December 2005

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SJV 2006 Awards Program Request for Proposals
The official Request For Proposals for the 2006 SJV Awards 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. SJV Awards range from $1,000-$10,000, with an average of $5,000.

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. All proposals must be emailed to both Robert Mesta and Carol Beardmore . The deadline to submit a proposal for the 2006 funding cycle is 3 April 2006. Contact Jennie with questions about the website and Carol with questions about the Awards Program.

North American Ornithological Congress
The conference theme is "Wings Without Borders," and will feature a rich scientific program, symposia, plenary lectures, business meetings of societies, and social activities. Pre-and post-conference activities will include training workshops, and birding, culture, and nature tours.

Veracruz is home to a rich avifauna, with over 700 species reported for the state, of which >230 species are Neotropical migrants and >20 species are endemic to Mexico. The conference is scheduled to coincide with the peak of the migration season in the world's largest raptor migration bottleneck.

Key Dates

For more information on the 4th North American Ornithological Conference, please contact:

NAOC Conference Management Office
5400 Bosque Blvd., Suite 680
Waco, TX 76710
USA
Telephone: +1 254-776-3550
Telefax: +1 254-776-3767
E-mail: business@osnabirds.org

Christmas Bird Counts in the SJV Region
There are many different Christmas Bird Counts that SJV partner can participate in this year. Below are details about counts in the SJV region in Mexico for which we had information at the time of publication. Details about counts in the US can be found on the National Audubon Society website. Please contact the local coordinator if you are interested in participating in any of the following efforts.

• When: 14 December 2005
  Where: Colorado River Delta, Sonora
  Contact: Osvel Hinojosa
• When: 17 December 2005
  Where: Desemboque de los Seris, Sonora
  Contact: Gary Nabhan
• When: 18 December 2005
  Where: La Paz, Baja California Sur
  Contact: Eduardo Palacios
• When: 19 December 2005
  Where: Ensenada, Baja California
  Contact: Eric Mellink.

Sagebrush Bird Conservation Plan Available
Version 1.0 of the Sagebrush Bird Conservation Plan is now available on the CalPIF website. Congratulations to Aaron Holmes of PRBO Conservation Science and everyone else involved with the plan’s development.

Border Environmental Educators from Mexico and the US attend NAAEE Conference
By José Marcos-Iga, Environmental Education Exchange
The North American Association for Environmental Education held its conference in October in Alburquerque , New Mexico . The geographic location of this year's conference made it possible for environmental educators from the border region, as well as the rest of Mexico and Latin America , to attend the conference, with more than 50 Spanish-speakers in attendance.

One of the activities focused on this audience was a special session for discussion environmental education in the border region. Participants explored opportunities for collaboration and funding, as well as ideas about the recently created Border Environmental Education Coalition, specifically about what the structure and function of the group should be.

Participants discussed maintaining a coalition originating from the efforts of communities and non-profits in the border, looking for the meeting point between the Border 2012 Program and the Coalition, where the free spirit of the Coalition is respected. The group also mentioned that the Coalition should be a tool for communication and informal collaboration, outside of the parameters of the "Working Group".

Collaboration in environmental issues in the border region is constantly growing, as shown by the Border 2012 Initiative and the recent creation of the efforts of the Border Environmental Education Coalition. The New Mexico conference presented an opportunity for people to connect face-to-face and plant the seed for a collaborative relationship in the long-term.

This session was only one of the various offered about border environmental education efforts. Others included a presentation of the "Consejo de Educación Ambiental de las Californias", as well as a key not presentation by Tiahoga Ruge, director of the Centro de Educación y Capacitación para el Desarrollo Sustentable (Cecadesu) de México.