2) Planning and evaluation, 3) Effective program delivery, and 4) Continental and collective actions for bird conservation. The NABCI-II meeting was a major milestone in the progress towards all-bird conservation. The three Nations were there with a common focus, all of the bird initiatives and the key site-based programs (IBA, WHSRN) also were present. There was a common agreement among all participants on the basic framework for all-bird conservation. The recommendations from the meeting will lead to positive actions if they are addressed aggressively. The key responsibility for action lies with the three National NABCI Committees, both separately as the lead in each nation and collectively as the lead continently. The NABCI National Coordinators' Report is now available. --David Pashley (dpashley@abcbirds.org). Integrated Business Plan for Bird Initiatives The U. S. NABCI committee is assisting the major bird initiatives in constructing a "business plan" that would lead to an efficient sharing of staff positions to implement all-bird conservation in the U. S. There are many complexities to this exercise and likely a number different outcomes that would be equally successful in meeting our objectives. The latest discussion occurred during a full-day meeting at the recent North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Washington DC. Stay tuned. --Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov). Society For Caribbean Ornithology
To Meet In Cuba The biannual meeting of the
Society for Caribbean Ornithology will be held in the Topes de Collante National
Park in the Sierra Escambray (about 340 km east of Havana) from 15-22 Jul
2001 (inclusive of two travel days). The meeting will take place at the
KurHotel, Topes de Collante, Sancti Spiritus Province. This hotel is in the
mountains of Central Cuba 350 km east of Havana City with a pleasant
mountain climate and excellent sites for birdwatching and enjoying Cuban
nature. Total cost per person is a very attractive $550.00 USD (this
price covers the stay in Cuba, hotel meals and transportation. U. S. people
should contact Marazul travel agency for travel and fee costs
(800-223-5334). For additional information, see the SCO website (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/SCO/index.html). V Congreso de la Sociedad Mesoamericana para la Biología y la Conservación San Salvador, El Salvador del 15 al 19 de octubre de 2001 La Sociedad Mesoamericana para la
Biología y la Conservación - SMBC, organiza cada año el mayor
congreso científico regional. este congreso constituye una oportunidad
regional única, permitiendo la difusión de avances científicos y
conservacionistas, estimula la producción de nuevas ideas, promueve el intercambio
entre actores. Se invita a todos los interesados
en presentar ponencias y/o organizar simposio sobre temas específicos,
mandar sus propuestas a Eunice Echeberria: eecheverria@hotmail.com
o Roberto Rivera: rrbiosis@es.com.sv con copia a
mesoamerica2001@yahoo.com.mx.
para mas información visite: http://www.geocities.com/smbc_elsalvador_2001 Assessing The Health Of Wetland Life: Policy, Science And Practice The Environmental Protection
Agency's Biological Assessment of Wetlands Workgroup national meeting will
take place 14-16 May 2001, at the Sheraton World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
The meeting is called Assessing the Health of Wetland Life: Policy,
Science and Practice, and is open to anyone interested in learning about the
progress of state agencies in developing biological monitoring protocols
to determine the health of wetlands. Registration, lodging and other
information is available at www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/bawwg/announ2001.html.
To register, call 800-965-5004 or 415-682-2154.
Register by April 15 for the early bird rate of $75 for government agency
staff, nonprofit staff, volunteers, and educators and $100 for businesses
and consultants. --Leah Graff Miller (leah@iwla.org). The Communities Working for Wetlands conference is a training opportunity for wetland enthusiasts interested in managing or participating in local wetland conservation and education projects. The conference will take place 16-18 May 2001 at the Sheraton World Resort in Orlando, Florida. All volunteers, nonprofit organization staff, educators, students, government agency staff, and business professionals who want to make a difference for wetlands should attend. Registration and lodging information is available at www.iwla.org/sos/awm. To register, please call 800-965-5004 or 415-682-2154. Register by April 15, 2001 for the early bird rate of $85 for volunteers, non-profits, students, and teachers and $120 for government agency staff, businesses, and consultants. -- Jim Corven (jmcorven@manomet.org). Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration Symposium The subject symposium will be held 4 -7 June 2001 at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. The objective of this symposium is to present and discuss the current state of our knowledge on the ecology and techniques for restoring sage grouse habitat. This will apply broadly to the Great Basin BCR. For current information, visit http://www.id.blm.gov/. Next National Partners In Flight Meetings The next regularly scheduled meeting of the PIF Management Steering Committee (MSC) is tentatively planned for 10-11 September 2001, in conjunction with the annual meetings of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in Wichita, Kansas. Related committee meetings will take place as usual at the International over 12-16 September at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita. MSC meeting details will be sent from chair E. J. Williams shortly. Details on the IAFWA meetings can be found at their web site (http://www.iafwa.org/). The MSC is discussing alternatives to holding our autumn meetings with the IAFWA. We are considering attaching the MSC meeting to other meetings and conferences in order to more aggressively seek the participation of new partners. Other Meetings See meetings listed in the Ornithological Newsletter (http://www.ornith.cornell.edu /OSNA/139.htm#meet). NEWS OF PEOPLEMark Woodrey hired as the Assistant Nongame Migratory Bird Coordinator in the Southeast Region Dr. Mark Woodrey (mark_woodrey@fws.gov) has been hired to serve as the Assistant Nongame Migratory Bird Coordinator in the Southeast Region of the USFWS. Mark has been very active within the PIF Southeast Working Group and has been the chair for the Mississippi Working Group. Of special note is his expertise in landbird migration issues, grassland species, and shorebirds. Mark will have regionwide responsibilities for helping coordinate research and survey efforts. He has been involved in the preparation and writing of several PIF Bird Conservation Plans including the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and the East Gulf Coastal Plain. Mark will be stationed at the USFWS Jackson, MS, Wildlife Habitat Management Office. Carol Beidleman Now NPS Liaison to PIF Carol Beidleman, Chair of Colorado Partners in Flight, is the Park Flight Migratory Bird Program Coordinator and IMBD-NPS liaison. NPS has also just announced that Carol, as a collaborator, will be serving as the NPS liaison to Partners in Flight. If you have any questions about NPS capacity in bird conservation, please contact Carol at Carol_Beidleman@partner.nps.gov or 970-586-3776. Lisa and Dan Petit - Found in Cleveland Those of us who have been around PIF for a while remember quite fondly the contributions of Dan and Lisa Petit. They were fortunate enough to find two biologist positions in the 5-county area of Ohio where they were looking to live. Lisa left Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center as a research scientist for a Wildlife Biologist position with the National Park Service at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (30,000 acres). She has been conducting research in the park for the past 6 years. Dan (drp@clevelandmetroparks.com) left USGS as Coordinator of the Science Applications Program and assumed a new position with Cleveland Metroparks (a state-level park district) as Manager of Natural Resources Research. Metroparks covers more than 20,000 acres spread across 14 reservations -- more than 80% of those lands are kept in a "natural" state. Dan is responsible for ensuring that credible science is conducted within the park district and that natural resources managers have the best environmental information available to them. Dr. Peter Blancher -- PIF Canada Scientist The Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and Bird Studies Canada (BSC) are charged with providing science leadership for the National Working Group of PIF Canada (http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/canbird/pif/p_title.htm), which in turn provides support and leadership for Canada's landbird conservation efforts under the North American Bird Conservation Initiative. CWS and BSC are pleased to announce that, beginning 2 April, Dr. Peter Blancher will begin an Interchange Canada assignment with BSC as PIF Scientist. As such, he will be providing scientific expertise and capacity for the PIF Canada program, particularly in support of priority-setting, population objectives, PIF Canada databases and conservation planning. Peter will work out of the CWS Ontario Region offices in Nepean, ON. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The next newsletter will be issued on 1 July 2001. Items are due 15 June 2001 to Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) by e-mail only. Please put "Newsletter Item" in the subject line. National I inadvertently omitted a major contribution to the April PIF Newsletter, that being the report of numerous activities from the Education Working Group, including IMBD. My apologies to Susan Bonfield and the rest of her working group. Check it out and see where you can plug in. -- Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov). For further details on any item, contact Susan Bonfield (970-513-7017 or SBonfield@aol.com). International Migratory Bird Day The new IMBD website http://www.BirdDay.org
is up and running. It offers basic information about IMBD,
links to sponsor sites, and on-line ordering. This has been a tremendous help
and a simple way to offer assistance to people looking for information. This year, we decided to see if IMBD would be an effective tool for sharing information about other education programs. This has been very successful. Materials from Wild Wings of the Americas, American Bird Conservancy, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, and Counter Culture Coffee are also being made available. IMBD continues to link with new partners. In addition to working with SCAA, we are also working with Kids for Saving Earth, an eduation program that will be sending information to 6,000 members and will include information on their website. National Wildlife Federation also shared information with over 1200 Backyard Habitat participants. Each year, USFWS and NFWF work with more groups to encourage them to host IMBD events. For example, in 2000, USFWS worked closely with National Zoos, and now, over 80 American Zoological Association affiliates host an IMBD program. We try to help groups make their IMBD special and personal. Groups can add their logos to the t-shirt and other materials; they may make materials available to visitors; they may purchase and resell materials as a fundraiser. Western Mexico Education Workshop Montana Audubon will be hosting an Education Workshop in western Mexico in May 2001. Organization of the workshop is under the direction of Xicotencatl Vega Picos of Culiacan, Sinaloa. The workshop will be held in Sinaloa and will be attended by approximately 20 western Mexico educators from 7 states, including Oaxaca, Michoacan, Sinaloa, and Nayarit. The focus of the workshop is to provide the educators with bird-education materials and the training needed to use these materials in their communities. Each participating state will receive the Baul Mexicana de las Aves - the Mexican version of the Songbird Blues trunk, as well as many other materials. Lead instructors are Xico and Laura Villasenor. Education Working Group Updates Monthly updates via email have been well-received, and the mailing list has grown and been updated. The list includes over 350 teachers, biologists, bird-watchers, and PIF partners. Information sent out via email is gathered from a variety of sources, including direct requests to individuals to provide information about their programs, news sent out on other list servs and websites, articles, etc. Each message is designed to include a notice about the success of education programs, job availabilities, and current news regarding bird populations and conservation. Teacher Workshop Join an engaging learning experience this summer from July 4-19 in Bregenz, Austria. In conjunction with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS), participants will study the environment of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The two week class will include numerous opportunities to see business, farming, schools, and observe and interact with people who have made some different choices in the way they look at the environment and sustainability. See http://www.kiis.org/BregenzEnvironment/bregenz_main.htm or contact Dr. Joe Baust (270-762-2595, ralphe@hotmail.com or Joe.Baust@coe.murraystate.edu). USFWS Distance Learning Program Each year, fewer migratory birds
are making it back to North America from the tropics. Meanwhile, in Latin
America, many coffee farmers are removing the trees that shade their plants
in the hopes of raising production. What do these two facts have in
common? Come, watch, and investigate with us as we track down the missing
birds and try putting a stop to their disappearance. Call, fax, or
E-mail your ideas to the studio during this event and help solve this
mystery! Education Success Story NJT4B (New Jersey Teachers For Biodiversity) was created in 1985 with funds from the Dodge Foundation. In its early days, the program awarded fellowships to New Jersey teachers to join Earthwatch research expeditions to rain forests. Today, the program encompasses biodiversity issues in general and links the Dodge Fellows program with Hands Across the Water/NJ Earth Education. The program's most recent accomplishments include: * A visit to the horseshoe
crab/shorebird phenomenon at Reed's Beach, NJ If you want more information about this program, contact Erik Mollenhauer (NJT4B Planning Committee Chair, EIRC, 606 Delsea Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080).
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