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January 2008
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SJV Awards Program Request for Proposals
The official Request For Proposals for the 2008 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. SJV Awards range from $1,000-$10,000, with an average of $5,000. Proposals can be submitted in English or Spanish. The deadline to submit a proposal is 1 April 2008.
CHANGES FOR THE 2008 FUNDING CYCLE
In an effort to focus the Awards Program, the SJV Technical Committee has identified priorities by SJV ecological region; contact Carol Beardmore for details) for Awards Seekers. Proposals that address these priority habitats and project types are encouraged. Information about bird species priorities are available in the SJV Conservation Plan.
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 current funding cycle is 1 April 2008.
Contact Carol Beardmore with questions about the Awards Program and Jennie Duberstein with questions about the website.
Midriff Island Meeting in Kino Bay, Sonora, Mexico
A diverse group met at the Prescott College Field Station in Kino Bay, Sonora from November 29- December 1, 2007 to participate in a meeting focused on linking research, education, and conservation in the Eastern Midriff Island Region of the Gulf of California. The meeting, which was hosted by Prescott College, brought together researchers, educators, and those working in conservation in the region to share experiences and knowledge.
The meeting included two days of lectures by a diverse group of presenters on topics including seabird conservation on Isla Rasa, plants diversity on islands in the region, rat eradication on Isla San Pedro Mártir, and much more. SJV Education and Outreach Coordinator Jennie Duberstein gave a presentation about the work of the SJV in the region and our goal of facilitating coordinated seabird monitoring for islands in the Gulf of California.
The meeting culminated with a field trip to the Seri village of Punta Chueca, where participants enjoyed a desert hike led by Richard Felger. Participants also discussed threats to mangroves in the Punta Chueca area and possible solutions to these threats.
Prescott College is currently in the process of creating a database that will contain details about research being conducted in the Eastern Midriff Island Region. The database is envisioned to provide one-stop shopping for those interested in finding out who is conducting research in the region, what kinds of data have been collected, and how to contact the various researchers. For more information about the database, contact Bete Pfister.
SJV Technical Committee meets in San Diego
 The SJV Technical Committee met on November 26027, 2007 at the San Diego Natural History Museum in San Diego, California. There were 30 participants representing all six states in the SJV region.
A number of SJV partners gave presentations and updates on their work, including the molt migration study (Peter Pyle), the Wild Coast bird inventory needs (Saul Alarcon), sage scrub restoration and other bird work at the Audubon Starr Ranch (Justin Shew), IBAs in California (Andrea Jones), Tri-colored Blackbird surveys in Baja California (Horacio de la Cueva), and several updates on projects from Pronatura (Osvel Hinojosa). The Waterfowl Management Supplement to the SJV Conservation Plan is in the final editing stages and SJV Science Coordinator Carol Beardmore presented it to the group.
Dan Petit, from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, attended the meeting and led a discussion about a possible SJV-National Fish and Wildlife Foundation partnership in the Borderlands region of the SJV. The group also worked on an activity about the status, abundance, frequency, distirbution, and habitat use of birds of the SJV region. This information will be used to make state and BCR lists and will also populate the SJV Species DAtabase that is currently in development.
Phil Unitt gave the group a tour of the Natural History Museum's extensive bird specimen collection. The group also took a field trip to the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge to view a restoration projecte recently funded by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Work has not begun, but Chadd Santerre of California Waterfowl Association (the project grantee) discussed the work that will be accomplished and how it will benefit tidal flow and Snowy Plover habitat.
For information on upcoming SJV Technical Committee meetings, contact Carol Beardmore.
2008 Park Flight international internships in U.S. National Parks
The Park Flight Migratory Bird Program works to protect migratory birds
that share their habitat between national parks and protected areas in
the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean through bird
monitoring, education and outreach programs, and opportunities for
technical assistance and cooperation.
The Park Flight Program is a
partnership between the National Park Service (NPS), National Park
Foundation, American Airlines, and the University of Arizona. Working
through the NPS International Volunteers in Parks Program, biologists
and educators from other Western Hemisphere countries assist with Park
Flight efforts in U.S. national parks. These international internships
give the opportunity for an exchange of knowledge and experience
including science, culture and language.
For 2008,
the Park Flight international internships will be open to qualified
candidates from ALL COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA [Mexico, Central America
and South America] AND THE CARIBBEAN. Park Flight will offer 11 internships for applicants from
Latin America [Mexico, Central America and South America] and the
Caribbean, at the following U.S. national park units: New Jersey
Coastal Heritage Trail Route, New Jersey, with New Jersey Audubon
Society; North Cascades National Park, Washington; Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, North Carolina/Tennessee; Fire Island National Seashore,
New York; Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon, with Klamath Bird
Observatory; Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California;
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico; and Golden Gate National
Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore, California, with PRBO
Conservation Science. The positions with New Jersey Audubon and Fire Island National Seashore will focus on shorebirds, while the other eight positions focus on landbirds.
The internships will begin from
April to August 2008 and will last from two to six months. Applicants should have experience with bird banding (the majority of
positions) or other bird monitoring techniques, experience with education and
outreach related to birds or other conservation topics, and at least an
intermediate level of English (reading, writing, understanding and
speaking). Applicants must be able to understand safety and radio
communications and give presentations in English. Many positions will
require a valid driver license from the intern’s home country. Some
training is provided, and interns are asked to give presentations about
bird conservation in their countries. Candidates must be able to apply
the skills gained in the U.S. to bird conservation efforts in national
parks and protected areas or Important Bird Areas in their home
countries. Interns will receive US $700.00 a month for food and
miscellaneous expenses and the program will cover the expenses of
airfare, housing, and the required J -1 visa. Potential applicants must
be in their home country the 3 months prior to the internship for visa
reasons. Park Flight will make all the necessary arrangements. Top
candidates will be able to review specific park position descriptions
and will be required to have phone interviews in English.
Interested
and qualified candidates should send a CV (Spanish is acceptable; include two
professional references), with a cover letter in English, by January 31,
2008, to the program coordinator, Carol Beidleman.
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Restoring island ecosystems in the Gulf of California: black rat eradication on Farallón de San Ignacio and San Pedro Mártir Islands, Gulf of California, Mexico
(NOTE: This article is adapted from an abstract written by staff from Conservatión de Islas)
Black rats (Rattus rattus) are among the more noxious and globally widespread introduced mammals. Consequences of their presence on islands include catastrophic impacts such as vertebrate extinctions and extirpation of thousands of seabird colonies. Rat eradication campaigns around the world have proven to be possible and to facilitate natural recovery processes.
Several non-human inhabited island ecosystems in the Gulf of California are suffering due to predation of introduced black rats. In particular, Farallón de San Ignacio (FSI) and San Pedro Mártir (SPM) islands, globally important seabird colonies, are known to have had black rats since guano mining activities on the islands in the early 1900s. There are no native terrestrial mammals on these islands other than bats.
A rat eradication plan, including pre-and post-eradication monitoring, was developed by Conservación de Islas in conjunction with Mexican government Agencies and NGOs from the U.S. and Mexico (SEGOB, SEMAR, SEMARNAT, CONANP, Island Conservation, and Prescott College). Two years of pre-eradication monitoring (2005-2007) on FSI and SPM set the base for the eradication strategy (timing, bait density, and logistics) and for the different permits granted by the authorities. Specialized equipment was imported from New Zealand. Eradication was conducted via a broadcast aerial technique developed in New Zealand and used previously in the United States. Eradication took place in September 2007 on FSI and October-November 2007 on SPM.
The first post eradication monitoring on FSI (315 night-traps and 780 indicator blocks) was carried out two months after the eradication and showed no signs of rats. On SPM, 19 radio collared rats were tracked, recovered once dead, and then dissected. As expected, rats on SPM died between 3-7 days after the first bait broadcast. Dissections confirmed the cause of death in all cases was poisoning. There were no effects on non-target species at a population level. Species that will benefit from this eradication include desert plants, invertebrates, seven species of reptiles, at least 9 species of seabirds, and fishing bats.
Formal protocols on rodent eradications require at least two years of post eradication monitoring prior to declaring the effort a “success” since rodents are difficult to detect at low densities. Researchers expect post-eradication monitoring in 2008 and 2009 to show both the absence of rats and the recovery of the island ecosystem. Inter-institutional cooperation was key to achieving the complex permitting, logistic, and financial issues associated with this project. This project represents the first one of its kind in Latin America and will facilitate other projects in Mexico and the continent.
Upcoming grant deadlines
We have recently added information about a number of new funding opportunities for those doing work in the SJV region. Please take the time to browse through the complete list of funding opportunities.
- USDA International Science and Education (ISE) Competitive Grants Program
Deadline: 17 January 2008
Description: Cooperative State Research, Education, and ExtensionService (CSREES) requests applications for the International Science and Education Competitive Grants Program (ISE) for fiscal year (FY) 2008 to support research, extension, and teaching activities that will enhance the capabilities of American colleges and universities to conduct international collaborative research, extension and teaching. CSREES anticipates making approximately $1,900,000 available for ISE awards, including an estimated $950,000 in FY 2008 funds. This notice identifies the objectives for ISE projects, the eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for an ISE grant. CSREES additionally requests stakeholder input from any interested party for use in the development of the next RFA for this program.
- Water Conservation Program, Yuma, Arizona
Deadline: 1 February 2007
Description: The Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma Area Office, is requesting proposals to fund projects for activities in support of its Water Conservation Program within the Yuma Area, for Federal fiscal year funding 2008. Activities to be considered for financial assistance should address one of the following:
(a) Implement more efficient water management/conservation measures with special emphasis on outdoor water management practices;
(b) Demonstrate innovative technologies in water conservation to increase technical understanding of unfamiliar water management and conservation principles and practices that have not been previously used locally; or
(c) Improve a segment of the public's understanding of good water management and water conservation principles through education and training programs.
- NORTH STAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSMITTER GRANT PROGRAM
Deadline: 4 February 2008
Description: North Star Science and Technology, LLC and American Bird Conservancy announce the 6th annual North Star Science and Technology Transmitter Grant Program. North Star will award a total of eight satellite transmitters (Argos Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) to one or two recipients (8 PTTs to one project or 4 PTTs to each of two projects). PTTs are powerful, cutting-edge tools for the study of bird migration that greatly extend the range over which individual birds can be tracked. The program is open to projects throughout the world. Research that contributes to our knowledge of avian biology and that provides data useful for bird conservation, particularly of threatened species, will receive preference in the selection process. American Bird Conservancy (URL: http://www.abcbirds.org) will handle the proposal submission process, review proposals, and select the winning projects. Any further questions about the program can be directed to GEORGE E. WALLACE, American Bird Conservancy (PH: 540-253-5780; FX: 540-253-5782).
- National Forest Foundation Wilderness Stewardship Challenge
Deadline: 8 February 2008
Description: In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the U.S. Forest Service issued a Stewardship Challenge, calling for all Wilderness Areas in the National Forest System to meet baseline standards by 2014. The NFF, as the official nonprofit partner of the Forest Service, will increase the resources available to meet this challenge by providing matching grants of up to $50,000 to nonprofit partners to implement on-the-ground conservation projects that directly benefit Wilderness Areas within the National Forest System.
Successful projects will do the following: (1) Implement measurable on-the-ground restoration or monitoring projects in designated U.S. Forest Service Wilderness Areas; (2) Support one or more elements of the U.S. Forest Service Wilderness Stewardship Challenge; (3) Carry out ecosystem restoration-related work that supports the strategic goals of the NFF and the U.S. Forest Service; (4) Include a high level of community involvement, participation and support for the project; (5) Enhance the capacity of local group involvement in the effective stewardship of Wilderness Areas; (6) Be applicable to other Wilderness Areas through easily transferable projects and/or monitoring plans in multiple areas and sharing of lessons learned; and (7) Be completed within one year of the award date.
- Five Star Restoration Grants
Deadline: 15 February 2008
Description: The Five Star Restoration Program brings together students, conservation corps, other youth groups, citizen groups, corporations, landowners and government agencies to provide environmental education and training through projects that restore wetlands and streams. The program provides challenge grants, technical support and opportunities for information exchange to enable community-based restoration projects.
- Southern California Area Office Water Conservation Field Services Program
Deadline: 29 February 2007
Description: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Southern California Area Office is requesting proposals to fund projects for activities in support of its Water Conservation Field Services Program within the Southern California Area. The SCAO’s service area includes all of southern
California south of the Tehachapi Mountains, east of the Sierras except for the Imperial, Coachella, and Colorado River Valleys. The objective of this announcement is to invite agricultural and municipal and industrial water user entities, States, local governments, universities, and non-profit organizations that have a connection with a Reclamation Project; and tribes supported by the SCAO in order to leverage their money and resources, by cost sharing with Reclamation, on projects/activities that make more efficient use of existing water supplies through water conservation and efficiency throughout the geographic area served by the SCAO. Priority will be give to proposal benefits targeting landscape (outdoor) agricultural management programs or industrial process improvement/audit programs water savings that are quantifiable and sustainable. In particular, the program looks for projects that address one or more of the following: (1) water management and conservation planning activities; (2) demonstration or research of innovative technologies in water
management and water conservation; (3) indoor water savings; (4) outreach or training activities (Target audiences can include district water users, with focus on education in a conference/workshop setting and/or the general public, including students, with focus on water resources education)
Upcoming meetings and workshops
See complete details about upcoming meetings and workshops.
4th International Partners In Flight Conference: 13-16 February 2007, McAllen, Texas.
35th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP: 27 February-2 March 2008, Blaine, Washington.
THE 2008 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY: 18-20 April 2008, Mobile Alabama. This will be a joint meeting with the Association of Field Ornithologists. Contact: Frank Moore (PH: 601-266-4748).
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