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December 2004
En Español
SJV 2005 Award Program request for proposals
The official Request For Proposals for the 2005-06 SJV Award Program is now available online. The objective of the Sonoran Joint Venture Awards Program is to support the investigation and conservation of all birds and their habitats within SJV boundaries by providing funds through a competitive program. Proposals for projects that support the SJV mission and objectives are eligible for funding. This includes: habitat management, research, monitoring, education, community involvement, outreach, ecotourism, and training. Typical project awards in past years have been in the $3,000-$25,000 range.
Please visit the grants section of the SJV website to download the application cover sheet, proposal requirements, and view frequently asked questions and other important information. A number of changes have recently been made to the grants section of the website that should facilitate the grant application process. All proposals must be emailed to both Robert Mesta and Carol Beardmore. The deadline to submit a proposal for the 2005-06 funding cycle is 1 April 2005. Contact Jennie with questions about the website and Carol with questions about the Award Program.
A version in Spanish is in the process of being translated.
Checklists to the SJV Region available online
Thanks to SJV Technical Committee member Dave Krueper, checklists to the entire SJV region, Sonora, and Sinaloa are now available online in PDF format. The checklists are currently in draft form. If you have general information, locations, and dates of sightings of species which are observed in the SJV region but which are not currently included on this checklist, please contact SJV staff.
SJV involved in Arizona planning efforts
SJV Science Coordinator Carol Beardmore is bringing the needs and interests of the SJV to the table by taking part in meetings for the Arizona Game and Fish Department Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. This strategy is required for AGFD to receive State Wildlife grant funding. Carol is giving input on including SJV goals and objectives in the strategy so that we can partner with AGFD on bird conservation projects.
Carol is also part of the planning effort for the Lower Colorado River watershed (at this time, planning is only for the U.S. side of the watershed). This is spearheaded by US Fish and Wildlife Service refuges but has many partners, such as Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, California Fish and Game, Nevada Division of Wildlife, and more. The intent is to assess and prioritize species and habitats for conservation action in this important wetland area, something in which the SJV is keenly interested.
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SJV Technical Committee meets in Guaymas, Sonora
Members of the SJV Technical Committee met in Guaymas in late October and continued rolling the conservation planning ball. Committee members decided to designate four main planning regions: Arid Borderlands (BCRs 33, 40, 41, 42, and 63), California Coasts and Mountains (BCRs 32 and 39), Mexican Highlands (BCR 34), and Pacific Lowlands (BCR 43 and 44). Each of these regions will have a "Chapter" in the SJV Conservation Plan. The Committee also prioritized species within each Region, gave conservation action codes, placed them in habitat sections, and wrote specific habitat needs and monitoring priorities. Work has also started on writing the descriptions and needs for each focus area within each region. This by itself is a huge task, with 161 focus areas at present. An interesting guest was in attendance at the meeting: Tammo Hoeksema, the new NABCI regional coordinator for the El Triunfo area in southern Mexico. Through Carol Beardmore's contacts in Chiapas, folks in the El Triunfo area knew about the SJV and wanted Tammo to attend a Technical Committee meeting to see how the JV was organized. We wish him the best of luck in making conservation happen in El Triunfo.
SJV Guide to Education Resources: Not just for educators!
Have you visited the online SJV Guide to Education Resources yet? This free online resource is a clearinghouse for information about communications, education, and outreach resources and has details about a variety of different things, from programs and field trips to displays, websites, and listervers. Workshops and trainings, meetings, funding opportunities, and birding festivals are a few more of the topics listed in the Guide. The Guide continues to grow as we receive information about other important opportunities and materials. If you haven't already visited, please take a moment to browse the Guide. You can also submit information about materials, programs, and other opportunities that your organization offers.
It's sparrow time again! Volunteers needed.
This is your chance to see Baird's and Grasshopper Sparrows up close and personal! USGS research ecologist Janet Ruth is conducting a study of the effects of the Ryan wild fire on wintering grassland birds. The 38,000-acre Ryan wild fire swept through the southern Sonoita Valley in April 2002, burning 90% of the Audubon Research Ranch, as well as much surrounding grassland and oak savannah foothills. This study is repeating previous protocols on the Research Ranch and an unburned BLM site to determine how this fire affects wintering grassland birds for several years after the fire. The study involves flushing and mist netting grassland birds, primarily sparrows, as well as other survey and vegetation measurement protocols. We need your help in flushing sparrows into mist nets! The study is being conducted at two sites in the Sonoita Valley-the Audubon Research Ranch and the Davis pasture on the BLM Las Cienegas RCA. Banding takes place one Wednesday and Saturday in each of three months (January - March). Click here to reach the full announcement or for directions to the sites. |
