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Partners In Flight NewsletterJuly 2001National Jennifer Wheeler New USFWS Waterbird Coordinator Jennifer
Wheeler has accepted a position with the USFWS as the national Waterbird
Coordinator. This position was made
possible with contributions from the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Station and
the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Jennifer has a BA from the University of Virginia in Interdisciplinary
Studies and an MS in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology from the
University of Maryland. Jennifer
worked with the USFWS the past 18 months as the National Information and Events
Coordinator for International Migratory Bird Day. Working closely with Melanie Steinkamp, Project Director of
the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, Jim Kushlan, Chair of the Waterbird steering Committee, Naomi
Edelson, Wildlife Diversity Director at the International Association of Fish
and Wildlife Agencies, and Audubon’s Important Bird Areas coordinator,
Jennifer will be responsible for coordinating the North American Waterbird
Conservation Plan with an immediate focus on developing regional conservation
plans. She will facilitate and
assist regional leaders in writing and editing the regional plans, oversee
publication of the continental and regional conservation plans, and maintaining
the waterbird plan web site. Two thirds of Jennifer’s time will be as Waterbird
Coordinator and one third will continue to be spent on activities in support of
International Migratory Bird Day. Jennifer
will be located at the USFWS Headquarters in Arlington, VA and reached at
703-358-1714 and Jennifer_A_Wheeler@fws.gov. Integration of Bird Initiatives The integration of bird initiatives is a central theme running through a
number of PIF activities now underway. These
include the next big PIF conference at Asilomar (below), future PIF staff and
their duties, evolution of the species prioritization process, and increased
coordination with the North American Wetlands Conservation Act proposal
evaluation process. We continue to
seek a balance between championing the needs for land birds while also
considering the needs of all other birds and, indeed, all other species. I
hope that we will all think broadly, inclusively and creatively as we take
advantage of the great opportunities to advance bird conservation that are now
presenting themselves.—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov)
Next National PIF Meetings The next meeting of the PIF Management Steering Committee will be held in conjunction with the 91st International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Conference in Wichita, Kansas. Our meeting will take place all day on 11-12 September 2001 (Tuesday and Wednesday) at the Great Bend, KS Holiday Inn. The cutoff for reservations (316-792-2431) is 24 August 2001. Great Bend is about 2 hours northwest of Wichita. The PIF Regional Coordinators’ Updates and PIF Joint
Steering Committee meeting will be held in Wichita at the Hyatt Regency Wichita
on Friday, 13 September 2001. A
number of important related IAFWA committee meetings are scheduled for the
following days. See
http://www.sso.org/iafwa/documents/2001_iafwa_annual_meeting.htm
for IAFWA annual meeting details. As
always, everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the PIF
meetings.—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) Next
International Partners In Flight Conference Partners
In Flight Conservation Plans: A Workshop on Implementation & Integration in
the Americas will be held 20 - 24 March 2002 at the Asilomar State Park
Conference Center in Monterey, California (see www.prbo.org/PIF/NPIF2002.htm.)
The focus will be on implementing on-the-ground conservation actions
identified in PIF Bird Conservation
Plans in coordination with other bird initiatives.
Conference sessions will include: Sources of Project Funding, Species and
Habitat Monitoring, Environmental Education, Birding Economics, Outreach and
Marketing, Measuring Success, International Cooperative Projects, Research
Progress and Applications, the Interface of Biology and Politics, Stopover
Issues and Multi-species Approaches to conservation.
A poster session, vendor display, evening socials, and field trips will
be offered, and a proceedings will be published.
Mark your calendars now - this is going to be an excellent
conference!—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) National
Forest Foundation Matching Awards Program The
National Forest Foundation (NFF) (www.natlforests.org/)
is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization established by
Congress in 1990 to support the Forest Service in its management of the nation's
forests and grasslands. The NFF Matching Awards Program encourages community
involvement in the stewardship of national forest lands through the formation of
goal-oriented partnerships. By matching federal funds to private dollars, the
NFF is able to expand the resources available to implement projects throughout
the National Forest System that directly benefit forest and grassland health.
Wildlife Habitat Improvement is one specific granting area.
Round 1 pre-proposal deadline is July 20, 2001. The
searchable databases of PIF research and monitoring needs, as derived from the
PIF Bird Conservation Plans (BCPs), is now available on line through the PIF
home page. Select the link to
"Search the PIF Research Needs Database." To go directly to the page, use http://www.partnersinflight.org/pifneeds/searchform.cfm.
This database includes those needs identified in all the BCPs currently
available on the web. It will be
updated as new BCPs are added. Thanks
again to the current and former Regional Coordinators for cooperation and
patience. We hope this database
will get broad use by both researchers and managers.—Marshall Howe (marshall_howe@usgs.gov)
U. S. NABCI Staff Committee - Roles And Composition In May 2001, the U. S. NABCI Committee issued a draft
proposal outlining the objectives and composition of a “U. S. NABCI Staff
Committee.” The latter
would, in general, advance the mission of NABCI between formal Committee
meetings. The first two tasks
assigned to the Staff Committee are preparation of a NABCI Action Plan and an
Infrastructural Plan. The intent of
the Action Plan is to refine the vision of NABCI in the U. S. and to define the
scope of activity of the U. S. NABCI Committee.
The Infrastructural Plan will define the staffing and other resource
needs of the bird initiatives and NABCI over the next several years.
The various initiatives have been working separately and collectively on
this plan over the past six months. The
Action Plan is conceived as being strategic in nature whereas the
Infrastructural Plan is a practical document.
The Staff Committee may also assist the National Coordinator in planning
agendas and other details of upcoming U. S. NABCI Committee meetings.—Terry
Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) Summaries Of Previous US NABCI Committee Meetings Still a
little puzzled over NABCI? David
Pashley has prepared an 8-page synopsis of the minutes of the six US NABCI
Committee meetings held to date, including all of the relatively substantive
decisions and discussions that have taken place. This is a very useful reference for anyone wanting to keep
pace with the rapidly evolving bird conservation scene in North America.
Contact David (dpashley@abcbirds.org)
or me.—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) Multi-Initiative Species
Assessment Committee (MISAC) The MISAC was formed to help
integrate species “prioritization” processes among the various bird
initiatives. Major goals are to
reach agreement on the details of species assessment – the collection and
analysis of biological information to determine species’ population status –
and to describe the consensus process in an Assessment Handbook.
Assessment produces two major outputs.
One product is a “concern score” which describes our level of concern
that the species will undergo a substantial population decline (including
extirpation or extinction) in the foreseeable future.
The other product is a series of “area importance” scores intended to
help identify which areas (e.g., Bird Conservation Regions, Provinces, States)
are of most importance in conserving the species.—Jon Bart (jbart@eagle.boisestate.edu)
Birders'
Exchange: Providing Essential Tools for Shorebird Conservation Founded
in 1990 by Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, and partnered in 1997 with
the American Birding Association, Birders' Exchange collects new and used
optics, Neotropical field identification guides, ornithology texts, backpacks,
and laptop computers and
distributes them, free of charge, to people working to conserve birds in their
habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Over the past decade, the program has successfully distributed a
remarkable array of equipment to hundreds of conservation scientists, resource
managers, educators, and students working in conservation in more than 250
organizations in 36 countries. There
are three simple ways to participate in Birders' Exchange efforts: 1.
Those living and working in the U.S. and Canada can collect and donate
appropriate equipment that may no longer be useful to the original owner, but
may be very useful to someone else. 2.
Latin American and Caribbean projects may request equipment from Birders'
Exchange by filling out and mailing in equipment applications (http://americanbirding.org/programs/consbexap.htm).
3.
If you are traveling to Latin America or the Caribbean, you could deliver
a package of much-needed equipment to an important bird conservation
project.--Betty Petersen (bpetersen@manomet.org)
and Lina DiGregorio (edcon@aba.org). Ornithological Societies of North America One of the great strengths of Partners In Flight has been
the productive union of conservationists from a variety of origins.
There has always been a way to contribute whether your primary interest
is research, monitoring, education, information, international, management or
other segments of bird conservation. Truly,
most of us participate and enjoy all these arenas to some degree.
The Ornithological Societies of North America (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OSNA/)
are the core of scientific ornithology in North America, and to a large degree,
the world. If you are not a member of the American Ornithologists’
Union, Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society,
Association of Field Ornithologists, Raptor Research Foundation or The
Waterbird Society, I strongly encourage you to join one or more of these
professional societies. This is a
great way to strengthen the scientific component of PIF and to enhance the
conservation thinking among scientific ornithologists. Studies in Avian Biology Studies in Avian Biology, a publication of the
Cooper Ornithological Society, contains both monographs and proceedings of
symposia. Recent titles include
“Ecology and Conservation of Grassland Birds of the Western Hemisphere,”
“Stopover Ecology of Nearctic-Neotropical Landbird Migrants: Habitat relations
and conservation implications,” and “Evolution, Ecology, Conservation, and
Management of Hawaiian Birds: A Vanishing Avifauna.” See the COS web site (http://www.cooper.org)
for information on ordering. Fatal
Light Awareness Program: Saving Birds and Saving Electricity The
Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) was formed in April 1993 to find a solution
to the problem of birds being disoriented by building lights and becoming
exhausted or flying into those buildings. During
migration, FLAP volunteers patrol Toronto's downtown core in the early morning
hours to rescue live birds and collect the dead ones. Volunteers use nylon nets
to help capture confused birds. Paper bags provide an easy means of transport,
and give each bird a warm, dark place in which to recuperate before being set
free. A major solution to
collisions is to get tall buildings and other structures to simply turn off
their lights at night. This will
not only save birds, but will save enormous amounts of electricity, bulbs and
other resources. Visit http://www.flap.org/
for ideas on how to help. Dawn Patrol: Birds, Dropping In the past five years, Rebekah Creshkoff and a few other
volunteers, encouraged by her example, have recorded more than two thousand dead
and injured birds at the World Financial Center and the World Trade Center in
New York City. In a repeated early-morning race against rats, cats, gulls, and
men with brooms, they have made several hundred rescues, and have begun to argue
a case for making New York's buildings more friendly to passing warblers—that
is, darker and softer. Read the article in The
New Yorker on Rebekah’s work at (http://www.newyorker.com/THE_TALK_OF_THE_
TOWN/CURRENT/?TALK_DAWN_PATROL) Raptor
Electrocution Reduction Program HawkWatch
International (HWI) and Utah Power have announced the Raptor Electrocution
Reduction Program, an innovative effort to identify power lines that present a
danger to eagles, hawks, owls, and other large birds, which can be injured or
killed if they perch on certain power line structures.
This program aims to identify poles that present an electrocution risk to
birds and to retrofit these poles. HWI
welcomes volunteers to assist this project and reduce the threat of power line
electrocutions to raptors. Volunteer
surveyors are needed to walk power lines in search of electrocuted birds,
identify potentially hazardous power poles, record observations of live raptors,
and collect habitat data. Assistance
is needed from mid-July through late November.-- Sherry Meyer (smeyer@hawkwatch.org) The Conservation Handbook:
Gratis Copies Project The Conservation Handbook -
Research, Management and Policy by William J. Sutherland has been published by
Blackwell Science. The aim of
the book is to provide clear guidance on the implementation of
conservation techniques. It provides constructive
advice and information on how to tackle conservation problems, from fieldwork through to drafting action plans. The wide range of methods
described include those for
ecological research, monitoring, planning, education, habitat management
and combining conservation with development. 18 case studies illustrate how the
methods have been applied. The book is being sent free of
charge to those practicing
conservationists outside Western Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand
and Japan who are otherwise unlikely to obtain a copy. These copies are provided
at cost price by Blackwell Scientific, the publisher, and paid for with the
author's royalties. Each book sold means another one
will be donated. If you wish to obtain a copy or order a book to be sent
to people who live in the area outlined above and would benefit from this book,
please send your name and address, the name of the suggested recipient, their
address and a sentence or two explaining why they should be sent this book, to
Conservation Handbook Gratis Copies Project, NHBS, 2-3 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon
TQ9 5XN, gratis@nhbs.co.uk. More
information on the book can be found on www.nhbs.com/xbscripts/bkfsrch?search=101322. Bird
Trends The
latest "Bird Trends" published by the Canadian Wildlife Service is
dedicated to Ivory-billed
Woodpecker Search Carl
Zeiss Sports Optics will sponsor an intensive search for Ivory-billed
Woodpeckers in the bottomland forests of the Pearl River area of southeastern
Louisiana. Zeiss will sponsor two
people (@ $2,000/person) to conduct an organized, systematic search of the area,
working as a 2-person team for 30 days. Those
selected for the team must be experienced birders able to negotiate difficult,
remote terrain on foot, by canoe, and by ORV.
This search must be conducted before spring leaf-out, namely completed by
early March 2002. The search will
be planned by and coordinated with personnel for the Louisiana Dept. Wildlife
& Fisheries.--J. V. Remsen (najames@unix1.sncc.LSU.edu). NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Program NOAA has issued an open notice
inviting the public to submit multi-year proposals for establishing innovative
partnerships at a national or regional level with the agency's Restoration
Center to further habitat restoration that will benefit living marine resources. NOAA envisions working jointly on
such partnerships, through its CRP (Community-Based Restoration Program).
This CRP is a financial and technical Federal assistance program that
promotes strong partnerships at the national, regional and local levels to fund
grassroots, community-based activities that restore living marine resources and
their habitats. Although many of
the funded projects address fish habitat, projects to restore wetlands have also
been funded.--Greg Esslinger (Greg_Esslinger@fws.gov) IAFWA
Migratory Bird Workshops To assist the states in enhancing their bird conservation efforts, the IAFWA applied for and received a Federal Aid Administrative grant to hold integrated migratory bird workshops. This grant provides funds for 15-20 training workshops for state wildlife biologists and land managers, and other partners throughout the U. S. over the next three years. Each workshop will be hosted by a state wildlife agency but will be open to other key bird and habitat management players. Watch for specific workshop announcements in the near future.--Naomi Edelson (nedelson@sso.org) The
Impact Of Highway Plantings On Bird Mortality The
following observation apparently raises a new conservation issue for Partners In
Flight. During the spring of 2001,
segments of roadway planted with Thorny Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus pungens)
were monitored for bird use and mortality.
More than 1,600 Cedar Waxwings were collected along 2 segments of highway
east of Richmond, VA. Large flocks of birds were observed to fly repeatedly
through dense traffic to feed on Elaeagnus fruit. Birds were struck and
killed by oncoming traffic. More than 350 birds were
collected from one location in a single day. We should be alert to
similar, avoidable, sources of mortality--Bryan
D. Watts (757-221-2247) North
American Ornithological Atlas Committee The North American
Ornithological Atlas Committee now has a website hosted by the American Birding
Association: http://americanbirding.org/programs/cons/atlas.htm.
Contents of the site include the purpose, history, officers, proceedings of the
1999 conference at Cornell, upcoming meetings, committees, Handbook for Atlasing
North American Breeding Birds (1990), Breeding Bird Atlas contacts, and
published atlases in North America and Europe.--Sally Laughlin (laughlin@sover.net) Prairie
Grouse Technical Council Newsletter The
PGTC Newsletter is a way to communicate with other prairie grouse Estimates
of Shorebird Populations in North America The
subject document by R. I. G. Morrison et al.(2001) is now available. Estimates
are presented for the population sizes of 53 species of Nearctic shorebirds
occurring regularly in North America, plus four species that breed occasionally.
For copy requests within in the U. S., contact Manomet Center for
Conservation Sciences (508-224-6521). For
requests outside the U. S. contact the Canadian Wildlife Service (819 997-1095
or cws-scf@ec.gc.ca). 2001
Bird Conservation Directory ABC's
new publication, the 2001 Bird Conservation Directory, is now available for only
the cost of shipping. This new
directory is the first comprehensive listing of contact information for
individuals involved in Partners in Flight, the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan and Joint Ventures, the North American Wetlands Conservation
Council, Flyway Councils, North American Waterbirds and U.S. Shorebird
Conservation Plans, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, North
American Bird Conservation
Initiative, American Bird Conservancy Policy Council, and more. With more than 1,200 listings of conservationists and their
contact information, this is an invaluable resource for facilitating
communication in the world of bird conservation. You can now order a box of 38 directories from American Bird Conservancy for only the cost of shipping ($20.00/box).--Elizabeth Ennis (eennis@abcbirds.org) National Geographic Map Machine If you ever needed a satellite view of some region on earth
for a presentation, check out http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/.
Many biological and political themes, such as vegetation, soils, degree
of threat, and population density also can be portrayed.—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) TopoZone The
TopoZone (http://www.topozone.com/) has
worked with the USGS to create the Web's first interactive topo map of the
entire United States. In addition to serving maps on the TopoZone, the site
provides interactive mapping services to partners like maps.com, MapQuest,
trails.com and others. TopoZone
has every USGS 1:100,000, 1:63,360, 1:25,000, and 1:24,000 scale topographic map
for the entire United States. Puerto Rico (1:20,000) will be coming soon.—Terry
Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) Western Working Group Meeting in Guaymas, Mexico The
WWG met in Guaymas, Mexico on 3-8 April 2001.
This was their second meeting in Mexico. Presentations and discussions again centered on conservation
needs in Mexico and how both Canada and the U. S. can work with our Mexican
colleagues to identify and achieve specific objectives. Breakout groups
identified 4 tri-national
projects to pursue, with the assistance of NABCI - one each for
coastal/wetland, riparian, grassland, and forest/mountain habitats.
Humberto Berlanga and Eduardo Santana committed to try species
prioritization in two pilot areas, one in Sonora and another in Oaxaca. Attendees toured an AICA wetland and wrote a letter to
Mexican officials to list it as a protected area.—Carol Beardmore (CBeardmore@gf.state.az.us) California
Partners in Flight Listserve The
California Partners in Flight listserve recently dissolved due to a server
failure and many names were lost
from this list. To subscribe, send
a message to cpif-equest@maphost.dfg.ca.gov with "command" (do not include quotation marks) in the subject line and "subscribe CPIF <youraddress>" as the only text in the body of the message. Or you can send a message to me letting me know that you wish to be on this and I will subscribe you.—Sandy Scoggin (sscoggin@prbo.org) Conservation Assistance Tools Conservation Assistance Tools is a searchable database (http://www.sonoran.org/cat/
default.asp) of grants, cost sharing, and technical assistance available for
natural resources projects in the western United States. It is designed to help
local communities reach the information, potential partners, and financial
support needed to accomplish grassroots conservation projects in the West.
You can sign up for a periodic electronic newsletter.—Sherry Ritter (sritter@bigplanet.com) Atlas
of Idaho’s Wildlife -
Integrating Gap Analysis and Natural Heritage Information Conversion
of the Atlas of Idaho's Wildlife to a digital format is part of the
Digital Atlas of Idaho Project, an attempt to provide teachers, students, and
the public with geographical
information about the natural history of Idaho. This electronic document has several desirable features. It
can be easily and inexpensively duplicated and
distributed. It can viewed on a variety of computer platforms (Windows,
Macintosh, and UNIX). Portions or all of the document can be printed, as needed,
and the document can also be searched using keywords.
A large portion of the document is devoted to birds.
Copies available from me.—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov) Whitebark
Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF) The
Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation, whose director is Diane F. Tomback, is a
cooperative organization for funding education, research, and
restoration projects in the high-mountain ecosystems where whitebark pine
functions as a keystone species. The
WPEF will promote the conservation of whitebark pine ecosystems by supporting
educational, management, and research projects that enhance knowledge and
stewardship of these valuable ecosystems. Visit
their website at http://www.whitebarkfound.org.--Sherry
Ritter (sritter@bigplanet.com) Publications
Needed for RMBO Library The
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (formerly Colorado Bird Observatory) is seeking
books, journals and other ornithological reference materials for the library at
its new office. RMBO is accepting donations and has a small number of duplicate
journals (Auk, Condor, Conservation Biology, Journal of Field
Ornithologists, Wilson Bulletin, and others) and books to trade or sell.
RMBO will pay shipping for donations.—Doug Faulkner (doug.faulkner@rmbo.org) Effects of Management Practices
on Grassland Birds
The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center continues to
add syntheses of literature on the effects of management practices on various
grassland species. Recent additions
include the Horned Lark and Eastern Meadowlark. Accounts can be found at www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/literatr/grasbird/grasbird.htm.
The site also contains a large bibliography on grassland birds, currently
containing about 4,600 articles.-- Douglas H. Johnson (douglas_h_johnson@usgs.gov) Oregon/Washington PIF Newsletter The
Spring newsletter has been posted on the OR-WA PIF web page!!!
We will not
be sending out mailings from now on. You
should be able to easily read and
print it out from the web page (new page actually).
If you have bookmarked the OR-WA PIF web page, you can get to it that
way....if you need to call the page up use
http://community.gorge.net/natres/pif.html.
If that doesn't work it may be that there should be a period between the
words community and gorge. Of
course you can go to the National PIF web page and link to it or do a search
also....Feel free to forward this announcement on to others in your network,
especially those of you that are the PIF lead for your agency/organization.--Bob
Altman (503-658-2537) SAGEMAP: A GIS
database for Sage Grouse and Shrubsteppe Management in the Intermountain West The SAGEMAP project (http://sagemap.wr.usgs.gov),
conducted by the Snake River Field Station of the USGS Forest and Rangeland
Ecosystem Science Center, is identifying and collecting spatial data layers
needed for research and management of shrubsteppe systems. The dataset, which
can be queried, viewed, and downloaded from our FTP site, are important for our
understanding and management of shrubsteppe lands and associated wildlife. The
data can be used to identify factors causing the declines of wildlife and
shrubsteppe habitats, or in the decision process for listing of Greater
Sage-Grouse as a Threatened or Endangered species, and to help guide restoration
of habitats in the Great Basin. California
Bird Species of Special Concern The
California Bird Species of Special Concern (BSSC) document is currently
being updated by the Department of Fish and Game, Point Reyes Bird
Observatory and some of the top ornithologists in the state.
This list is endorsed by California PIF.
To ensure the highest quality document for identifying California's
declining and vulnerable bird taxa, the BSSC team is soliciting input from any
and all interested parties who have information on native birds and their status
in California. The DRAFT BSSC list and supporting materials are now available at
the following website: http://www.prbo.org/BSSC/BSSCintro.htm.
We welcome you to take a look at the website, to review the methods used
to rank and score the bird taxa, and to send your comments and
proposed score revisions to the Project Leader as indicated on the
website.--Thomas Gardali (tgardali@prbo.org) Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve Designated by UNESCO The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and
Culture (UNESCO) has designated the
Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in Queretero, Mexico as a member of the World
Network of Biosphere Reserves. To
be accepted in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the candidates are
nominated by the national governments and must fulfill three complementary
functions: Conservation, to protect genetic resources, species, ecosystems and
landscapes; Development, to promote economic and civic development; and Logistic
Support, to encourage research, education, and permanent monitoring on local,
national and international issues.-- Ernesto Enkerlin Hoeflich Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) The Yellowstone to
Yukon Conservation Initiative (www.Y2Y.net) is
interesting in partnering with regional universities, governmental agencies,
NGOs and existing partnerships such as Partners in Flight to produce broad-scale
habitat analyses and species distribution maps for all Y2Y birds of special
conservation interest. In September
2000, Y2Y and the American Bird Conservancy hosted an avian workshop to explore
all-bird conservation opportunities at the Yellowstone to Yukon-scale.
One of the recommended action items was to develop expert maps of habitat
types and species ranges to help us better understand the Yellowstone to Yukon
system. In early June 2001, a group
of avian ecologists met in Bozeman, MT to frame this mapping project.
The next step will be taken on 23-24 August in Vancouver.--Marcy Mahr (marcy@y2y.net) Grassland Species of Common Conservation Concern (Especies de los
pastizales de Interés Común para la Conservación) The
Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) (http://www.cec.org/home/
index.cfm varlan=english) organized a workshop to establish the foundations
of a conservation strategy for grassland species shared among Canada, the U. S.
and Mexico. The workshop took place in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico in
late March, 2001, involving government representatives from Canada, USA and
Mexico, as well as representatives from NGOs, academia and landowners. Edited by
Jürgen Hoth of the Program for the Conservation of Biological Diversity, CEC,
the report is now available.—Terry Rich (terry_rich@fws.gov)
USDA
Forest Service International Programs The
Forest Service International Programs and its partners are offering two annual
seminars - one on protected areas and another on natural resources management.
These intensive and interactive seminars, which feature fascinating site
visits and in-depth case analysis, are designed to stimulate debate and
discussion among participants. The
International Seminar on Protected Area Management takes place from From
26 August until 13 September 2001, Colorado State University's College of
Natural Resources will host the 17th International Seminar on Forest and Natural
Resources Administration and Management. In the past, over 405 managers from 110
nations have attended this seminar, which focuses on strategies and methods to
develop, manage, and conserve natural resources for the sustained delivery of
goods and services to meet the full range of human needs. See http://www.fs.fed.us/global/is/isfam/welcome.htm
or contact Ms. Ann Keith (IFS@cnr.colostate.edu). The
latest edition of International Programs News is now available online. This
feature highlights the dangers to and the conservation of the world's migratory
species. The Bulletin Board features announcements for international seminars
and other meetings and notices (http://www.fs.fed.us/global/news/welcome.htm.)
To learn more about International Programs, visit (http://www.fs.fed.us/global). Species
Of Common Conservation Concern In North America The
Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s
Biodiversity has produced a report on the Species of Common Conservation Concern
(SCCC). The report, dated18
October 2000, is now available
by Internet in Spanish, English and French at the following address:
http://www.cec.org/files/PDF/BIODIVERSITY/SCCC-Web-e_EN.PDF.
Many projects presented in the latest Trilateral meeting dealt with some of
these 17 shared species (11 birds and 6 mammals). [Editor’s Note: This should not be confused with the
Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) list prepared by the USFWS].--Jurgen Hoth
(jhoth@ccemtl.org) La Ruta Maya In
conjunction with the Guatemalan Birding Resource Center www.xelapages.com/gbrc/index.htm
, Fermata (www.fermatainc.com/home.html)
will
begin the first phase of a Mesoamerican nature trail, the first of its kind.
Jason Berry, head of the Center, has organized tentative trail routes and
stakeholder meetings with landowners and with communities that will be
participating in the trail. The initial trail will cover eight different
bioregions in Guatemala, and provide visitors with an unparalleled view of the
ecological riches of this astounding country. Fermata’s assessment team will
review the nominated sites, compile digital imagery for the sites, and put
together a web-based trail for birders and other nature tourists. The trail’s
format will be designed so that visitors can explore by themselves or take
guided tours of sites on the trail.--Seth Davidson (seth@fermatainc.com) Starbucks
Shade Grown Coffee Starbucks
unveiled Shade Grown Mexico coffee (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/default.asp) for the third consecutive year through its partnership with
Conservation International. This year, Starbucks purchased its largest supply of
Shade Grown Mexico coffee to meet increased demand in several added distribution
channels. Starbucks also has
supplemented the coffee’s reintroduction by adding an interactive online
experience to its web site that brings the endangered cloud forest of Chiapas,
Mexico--the source of this environmentally friendly coffee--into the homes of
consumers. Rainforest
Alliance One
of the international conservation organizations that has worked to use consumer
demand to increase the conservation of tropical habitats is the Rainforest
Alliance (www.rainforest-alliance.org).
They have pioneered the certification of tropical products such as
bananas, cocoa, oranges, wood and coffee. If
these products are produced according to certain standards that promote
conservation and sustainability, then they receive approvals such as ECO-O.K.®
and SmartWoodcm. EducationThird
Annual National Keep Your Cat Indoors Day Linda
Winter, Director of Cats Indoors! Campaign for the American Bird Conservancy
announced winners of this year’s campaign.
From over 340 entries representing 23 states and Canada, the overall
winner and winner in the age 10 - 12 category is Molly Whitney from Philomath,
OR. She is 10 years old and attends
the Inavale Elementary School. Molly
won a $200 gift certificate from Wild Bird Centers of America (WBCA), and
Inavale Elementary School won a $150 gift certificate.
The winner of the 8 - 9 age category is Sarah Cook from Chico, CA, and
the winner in the 6 - 7 age category is Tricia Wiles from Ashland, VA.
They each receive a $100 gift certificate from WBCA.
The winning posters can be viewed and downloaded from ABC’s Web site
at: www.abcbirds.org/cats/catsindoors.htm
and on WBCA's Web site at: www.wildbirdcenters.com Cats
Indoors! Web page re-organized We
have re-organized the Cats Indoors! Web page to make it easier to find specific
materials. We've added a link to
The Wildlife Society's new position statement on free-roaming cats at: www.wildlife.org/cp5.html#27.
We will add Web pages on cat predation in the states of Florida,
California, and Hawaii, as well as new links in the near future, so keep
checking the Web site.--Linda Winter (lwinter@abcbirds.org)
Sharing
Your Land With Shortgrass Prairie Birds The
2nd edition of the "Best Management Practices for Shortgrass Prairie
Birds" International Migratory Bird Day – It’s Never Too
Late It's
never too late to register your event on the IMBD Events Registry.
Visit http://birds.fws.gov/imbd
and click on "Events." Even
if your event has already passed, registering it allows National IMBD
Coordinators to track the IMBD movement. If
you don't tell, we won't know! And
it's never too late to buy IMBD products...like a poster, t-shirt, cap,
educator's guide. Products are fun
and useful year-round, and available any time of year!
IMBD Sales is at http://www.BirdDay.org
or 1-866-334-3330 (if that gives you trouble, try 970-513-6868).--Jennifer
Wheeler (703-358-2318 or IMBD@fws.gov) Migration
Monitoring In The Americas Workshop Migration
Monitoring in the Americas is a workshop to be held in Seattle in conjunction
with the joint meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union and the Society
of Canadian Ornithologists meeting. It
will take place on 15 August
2001, from 13:30-17:00. The
objectives of the workshop include discussing the current status of migration
monitoring in North America, and in particular considering ways to enhance
migration monitoring in the United States, which does not yet have any
equivalent to the Canadian Network. We
have the potential of being able to help partially fund cooperation in such a Migration
Network in the United States. Participants
will help decide on the methods of providing assistance in funding
stations--Charles M. Francis (cfrancis@bsc-eoc.org)
and C. John Ralph (cjr2@humboldt.edu). The Effects of Multiscale Landscape Changes on
Populations of Birds in Arid Shrublands of the Intermountain West The subject workshop will be held at Boise State
University, Boise, Idaho, 21 August 2001 from 08:00-17:00.
The objectives of this workshop are to integrate analyses at multiple
scales from interdisciplinary approaches to understand dynamics of shrubland
birds and their habitats. We will
integrate expertise by specialists in (1) mapping and detecting landscape
change, (2) developing new capabilities for marking and tracking small birds
over large regions and long periods, and (3) relating distribution and abundance
of shrubland birds to multiscale estimates of habitat change. --Steve Knick (steve_knick@usgs.gov) North
Carolina PIF Annual Meeting The
2002 NC Partners in Flight Annual Meeting set for 12 March 2002 at the NC Museum
of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC. This would also be a good chance to check out
the outstanding new exhibits put in last year at the museum. The general meeting
will focus on International efforts to further bird conservation, and will be
followed later by a meeting of the NCPIF Steering Committee and State Working
Group.--Mark E. Johns (johnsme@mindspring.com) Western
Working Group The WWG will be holding its fall meeting in Fallon, Nevada,
October 10-12. The meeting
objective is to discuss coordination of monitoring needs in the Western Region.
There have been requests for more
coordination at the regional level on monitoring.
We have several state programs, Forest Service projects and Bird
Observatories (just to name a few) monitoring or beginning monitoring programs.
Our thrust will not be how to do monitoring, but how to coordinate
(ongoing and new) monitoring efforts over the region. The meeting will be held at the Fallon Convention Center.
Registration will be $40 to cover the costs of renting the facility.
Participants can stay at the Holiday Inn Express within walking distance
of the Convention Center. A
block of rooms has been set aside for "Partners in Flight", the rate
is $55+tax, reservations can be made by calling 1-775-428-2588.
September 26 is the deadline for making reservations at this price.
Sharing rental cars would be the best option for most attendees.—Carol
Beardmore (CBeardmore@gf.state.az.us) There will be optional field trips to Stillwater National
Wildlife Refuge, Carson Sink, Soda Lake and the Diversion Dam on Saturday,
October 13th. Bring your
spotting scope. 25th Annual Meeting Of The Waterbird Society The25th annual meeting
of The Waterbird Society 2001 (originally the Colonial Waterbird Group) will be
held at the Sheraton Fallsview Conference Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, 7-11
Nov 2001. Two symposia are planned with concurrent sessions in the late
morning and early afternoon each day and field trips on the last day. Details
are on the society web page http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/CWS/index.html.
The 9th Alaska Bird Conference The
subject conference will take place 6-8 March 6-8 2002 at Wedgewood Resort in
Fairbanks, Alaska. Details for the
conference will be posted on Alaska Bird Observatory's web site (http://www.alaskabird.org).
-- Nancy DeWitt (ndewitt@alaskabird.org.)
Fourth
Annual Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival This
festival will take place from August 18 - September 9, 2001 around Fairbanks,
Alaska. Sponsored by Friends of
Creamer's Field, the Alaska Bird Observatory, and the Arctic Audubon Society,
this celebration of Sandhill Cranes and fall migration will include walks,
seminars, workshops, and other events for adults and kids alike. For more
information, contact the Alaska Bird Observatory (birds@alaskabird.org). 3rd
North American Ornithological Conference The
Cooper Ornithological Society, American Ornithologists’ Union, Raptor Research
Foundation, Society of Canadian Ornithologists, and possibly other professional
scientific societies, will meet jointly for the 3rd North American
Ornithological Conference (NAOC) in New Orleans, 24-30
Sep 2002. The NAOC
meets every four years. A web site
is under construction.—Kim Smith (kgsmith@comp.uark.edu) 2001 Midwest Birding Symposium Hosted by Birder's World magazine, Eagle Optics, and the
Wisconsin Society For Ornithology, this much-anticipated birding event will be
held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from Thursday, 30 August through Sunday, 2
September 2001 at the Regency Suites Hotel and KI Convention Center. This
seventh biennial birding event will offer a varied menu of 28 speakers,
workshops and varied field trips for birders of all levels of expertise. Located
in the northeast portion of the state, Green Bay is surrounded by wetlands that
vary from Lake Michigan shoreline to cattail marsh and sedge meadow. The area
lies along major pathways for fall migrants.
See http://www.birdersworld.com/news/2001/0108.html. Symposium
on Bird Song Dedicated to Luis Felipe Baptista A
symposium on bird song dedicated to the memory of Luis Felipe Baptista,
"Nature's Music: The Science of Bird Song," will be held Saturday, 3
November 2001 in the Morrison Auditorium at the California Academy of Sciences.
Eight distinguished colleagues of Dr. Baptista will present recent advances in
the study of bird song. They will present a wide variety of themes in a way that
should be attractive to scientific colleagues as well as the interested
layperson. Dr. Peter Marler,
University of California Davis and Dr. Robert Bowman, San Francisco State
University, will add their personal insights about Luis' remarkable life and his
contributions to science. Registration
will begin in August and space is limited.
For details, see www.calacademy.org/research/
bmammals/baptista_symposium/. Great Basin Biological Research Conference The subject conference will take place at Brigham Young
University on 11-13 October 2001. The
objective is to share research on biogeography, landscape ecology, fire and
disturbance ecology, invasive species biology and other issues pertaining to the
Great Basin. Abstracts are due 13
July 2001 and the early registration deadline is 17 August 2001.
See http://bioag.byu.edu/mlbean/gbbrc/
for details. 24th Prairie Grouse Technical Council
Biennial Meeting The 24th Prairie Grouse Technical Council
Biennial Meeting will be held Monday through Thursday, 5-8 November 2001, in
Woodward, Oklahoma. The aim of the
conference is to bring together all those involved or interested in research and
conservation on prairie grouse, especially Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens,
Sharp-tailed Grouse, and sage grouse. Research
papers and discussion sessions will be held on 6 & 7 November.
Field trips in the area will provide opportunities to see and learn about
Lesser Prairie-Chicken research and habitat conservation efforts.
There is additional information www.suttoncenter.org/PGTCNews.html. 2001 Watchable Wildlife
Conference The National Watchable Wildlife
Conference will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota, from September 14 to 17. The
conference is being organized by Watchable Wildlife Inc., Wildlife Forever, the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Nongame Wildlife Program, and the
Minnesota Office of Tourism. See http://www.wildlife2001.com/
for details. Conference
on the Economic and Ecosystem Impacts of Aquatic Invasive Species The11th
International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species will be held 1-4 October
2001 in Alexandria, VA, USA. The introduction of nonindigenous aquatic invasive species is an ongoing
problem that is increasing in frequency. Although the zebra mussel may be the
most widely known invader, there are numerous other alien pathogen,
invertebrate, fish and plant species that are causing significant damage to
coastal and freshwater ecosystems. This
annual four-day conference is widely considered the most comprehensive forum for
the review of accumulated scientific knowledge, presentation of the latest field
research, introduction of new technological developments for prevention,
monitoring, control and mitigation, and discussion of policy, legislation,
public education and outreach initiatives related to aquatic invasive species.
See http://www.aquatic-invasive-species-conference.org/
. Birds Of Two Worlds:
Advances In The Ecology And Evolution Of Temperate-Tropical Migration Systems The Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center at the
National Zoo are hosting a conference to synthesize the cutting-edge findings
about the basic ecology and evolution of migratory birds. The conference will
take place tentatively in March 2002 at the Smithsonian Institution in
Washington, DC and will last two and a half days. The conference will include a
series of invited talks organized into symposia, round table discussions and an
evening session of contributed posters.--Pete Marra (marra@serc.si.edu)
and Russell Greenberg (antbird@erols.com).
Other Meetings See meetings listed in the Ornithological Newsletter (http://www.ornith.cornell.edu/OSNA/139.htm#meet
). Erick Campbell Receives Award Erick
Campbell was recently recognized by the U. S. Forest Service and the
OR/WA Chapter of PIF for his continued support of the Annual Bird Monitoring
Workshops held each spring in OR/WA. For
his support and sponsorship of the workshops for the past 8 years, Erick
was presented with a high-quality spotting scope.
Erick has recently moved to Reno where he will continue his contributions
to bird conservation with BLM, now in the Great Basin.--Barb Kott (bkott@fs.fed.us). Dave
Krueper Joining USFWS Dave
Krueper has accepted a position with the USFWS as the Region 2 Assistant Nongame
Migratory Bird Coordinator. Dave
spent the past 15 years with the Bureau of Land Management based on the San
Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in southern Arizona. He is a top-notch birder widely recognized for his long-term
monitoring of bird populations following removal of livestock from the San Pedro
River. Dave will begin work in
mid-August and can be reached at: USFWS,
Division of Migratory Birds, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103, dave_krueper@fws.gov. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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