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October 2006
Alamos bird guide workshop report
Last week twenty people from around the state of Sonora and as far away as La Paz, Baja California Sur, joined SJV staff in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico for the 2nd Workshop for Capacity Building of Bird Guides. Participants included fishers, ranchers, nature and adventure guides, and staff from Mexican conservation NGOs and agencies who hope to implement bird conservation outreach efforts in their communities.
The workshop is a combination of time spent birding in the field and interactive classroom discussions. Participants learn basic bird biology, how to use a field guide, and how to identify birds. They also learn important techniques for leading groups and get hands-on experience acting as guides during the workshop.
Thanks to the generous donations of Tucson Audubon Society and Black Swamp Bird Observatory members, as well as author Kenn Kaufman, we were able to provide a free copy of the Spanish version of the Kaufman Guide to the Birds of North America to each workshop participant. For information about how you can purchase a copy of this guide to donate to Mexico, please contact Jennie Duberstein.
Thanks also to the U.S. Forest Service International Program, the workshop's principal funder, Solipaso owners David and Jennifer MacKay, who assisted with on-site logistics, Rancho Acosta, and Erin Fernandez.
The SJV is partnering with AEURHYC, Pronatura, CEDES, and CONANP-SEMARNAT to provide two workshops in the Colorado River delta, the first from 3-5 November and the second from 7-9 November 2006. Contact Alfredo Ornelas if you or someone you know is interested in attending.
If your organization is interested in hosting a workshop, please contact Jennie Duberstein. The SJV will provide instructors and all workshop materials. Your organization will responsible for registering participants and organizing all workshop logistics (lodging, meals, etc.).
Senderos E-Bulletin and Border EE Web merge
With generous funding support from the US EPA Region VI Border Office, the Senderos e-bulletin has now merged with the Border EE Web database and now they are both part of the new Border-Wide EE Coalition website, a bilingual, online hub for all things EE in the U.S.-Mexico border region. You can access this new resource at http://bordereeweb.net/.
DiscoverSonora Adventure Magazine is a bimonthly publication put together by Discover Editorial Group, based in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The goal of the magazine is to increase tourism in the state of Sonora, with a special emphasis on Arizona and southern California.
DiscoverSonora's pages are filled with articles about a variety of different topics, but many focus on different natural history subjects in Sonora, including ecosystems and species of particular interest. The most recent issue included articles on the Río Yaqui and the Gulf of California, as well as other nature-focused topics.
The magazine's editor, Gustavo Ybarra, recently participated in the bird guide training workshop in Alamos and invited the SJV and its partners to submit articles and photos about projects in Sonora for publication in DiscoverSonora. Articles could be about an ecotourism project or destination or just about areas of particular natural beauty in the state of Sonora.
If you are interested in submitting an article about your project, would like to collaborate on an article, or would just like more information, please contact Jennie Duberstein and Gustavo Ybarra.
SJV Guide to Education Resources: spread the word
Have you seen the SJV Guide to Education Resources? This online guide contains links to a variety of education, outreach, and communication tools, programs, and other information about birds, habitat, and conservation efforts in the Sonoran Joint Venture region.
We are currently in the process of updating the Guide and need your input. Please take a few minutes to view the Guide. If your organization's resources are listed, make sure all of the information is current and correct. If there are errors or updates, or if your organization's resources are not listed, please submit a form and we will make sure that your entry is updated or included in the Guide. This is a dynamic tool and we are constantly looking for ways to improve and update the content, so let us know if you have suggestions.
Contact Jennie Duberstein with questions.
SJV Welcomes Fall 2006 Intern
Welcome to Tiffany Ash-Cudney, who is completing an internship with the Sonoran Joint Venture this fall. Tiffany is a master's student in the Environmental Education program at the University of Arizona. She is bilingual and brings with her diverse experience as an educator. Tiffany is working with Education and Outreach Coordinator Jennie Duberstein to organize and implement Bird Guide Training Workshops in Mexico and to update and improve the online Guide to Education Resources. She will also be conducting an assessment of the SJV's education and outreach efforts to help determine how they help the SJV meet its objectives.
For more details about for-credit internships with the Sonoran Joint Venture, contact Jennie Duberstein.
Upcoming meetings and workshops
IV North American Ornithological Congress and 30th Waterbird Society Annual Meeting: 2-7 October 2006, Veracruz, Mexico.
Border Ecological Workshop: Alternatives and Mitigation for Border Security Infrastructure in Ecologically Critical Areas: 18 October 2006, Tucson, Arizona. Contact: Kim Vacariu.
Primer Encuentro Sobre Problemas y Soluciones Ambientales en Baja California: 23-25 October 2006, Mexicali, Baja California. Contact: Dr. Octavio Lázaro Mancilla, Coordinador del Comité del Programa Técnico; Teléfono: (686) 566-4150.
33rd Annual Conference on Ecosystems Restoration and Creation: 2-3 November 2006, Plant City, Florida.
Sonoran Joint Venture Management Board Meeting: 13-15 November 2006, El Centro BLM Office, California. Contact: Robert Mesta.
Restore America's Estuaries: 9-13 December 2006, New Orleans, Louisiana. Contact: Kristin Hoelting at (206) 624-9100, ext. 3#.
Click here for complete details about upcoming meetings.
Upcoming grant deadlines
A complete list of funding opportunities is available by clicking here.
- Tourism Cares
Deadline: November 2006
Description: Tourism Cares offers grants to worthy tourism-related nonprofit organizations worldwide for conservation or preservation of exceptional cultural, historic, or natural sites. The program considers projects or programs with either or both of the following goals: 1) projects that protect, restore, or conserve sites of exceptional cultural, historic, or natural significance; and 2) programs that educate local host communities and the traveling public about conservation and preservation of sites. Historically, grants have ranged between $10,000 and $20,000 each. However, based on merit and availability of funds, grants of up to $100,000 will be considered. - Natural Resources Conservation Service: Conservation on Private Lands
Deadline: 1 November 2006 (full proposal)
Description: Support high quality projects that engage private landowners, primarily farmers and ranchers, in the conservation and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat and natural resources on their land. Primary focus for this year includes conservation projects that would enhance sage grouse, grasslands, and agricultural land upstream from or adjacent to coral reefs. - Acres for America
Deadline: 1 November 2006 (full proposal)
Description: Acres for America is a partnership between Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Acres for America program was established to provide funding for projects that conserve important habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants through acquisition of interest in real property. The goal of the Acres for America program is to offset the footprint of Wal-Mart's domestic facilities on at least an acre by acre basis through these acquisitions. Applicants are urged to contact the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation regional director in their area to discuss project ideas prior to submitting preproposals. - North American Wetlands Conservation Act Program
Deadline: 1 December 2006 (U.S. Small Grants)
Description: The North American Wetlands Conservation Act provides matching grants to private or public organizations or to individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. US Small Grants are for requests up to $50,000 for projects in the United States. Be sure to check out the Playa Lakes Joint Venture's Timeline for preparing a NAWCA Proposal. Important note: Anyone considering applying should coordinate their application with SJV Science Coordinator Carol Beardmore (602-242-0524 ext. 248). The SJV will need to be involved not only to provide guidance but also because we rank all applications that are submitted. - Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act
Deadline: 4 December 2006
Description: We are pleased to announce the 2006 Request for Proposals under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. The Act establishes a matching grants program to fund projects that promote the conservation of these birds in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Projects may include activities to benefit bird populations and their habitats, research and monitoring, law enforcement, and outreach and education. All grant requests must be matched by partner funds at least 3:1. Partner funds from a U.S. federal source may be involved in the project, but are not eligible as match. - Wilburforce Foundation
Deadlines: 15 December 2006
Description: Wilburforce Foundation is dedicated to protecting nature's richness and diversity through funding programs that help preserve our remaining wild places. We focus our funding on organizations that work to protect habitats that are critically important to sustaining abundant ecological communities in Western Canada and the Western United States. - Captain Planet Foundation
Deadline: 31 December 2006, 31 March 2007, 30 June 2007, 30 September 2007
Description: The Captain Planet Foundation will fund projects that promote understanding of environmental issues, focus on hands-on involvement, involve children and young adults 6-18 (elementary through high school), promote interaction and cooperation within the group, help young people develop planning and problem solving skills, include adult supervision, commit to follow-up communications with the Foundation. The Foundation only funds projects to organizations or sponsoring agencies that are exempt from federal taxation under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501. Grants typically range from $250-$2500 USD. In an effort to conserve paper the Captain Planet Foundation requires grant applicants to apply for funding using the online application form. Should you have any questions regarding the grant application or the small grants program, please contact Taryn Murphy, CPF's program director.
