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November 2006
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Christmas Bird Counts
Are you coordinating a CBC somewhere within the boundaries of the SJV? If so, please take a moment and send Jennie Duberstein all of the details so we can share the information with our partners and post it on our website. At a minimum, please send:
- Count Name
- Count Date
- Count Location
- Contact Information
Keep your eyes open for banded Marbled Godwit
Like many shorebirds, Marbled Godwits have conservation scientists worried. These medium-sized shorebirds migrate from the southern coastal U.S. and Mexico to breed on the northern Great Plains and other sites in the U.S. and Canada. Categorized as a species of high concern in both the U.S. and Canadian Shorebird Conservation Plans, the species was identified as the focus for an international shorebird conservation effort by the Marbled Godwit Working Group. This group comprises scientists from agencies and organizations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 
Scientists and managers need information about the routes these birds follow, their stopover sites, and where they breed in order to protect areas critical to the birds' survival. The Working Group expects satellite technology to provide such data. 
In April 2006, USGS scientist Adrian Farmer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) biologist Bridget Olson began fitting Marbled Godwits captured at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, with lightweight, solar-powered satellite transmitters. Following release, the first two birds proceeded north, one to Saskatchewan ("Sassy"), the other to Alberta ("Berta"). [NOTE: BERTA WAS RECENTLY SPOTTED IN THE SJV REGION]. The two have been tracked steadily since then. Two other godwits were fitted with transmitters in August 2006, and more will be added within the next year.
If you see a Marbled Godwit with an antenna extending from its back or with bright colored leg bands with large numbers, please report the time of sighting, specific location, and band color and alphanumeric code, if visible, to Bridget Olson at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge:
Bridget Olson
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
2155 West Forest St
Brigham City, UT 84302
Tel. 435.734.6433
Bridget_Olson@fws.gov
For more information, visit the program website.
Binational Environmental Education Fair
When: Saturday, November 11, 2006
Where: CETYS Universidad Campus Tijuana, Mexico Come celebrate environmental education in the Californias; share your projects, learn from your peers, mingle with fellow educators, and enjoy a presentation by the keynote speaker, Dr. Exequiel Ezcurra.
Tickets are $20.00 and include a continental breakfast, lunch, wine tasting, and happy hour!
A key feature of this event is the environmental education share fair. If you would like to share your environmental education projects, please read the guidelines in the exhibitor registration below.
Contact Daniel Durazo or visit the program website for more details.
Wings Across the Americas Bird Conservation awards
It is time for nominations for the Wings Across the Americas Bird Conservation Awards. Wings Across the Americas involves the entire Forest Service-the National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Research and Development, and International Programs. The program enhances the conservation of birds and their habitat throughout the Americas. It complements partner efforts, supports national and international initiatives, and seeks to link collaborative activities on behalf of birds throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The Wings Across the Americas awards recognize outstanding bird conservation work by Forest Service personnel and our partners. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase Forest Service bird conservation activities, recognize Forest Service employees for their outstanding work and demonstrate our appreciation to partners.
Awards will be given in three categories: 1) Research and Management Partnership Award; 2) Habitat Conservation Award; and 3) International Cooperation Award. An award may or may not be given in each category each year.
Visit the program website for more details and application materials.
2007 National Wetlands Award Nominations
The 2007 National Wetlands Award nomination form is now available. The National Wetlands Awards Program honors individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the conservation and restoration of our nation's wetlands. Take time to recognize exceptional individual achievement in wetlands conservation by submitting a nomination for a 2007 National Wetlands Award today.
Click here to learn more and submit your nomination by December 15, 2006. |
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NAOC 2006 Summary
The North American Ornithological Conference took place in Veracruz , Mexico, from October 3-8, 2006. The conference was well-attended (~2000 participants) and included 565 posters, 24 symposia, and 704 paper presentations.
The Sonoran Joint Venture had excellent representation and SJV partners presented a variety of different papers and posters. Click here to see a list of the papers and posters presented by SJV partners. The research behind many of the papers and posters was supported by the SJV Awards Program. Also listed are non-SJV supported papers and posters given by SJV partners.
Upcoming SJV Technical Committee meeting
The SJV Technical Committee will meet at the Arizona Game and Fish offices in Yuma, Arizona from 29-30 November, 2006. There will also be an optional field trip to the Cienéga de Santa Clara on 1 December 2006 to see the work of Pronatura and other SJV partners.
Contact SJV Science Coordinator Carol Beardmore (602-242-0524, ext. 248) with questions or to receive more details about the meeting.
Upcoming grant deadlines
A complete list of funding opportunities is available by clicking here.
- Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund
Deadline: 17 November 2006 (pre-proposals)
Description: The Wildlife Conservation Society is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals for grants under its newly created Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund. Made possible through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund will distribute $2 million over the next two years to support 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations working to implement State Wildlife Action Plans in any of the 50 states or six U.S. territories. Awards through the Wildlife Action opportunities Fund will be made in the range of $20,000 to $200,000. Priority will be placed on projects that are feasible and practical in 1-2 year time periods, are closely aligned with goals of State Wildlife Action Plans, involve multiple organizations, and may serve as models for conservation that can be replicated elsewhere.
- 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.
Upcoming meetings and workshops
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.
Sonoran Joint Venture Technical Committee Meeting: 29-30 November 2006, Yuma, Arizona. Contact: Carol Beardmore.
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. |
