ABA Blog

ABC and Partners in Flight Meet This Week in Utah

Editor's Note: The ABA is pleased to welcome American Bird Conservancy President Dr. George Fenwick to the blog to introduce the 5th International Partners in Flight Conference and Conservation Workshop, held this week in Snowbird, Utah.

In addition to the critical conversations and trans-hemispheric planning sessions occurring at the meeting this year, the ABA is proud to announce our presence there as well. We'll be taking our acclaimed conservation program Birders' Exchange on the road, distributing optics and equipment to deserving researchers from all over the hemisphere right on site.

Without further ado, here's Dr. Fenwick.

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I don’t write a lot about meetings, especially in advance.  This post is the exception that proves that rule.  There is a meeting that will take place outside Salt Lake City, Utah, August 25 – 28 and if this meeting does what it’s designed to do, it will be a banner day for birds but more specifically, it will be a banner day for declining neotropical migratory birds found in the Western Hemisphere.

The meeting in question is the fifth international meeting of Partners in Flight (PIF) and is being hosted by American Bird Conservancy. PIF (www.partnersinflight.org) was formed as a collaboration of hundreds of groups and agencies in 1990, in response to growing concerns about the decline of many of our landbirds, especially neotropical migrants.  Its partner list is a Who’s Who in bird conservation in the Americas; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports the only paid position in the partnership – the Partners in Flight National Coordinator.  

PIF has been described as one of the most ambitious conservation efforts ever launched, but it doesn’t do a lot of conferences – roughly two per decade. That’s a useful thing when the economy is tight and travel is expensive. For that reason, bird conservationists took note when this fifth international PIF conference and workshop was scheduled for this summer. At this point, hundreds of ornithologists and other scientists are expected to attend. Participants include not only home-grown NGOs concerned with these migratory bird problems, but a range of bird experts from 14 countries and almost 100 organizations from Canada and Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

PIF and ABC are doing everything they can to help ensure that this year’s meeting shapes the future of bird conservation, which is a tall order indeed.  Our target - simple to voice but exceedingly complex to implement - is a better life for the declining migrants found in the Americas. We hope to reach that goal  by working together on a set of “conservation business plans” designed to identify and prioritize actions needed to improve the habitats used by the migratory birds. In recent years, “business plans” have become attractive to donors because they are necessarily very specific in identifying what will be achieved for a given commitment of resources.

To that end, collaborative teams are being formed for eight different ecological regions used as wintering grounds, geographically linking north and south to cover wintering, breeding, and transit areas. These teams and conference attendees will develop specific sets of programs and projects to address the most pressing threats for these regions and their migratory birds. The result: a “conservation blueprint” for our most imperiled migratory species.

We have set up the meeting to be inclusive, inviting all who are concerned about birds and their conservation to attend, participate, and contribute. It is an opportunity that does not come along often on a stage this large.  It seems like the pieces are in place for this collaboration to produce a lasting legacy for conservation. Such things have happened before -- prominent scientists and conservationists coming together and significantly changing the course of conservation. In 1917, Victor Shelford gathered scientists and formed the Ecological Society of America, leading to the publication of The Naturalist’s Guide to the Americas (1926) and launching the modern conservation movement in the United States.

Another historical moment in bird conservation occurred in 1985, when research showed that waterfowl populations had plummeted to record lows. Concerned groups and individuals came together to create the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, recognized by both the United States and Canada in 1986 and later joined by Mexico. That plan has generated more than $5.3 billion to purchase and enhance waterfowl habitat on more than 20 million acres in these three countries­—a remarkable legacy of coordinated public-private action.

In addition to the working sessions, the meeting also offers plenary sessions that run the gamut from provocative:  Can Conservation Save Birds?  – to international:  The Challenges and Success of Migratory Bird Conservation in the Wintering Grounds, from the Latin American Perspective – to fresh approaches: The Partners in Flight Full Life-Cycle Approach: New Directions for Bird Conservation.  See the full line-up of plenary sessions here. 

Special sessions – nine in total -- have something for everyone, including:  A Western Hemisphere Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for All Birds; Understanding and Overcoming the Social Challenges of Bird Conservation; and Migration Stopover and Bottlenecks for Long-distance Migrants within the Western Hemisphere. Check out the full schedule.

And of course they have a full set of birding field trips after the heavy lifting of the meeting has taken place: 

For more than 20 years, under the banner of Partners in Flight, thousands of our best scientists, conservationists, and educators have labored to understand, address, and enlighten us about the disappearance of migratory birds. These are great people. Let’s hope they can make a difference again. If you care about bird conservation and you haven’t signed up for this meeting, you should check it out at www.pifv.org.

Remembering Betty Petersen / Recordando a Betty Petersen 1943 - 2013

Betty Petersen

The ABA family and the entire birding community lost one of its leading lights on the morning of June 4th when Betty Petersen of Hanson, Massachusetts, passed away. She had suffered a heart attack on May 20th.

La familia de ABA y toda la comunidad de observación de aves perdimos una de las grandes luminarias en la mañana del 4 de junio, al fallecer Betty Petersen de Hanson, Massachusetts. Ella sufrió un ataque al corazón el 20 de mayo.

Betty Petersen had been an ABA member since 1980, and joined our staff in 2000 to lead the Birders’ Exchange program she pioneered at Manomet Bird Observatory. Over her more than a decade here, Betty brought endless reserves of intelligence, care, and enthusiasm to her work, building Birders’ Exchange into one of the ABA’s most effective and beloved programs.

Betty Petersen se asoció al ABA en 1980, y se unió a nuestro equipo en 2000 para dirigir el programa Birders’ Exchange, lo cual se inició en el Observatorio de Aves Manomet (Manomet Bird Observatory). Por encima de su más de una década aquí, Betty añadió reservas infinitas de inteligencia, cuidado y entusiasmo a su trabajo, elevando Birders’ Exchange a ser uno de los programas más eficaces y más queridos del ABA.

Betty and Edson Endrigo in Brazil / Betty y Edson Endrigo en Brasil

Betty’s impact on the birding and conservation communities and the pain of her loss are hard to overstate. Her generosity, good humor, and love for the people, birds, and wild places the world over are legendary. Her vision for encouraging the study, appreciation, and conservation of those birds and wild places was elegant, simple, and effective. And as it was with all things Betty did, it was rooted in a spirit of great generosity and a delight in helping others.

No se puede exagerar el impacto de Betty en la comunidad de observación de aves y en su conservación o en nuestro dolor de su pérdida. Su generosidad, buen humor, amor por las personas, las aves y todos los lugares silvestres del mundo son legendarios. Su visión para fomentar el estudio, valoración y conservación de las aves y los lugares silvestres era elegante, simple y eficaz. Así fue todo lo que hizo Betty, arraigada en un espíritu de gran generosidad y gozo en ayudar a otros.

Our sympathies and thoughts are with Wayne R. Petersen, Betty’s husband of more than 40 years. Wayne directs the Important Bird Areas program for the Massachusetts Audubon Society and is a former Vice President of the ABA. Together, Wayne and Betty have been a major force in birding, in Massachusetts and around the world. We look forward to working with Wayne to honor Betty’s memory and keep her legacy alive and growing.

Nuestras condolencias y pensamientos están con Wayne R. Petersen, esposo de más de 40 años de Betty. Wayne dirige el programa AICA (Áreas Importantes para la Conservación de Aves) de la Sociedad Audubon de Massachusetts y es ex vicepresidente de la ABA. Juntos, Wayne y Betty han sido una fuerza importante en la observación de aves, en Massachusetts y en todo el mundo. Trabajaremos con Wayne para honrar la memoria de Betty y mantener vivo y siempre aumentando su legado.

Wayne and the rest of Betty’s family have asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations in Betty’s memory be made to the ABA’s Birder’s Exchange. Please use our special online donation form to make your gift. You are also welcome to call us at 800-850-2473 or 719-578-9703 during business hours, or to send donations by mail to 1618 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, Colo. 80904.

Wayne y el resto de la familia de Betty han pedido que, en lugar de flores, las donaciones en memoria de Betty se pueden hacer a Birders’ Exchange. Por favor, utilice nuestro formulario especial de donación en línea para hacer su regalo. También te invitamos a llamarnos al 800-850-2473 o 719-578-9703 durante horas de oficina, o enviar donaciones por correo a 1618 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904 USA.

Photo by BEX recipient Patricia Gonzalez of Argentina / Foto de BEX destinatario Patricia González, de Argentina

Please read Betty’s obituary and sign an online guest book for Betty here. We also hope you’ll leave your memories and sentiments about Betty, her life, and her impact here in the comments section as a memorial to her. We’ll be featuring extended coverage of Betty’s life and work in the July/August issue of Birding and elsewhere.

Por favor, lea el obituario de Betty y firme el libro de visitas en línea para Betty aquí. También esperamos que ustedes compartan sus recuerdos y sentimientos sobre Betty, su vida y su impacto aquí en la sección de comentarios en memoria de ella. Presentaremos más sobre de la vida y la obra de Betty en la revista Birding de julio/agosto, así como en otros lugares.

To Betty, from all us, thank you for bringing so much good to this world. We, and the birds, will miss you dearly.

Querida Betty, de todos nosotros, te agradecemos por haber traído tanto bien a este mundo. Nosotros, y las aves, te extrañaremos mucho.

Betty's generosity and hard work brought joy to so many /La generosidad y el trabajo de Betty traían alegría a mucha gente.

Many thanks to Jennie Duberstein, Robert Mortensen, and Alvaro Jaramillo for providing a Spanish translation. This is now a bilingual tribute at least, but to reach all that Betty did, it would have to be translated into Portuguese, French, and many other languages.

Muchas gracias a Jennie Duberstein, Robert Mortensen y Alvaro Jaramillo por traducir esto al español. Ahora tenemos al menos un homenaje bilingüe, aunque para alcanzar a todos los que Betty impactó, tendríamos que traducirlo al portugués, francés y muchos otros idiomas.

 

Grassroots Tropical Conservation Through Ecotourism, Birders’ Exchange, and the Long-wattled Umbrellabird

Betty Petersen has sent me some more fantastic stories from grateful contributors and recipents of the ABA's Birders' Exchange program.  This latest one comes from Scott Olmstead of Tucson, Arizona, a tour leader with Tropical Birding.

Take it away, Scott.

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     It’s fascinating to watch grassroots conservation movements evolve in developing countries, where the local inhabitants generally tend to be more concerned with basic needs like getting enough to eat than with conservation of natural resources for future generations. The idea of conserving habitats and resources at a large scale seems to be easier to grasp, accept, and especially prioritize if you’re not worried about your day-to-to day existence. But what if getting your daily bread actually depends on the existence of wild creatures, and not just for eating but for showing, alive, to other people? Suddenly conservation is not such an abstract concept.

    Let’s look at an example of how ecotourism can encourage conservation and how Birders’ Exchange, a humble ABA program, can support all of the above. Birding tourism is well developed in Ecuador compared to most Latin American countries, and for many local operators it is viewed as an important way to make a living. I have found in my experience that most guides, lodge operators, and other professionals that rely on birding tourism for business quickly come to recognize the need to conserve the wild habitats that support the spectacular birds that visitors seek. It’s kind of a no-brainer: no habitat means no birds, and no birds will inevitably lead to no birders, which will leave the operator with no income.

    It is exciting for me every time I encounter Ecuadorians who are just making this connection for themselves. They’re not becoming conservationists because they read about the need for conservation online, or heard a passionate presentation on the topic at school. They’re becoming conservationists through direct personal experience!

    So to me it is logical that one way to further an agenda of conservation in developing countries like Ecuador is to encourage more people to become involved with birding – and wildlife observation in general – on an economic level. (I’d also like to see more Latin Americans involved with birding on a recreational level, but that’s another discussion.) While I was in Ecuador this summer I got to see this concept in progress.

    In early July I finally visited a site that has been on my radar for a couple of years: Recinto 23 de Junio, a small village in the northwest that has already been profiled in several posts on the blog 10,000 Birds. 23 de Junio is famous for its healthy population of the bizarrely spectacular and enigmatically rare Long-wattled Umbrellabird, a species endemic to the wet Chocó bioregion of northwest Ecuador and southwest Colombia. I’ll let you read what others have already written about the origins of Recinto 23 de Junio on 10,000 Birds, but what I found was a local campesino, Luis Ajilla, who is experimenting with a new way of making a living that relies on maintaining the natural environment that surrounds his village rather than modifying or destroying it.

 

A chiva. Is it a truck? A bus?

    I arrived at 23 de Junio the way the locals do, riding the chiva from nearby San Miguel de los Bancos. (Think of a truck chassis with a wooden bus “cabin” fitted onto the back where a cargo bed might be more appropriate.) I stayed the night at Luis’ modest cabaña that he and his son Luis Jr. have constructed so independent birders can spend the night and they don’t have to drive an hour or more from wherever they might otherwise stay. The water wasn’t working properly during my visit (small detail!) but the cabin was clean and comfortable and I had no trouble sleeping in the peaceful setting. And I spent a whole day exploring the forest patches about the village with Luis. He showed me the lek site at the edge of a pasture where the male umbrellabirds gather at dawn to perform their strange mooing serenades that give them their Spanish name: el pájaro toro. He showed me his own forest patch farther up the mountain where we found more umbrellabirds, as well as other rarities such as Orange-breasted Fruiteaters and Black Solitaires. The terrain was steep and rugged, the forest was steamy, and the trails were poorly defined. I loved it!

 

Recinto 23 de Junio

     Throughout the day Luis and I talked about the progress that he and his son were making in developing their business. We talked about the plans he had for the future, including how he might improve their services and facilities. But what struck me most was when Luis brought up the need to educate more people in the village about how to live more sustainably and less wastefully. He is now planning how he can have an impact on more people outside his family. He is excited that he has found a cause, and he wants to bring more people onboard! Perhaps the Ajillas will eventually be able to employ more local residents in their operations. These are exactly the sort of people that can make the greatest impact in conservation on a grassroots level. But in the short-term, they simply need to expand and improve their business. As the saying goes, money talks.

Long-wattled Umbrellabird (sorry, it's the female... no wattle)

     In order to grow as birding operators, and expand their economic presence, the Ajillas will need access to knowledge and information, and equipment. They already had a dog-eared copy of the Birds of Ecuador (published in Spanish in Ecuador a couple years back!) and presumably each time a birding tour leader brings a group to 23 de Junio, one of the Ajillas, through accompanying the group in the field, will be able to absorb some expert knowledge about identification, species distribution, etc. However there was one glaring thing Luis was missing: a pair of decent binoculars. As we set out in the morning, he sheepishly showed me what he referred to as his juguete (toy) – a pair of field glasses that seemed something in between a children’s toy and an antique pair of opera glasses. My Leica Ultravid HDs suddenly felt a bit heavier around my neck. The cost of a rugged pair of waterproof binoculars ($200) is still a prohibitively high investment for this family. This indispensible tool of the trade that most birders take for granted will make a huge difference in improving Luis’ birding abilities, and consequently his guiding abilities. And this is where Birders’ Exchange comes in.

    Birders’ Exchange is in my opinion one of the most unique, exciting, and critical programs operated by the ABA. I would argue that the most dire need for conservation awareness and action exists in the biodiversity-rich tropical regions, and by outfitting local researchers, educators, and conservationists, the ABA is directly helping to promote conservation in the Latin American tropics. Many ecotourism professionals such as Luis Ajilla are also obvious conservationists and as such they are deserving of the support of Birders’ Exchange as well. As I was chatting with Luis in the Andes in July, I was already thinking about what a perfect fit his project seemed to be for Birders’ Exchange.

 

The author and the host, Luis Ajilla

     Once I returned home, I got in contact with Betty Petersen, Director of Birders’ Exchange. I learned that BEX has a small inventory of field optics on hand, and by corresponding with Luis we have identified a courier who will be visiting 23 de Junio on a birding trip this fall and has volunteered to take a couple of pairs of binoculars with her for the Ajillas! Being able to help make a connection like this is more satisfying for me than seeing 10 lifers or getting a sound recording of a rare species. Without the “people” element, birding would be missing something essential.

    So here is an appeal to all of you who appreciate the “people” element of birding, all of you who enjoy traveling to look for birds in the tropics, and all of you who recognize the critical need for tropical conservation. (That should cover most of us, right?) Keep Birders’ Exchange in mind and do what you can to support this mission. Donate your old waterproof optics when you upgrade. I hope there is never a deserving project that can’t get the support of BEX because there are no donations on hand. Be on the lookout for potential recipients of donations as you travel, and get their contact information so you can link them with Betty at BEX. And remember that in order to advance conservation we need real live people to see the value of it for themselves.

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Learn more about what you can do to help conservationists in Ecuador and throughout Latin America through Birder's Exchange here.

Introducing Birders' Exchange's New Intern

Of all the projects we work on here at the ABA, the one that we're arguably most proud to be involved with is Birders' Exchange.  BEX is a simple idea; birders in North America pass on their used optics or field guides or electronics to conservationists and researchers working in their home countries in Latin America and the Caribbean on bird-related projects.  That equipment is ferried to the neotropics by birders in the US and Canada traveling abroad. You can find many of those grateful recipients at the BEX home page, but the project itself is run ably by Betty Peterson, who has some equally exciting news.  

And with that, I turn the floor over to Betty - Nate

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Growing up in Belize City on the Caribbean coast of Central America, Gail McNab and her siblings had few wild places to explore. The edge of the city next to a cemetery offered some biodiversity, though—and just beyond the cemetery lay miles of trees where they spent many happy hours investigating the forest.

 And so began Gail’s passion for nature and birds—a passion which has led her to become this year’s international ambassador for conservation and education under the ABA Birders’ Exchange/Massachusetts Audubon Society International Intern Program.

Outgoing, friendly, and hard working, Gail is in Massachusetts until the end of September, where she is enjoying training, including seven-days-a-week courses that involve long hours of study, field trips, speaking to local students and the public, earning a certificate in bird ecology, and more.

Gail was born in Belize to a family with one sister and five brothers. During her childhood, she spent most of her summers outdoors enjoying sports and going on expeditions with her brothers.

In her second year of college, she took a course in environmental studies that changed her career focus and her life. She then applied to, and was accepted at, the University of Belize, where she studied for four more years, majoring in natural resource management. All of her studies were focused on nature, and how to manage and protect the environment as a whole.

 During her time at the University of Belize, Gail took an introductory course in mist netting and bird banding that sparked her strong interest in birds. All of the students were new to birds, and by the end of the course everyone became interested in migration and habitat conservation, but Gail was smitten. She marvelled at the freedom of birds and the distance they travel. As she held a White-collared Seedeater for the first time, thoughts raced through her mind … how magnificent birds are, their color, function, beauty, inspiration, what they offer to the world. Without birds, would airplanes exist? Many more thoughts would follow.

 Her favorite bird? That’s easy.

 “The coolest bird I have ever seen,” she says excitedly, “is the male Royal Flycatcher!”

This is the eighth year of the collaborative International Intern Program between the ABA, Birders’ Exchange, and Massachusetts Audubon Society. The goal of the program is to develop natural history and conservation ambassadors, and support ecotourism and conservation in the interns’ home countries.

 Interns participating in this program spend four weeks studying and enhancing their leadership skills through participation in birding programs and field trips, and return home with valuable skills that enhance their careers, their conservation projects, and their lives.

For more information about the International Intern Program, contact Birders’ Exchange Program Director Betty Petersen, [email protected].