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May 2006
First naturalist guide training workshop success!
The 1st Naturalist Guide Training Workshop was held from 21-23 April 2006 at Rancho El Aribabi, Sonora, Mexico. Sixteen participants came from different parts of the state of Sonora to participate in this first-ever workshop designed to give participants the tools they need to lead groups of birders.
Thanks to the generosity of Tucson Audubon Society members and Arizona Audubon, each workshop participant received a copy of the new Spanish language version of the Kenn Kaufman Guide to the Birds of North America. The workshop focused on teaching participants how to use this field guide, bird identification, how to lead a group in the field, other group management issues, and even basic English terminology.
Many thanks to Juan Caicedo and Mark Pretti, whose excellent teaching and naturalist skills made the workshop such a success.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to this first workshop, we are offering a second workshop from 29 September - 1 October in Alamos, Sonora, and plans are in the works for a workshop in the Colorado River delta and on the Santa Cruz River, in Sonora. There are still a few spaces left in the Alamos workshop, so contact Jennie Duberstein as soon as possible if you would like to attend. Details about the Delta and Santa Cruz workshops will be posted on the SJV website as soon as firm dates are set.
IMBD 2006: Join us on the San Pedro River!
Celebrate the return of migratory birds to the San Pedro River on 13 May 2006. The Sonoran Joint Venture, The Friends of the San Pedro River, the Bureau of Land Management, and Tucson Audubon Society, with funding support from the U.S. Forest Service International Program, will host an International Migratory Bird Day Celebration at the San Pedro House in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The celebration will include hands-on activities and workshops for children and adults, guided nature walks, hummingbird banding, informational displays and booths, live music, food, donkey and carriage rides, and much more. Some activities and walks will be offered in both English and Spanish.
To learn more, including a detailed itinerary of the day's activities, please click here.
Southeastern Arizona Birding Trail Map unveiling
The Sonoran Joint Venture is part of a diverse team that has been hard at work over the past two years to redesign, revise, and reprint the Southeastern Arizona Birding Trail Map.
We are very pleased to report that the new map is currently being printed. It will be unveiled in a ceremony at the IMBD Celebration at the San Pedro House on 13 May 2006. The ceremony will take place from 2:30-3 pm, and all are cordially invited to attend. IMBD events begin at 8am and continue throughout the day. Please follow the link above for a complete program of the day's events.
SJV partner receives prestigious award
Congratulations to Xicoténcatl "Xico" Vega-Picos, Director of Conservation for Pronatura Noroeste in Sinaloa, who was recently honored with a Bird Conservation Award from the U.S. Forest Service for his work in the Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative. Read more about this important collaborative project.
- Acres for America
Deadline: 1 June 2006.
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. - The Ramsar Small Grants Fund
Deadline: 30 June 2006
Description: The Ramsar Small Grants Fund was established as a mechanism to assist developing countries and those with economies in transition in implementing the Convention and to enable the conservation and wise use of wetland resources. Suitable project proposals are those which contribute to the implementation of the Convention's Strategic Plan 2003-2008 for the conservation and wise use of wetlands; provide emergency assistance for Ramsar sites; or provide 'preparatory assistance' to allow non-Contracting Parties to progress toward accession. Complete information and required forms are now available on the Ramsar website. - North American Wetlands Conservation Act Program
Deadline: 28 July 2006 (US Standard Grants); 1 June 2006 (Mexico Standard 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. The program provides US, Mexican, and Canadian Standard Grants (between $50,000 and $1,000,000) and US Small Grants (up to $50,000). 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 Coordinator Robert Mesta (520-882-0047). The SJV will need to be involved not only to provide guidance but also because we will need to rank all applications that are submitted. - Wilburforce Foundation
Deadlines: 18 August 2006, 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.
Upcoming Meetings and Workshops
Conference/Workshop on Capture-Recapture Models: 1-5 May 2006, Quebec City, Canada. Website.
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Survey Training: 2-4 & 9-10 May 2006, Golden Shores, Arizona. Contact: Tom Koronkiewicz.
Sonoran Desert Digital Library Planning Meeting: 18 May 2008, Tucson, AZ. Contact: Lisa Schwartz. Website.
Border Institute VIII - Cooperation on Planning and Operation of Transboundary Watersheds:
Sharing Data across Borders: 22-24 May 2006, Rio Rico, Arizona. Contact: D. Rick Von Schoik.
SJV Management Board Meeting: 23 May 2006, Rancho El Aribabi, Sonora, Mexico. Contact: Robert Mesta.
III International Symposium on Transboundary Waters Management - 30 May-2 June 2006, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Contact.
Conservation and Management of Upland Birds in Eastern California - a California Partners In Flight Meeting: 24-25 August 2006, Bishop, CA. Contact: Kim Kreitinger.
Click here for complete details about upcoming meetings.
