Bay of Panama WHSRN Site Included in National Protected Area System

Designation Will Strengthen Conservation of Ecosystem Vital to Shorebirds and People

Manomet is delighted to share the news just received from our partners at Panama Audubon Society (PAS), the leading bird conservation organization in Panama, that the wetlands known as the Bay of Panama have recently been declared a Protected Area, part of that country’s National Protected Area System.  The area involved has already been recognized as a Site of Hemispheric Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) and as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.   The designation as a Protected Area now adds new legal weight to the lasting conservation of the more than 200,000-acre site.

Every year, the Upper Bay of Panama is visited by as many as 2 million shorebirds that travel from North America through the Isthmus of Panama and into South America. Hawks, songbirds, and shorebirds provide a spectacle for the Panama Bay, an important feeding and resting place for the migrating birds—some of whom fly almost the entire 20,000-mile roundtrip from pole to pole, at heights of 20,000 feet. The site is used by more than 30 percent of the world’s population of female Western Sandpipers and is globally important for at least six other species of shorebirds. Such rich feeding sites are rare and its loss to the birds would result in irreparable damage to shorebird populations.

Since 1998, the Panama Audubon Society has worked to conserve this vital area for migratory shorebirds.  In 2005, the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, home of the Executive Office of WHSRN, collaborated with PAS and other partners to celebrate the Bay of Panama as the first site in Central America to join WHSRN. This week-long event involved the First Lady of Panama, cabinet-level officials, the Mayor of Panama City, and the ambassadors of Canada and the United States.  The event recognized the area’s ecological importance and appealed to the surrounding community to ensure a safe and friendly place for shorebirds that contributes to the quality of life of the city’s citizens and visitors.

Several projects and activities around and within the site furthered its conservation. PAS conducted many newspaper and magazine interviews, always with the purpose to make all Panamanians aware of the important role the Bay of Panama wetlands play in the annual migration of migratory shorebirds, in protecting local communities against adverse climate-related conditions, and in providing nursery areas for many species of commercially important fish and shrimp, among other ecosystem services.

“This was a team effort,” said Rosabel Miró, Panama Audubon Society Executive Director and Ramsar’s NGO National Coordinator for Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness. “An alliance among Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the government and individuals for the protected area designation of the wetlands of the Bay of Panama was born and paid good dividends. To all of you our message is simple: let us continue finding ways to collaborate for the conservation and protection of this magnificent site!”

The legal Resolution from the Environmental Ministry recognized the WHSRN designation as a valuable “title” for the Bay of Panama, “something that I found VERY important for the Council. It means a lot for me because they sincerely think the WHSRN declaration shows how ecologically important the area is for the hemisphere,” said Rosabel.

According to WHSRN Executive Office Director Charles Duncan, “The Bay of Panama is vital to the millions of migratory shorebirds that come from as far away as Northern Alaska and Central Argentina. The leadership vision, commitment and cooperation that have gone into protecting this site have led to an extraordinary provision for the conservation of these birds and the natural heritage of the Panamanian people.  We congratulate the government and people of Panama, and are inspired by their leadership."

About WHSRN:  The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network is the oldest and most important hemispheric-scale voluntary conservation collaborative in the World.  Its mission is the conservation of shorebird species and their habitats through a network of key sites in the Americas.  WHSRN currently comprises 70 sites in 10 nations, some 22 million acres.  The Executive Office of WHSRN is a key program of Manomet’s ambitious hemispheric scale Shorebird Recovery Project.

About Manomet:  The mission of Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences is to conserve natural resources for the benefit of wildlife and humans. Founded forty years ago as an independent, nonprofit environmental research center, Manomet brings together stakeholders—communities, individuals, universities, government agencies, and businesses—and guides them through cooperative, science-based solution development.  Manomet's programs focus on enabling communities to measure, manage, and sustain natural systems and the wildlife and people dependent on them. Initiatives include Climate Change, Natural Capital, and Conservation of Migratory Wildlife. 

About Ramsar:  The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975, and it is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem. The Convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.  The Convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.”

Manomet Leads Community Climate Action Planning Discussion in Farmington, ME

Manomet recently led a dynamic and wide-ranging discussion on climate change adaptation and energy conservation in the community of Farmington, Maine. This meeting was part of a series of similar forums in rural Maine communities that are working with Manomet's Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) as a mechanism to help sort out what climate change will mean for their economy and way of life – and help them develop action plans for mitigating and adapting to climate change. To read more about the meeting in Franklin County's Daily Bulldog, click here.

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Shorebird Recovery Project Receives its Fourth Grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to address shorebird declines

MANOMET, MA, January 30, 2009 – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently approved a grant of $497,661 to the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences for work contributing to the recovery of Red Knots, American Oystercatchers and other priority shorebirds.  The granted funds will be matched by an equal amount of non-Federal dollars, bringing the project total to just under $1 million.

This grant is the fourth awarded by NFWF to Manomet’s shorebird efforts, and reflects the Foundation’s increased commitment to stabilize and increase declining (but still common) populations of select bird species or suites of species and accelerate recovery of imperiled species.  Both the Red Knot and the American Oystercatcher have been identified by the Foundation as “keystone species.” 

With previous funding from the Foundation, Manomet led the development of Species Conservation Action Plans for these and other shorebird species of conservation priority.  The plans reflect a science-based consensus by expert authors on the status, threats and most strategic actions to achieve recovery, as well as explicit indicators of success.  The actions to be undertaken with this new funding from the Foundation derive from those plans.

Through this funding, new conservation initiatives will be implemented for Red Knots in Canada, the east coast of the United States, especially the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Coasts of Uruguay and Patagonia, Argentina in South America.  The oystercatcher work will be undertaken at the species’ breeding sites along the east coast of the United States, from Massachusetts to Florida.

“We are pleased to again support Manomet’s shorebird conservation efforts,” said Jeff Trandahl, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Executive Director. “Their focus on partnerships and measurable, on-the-ground increases in shorebird populations matches the Foundation’s commitment to outcome-based conservation.”

“Conservation of species as spectacularly migratory as shorebirds requires coordinated action across enormous landscapes, crossing state and national boundaries,” said Charles Duncan, director of Manomet’s Shorebird Recovery Project. “This generous continued support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation enables us to continue to provide a hemispheric-scale vision for and coordination of our many capable, committed and far-flung partners.”

“Over the course of 40 years, Manomet’s research has helped document precipitous declines in these populations.  It’s unusual that research can be converted into such real action on the ground, and at the scale that is needed.  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation understands what it takes to make real progress on species conservation.” said John Hagan, recently-named president of Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. “And we don’t just focus on the species, we focus on the people who live at these important conservation sites, because their well-being and the species’ survival are inextricably linked.”

The projects that the grant will support include:
• Training for community leaders and journalists at key Red Knot sites in Argentina
• Coordinating oystercatcher recovery efforts among multiple partners and determining the species’ population response
•  Genetic analysis to determine the relation of the three major wintering populations of Red Knots
• A business plan for the restoration of key shorebird habitat at the Delaware Bay
• Monitoring knot populations on migration in South America along with quantitative determination of factors limiting their population size
• Communication and outreach tools for Oystercatcher and Red Knot Working Groups
• Leadership of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network

A selection of the accomplishments with their many partners of Manomet’s Shorebird Recovery Project (SRP) and the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) includes the following:
• Development and publication of the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan
• Creation of nature education centers and interpretative trails at key Red Knot sites in South America
• Consensus-driven Species Conservation Action Plans for high priority shorebirds
• Protection of 20,000 acres of key shorebird habitat at the Llano de Soledad, Mexico
• The longest-running shorebird population survey in the Americas
• The first scientific and quantitative demonstration of the crucial role of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for breeding shorebirds
• Raising awareness and resources for shorebird conservation across the hemisphere including from national and state governments, wildlife agencies, corporations and individuals

About Shorebirds
Shorebirds are a biologically distinct group of small to medium-sized birds generally with long legs, long bills and pointed wings.  Shorebirds can be found at the shores of oceans and lakes, in grasslands and marshes, and even in dry uplands. 

About Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences
Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences is dedicated to building science-based, cooperative solutions to environmental problems. Founded forty years ago as an independent, nonprofit environmental research center, Manomet brings together stakeholders--communities, individuals, universities, government agencies, and businesses--and guides them through cooperative, science-based solution development.
 
Manomet's programs focus on enabling communities to measure, manage, and sustain natural systems and the wildlife and people dependent on them. Initiatives include Climate Change, Natural Capital, and Conservation of Migratory Wildlife. 
 

About the Shorebird Recovery Project
Manomet’s Shorebird Recovery Project seeks to recover and sustain populations of shorebirds at the levels called for in the U.S. and Canadian Shorebird Conservation Plans.  Our approach is built on the tripartite (“3-S”) pillars of  Site-based Conservation action; building the Science Foundation for action; and explicit Success Measures to monitor progress.  The Shorebird Recovery Project’s site-based conservation is intrinsically linked to the work of the Western hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN), a voluntary coalition of hundreds of partners across the Hemisphere.  WHSRN comprises 70 sites in 10 nations, protecting more than 22 million acres of key shorebird habitat.  Staffing and operating WHSRN’s Executive Office is a long-term program of Manomet.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1984 and dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants, and the habitat on which they depend. The Foundation creates partnerships between the public and private sectors to strategically invest in conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. The Foundation awarded over 7,000 grants to more than 2,600 organizations in the United States and abroad and has leveraged – with its partners – more than $300 million in federal funds since its establishment, for a total of more than $1 billion in funding for conservation. The Foundation is recognized by Charity Navigator with a top 4-star rating for efficiency and effectiveness.  Ninety-two cents of every dollar contributed to the Foundation is directed to on-the-ground conservation projects, with five cents supporting management and administration of the Foundation’s multi-million dollar grants program and three cents funding partnership development and fundraising.  For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.

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Manomet Earns Four-Star Rating from Watchdog

High marks for excellence and efficiency

 

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences has been awarded a 4-star rating for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator and watchdog of the nation's nonprofit sector.

Charity Navigator helps potential donors make informed giving decisions by evaluating more than 5,000 charities on several factors, including efficiency, financial health and service delivery. A rating of four stars—the highest ranking given by the watchdog group—indicates that Manomet exceeds industry standards, managing its finances in an efficient and effective manner.

"This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust," said Ken Berger Charity Navigator's President and Chief Executive Officer.  

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The Climate Change Adaptation Conversation Continues

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences' Climate Change Initiative Director Dr. Hector Galbraith was recently included in a Boston Globe story about climate change adaptation. Read more...

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Manomet Releases Forest Carbon Offset Scorecard

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences has just released a new publication titled "Forest Carbon Offsets: A Scorecard for Evaluating Project Quality." The purpose of the scorecard is to assist project developers and offset consumers in assessing the technical rigor of proposed or existing forest offset projects. It is an educational tool providing comprehensive and objective guidance in an unstandardized, potentially overwhelming marketplace. Read more...

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You Are Cordially Invited to A Free Conference of
Individuals and Organizations Concerned About Vernal Pools

 

Improving Water Quality and Habitat Values in Vernal Pools

 

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 8:30 am to 3:00 pm

Stonehill College (Stanger Hall Room, Room 209)

Easton, Massachusetts

 

 

Directions to Conference

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (Manomet) is working with partners to develop science-based solutions that improve water and habitat quality.  Manomet, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, the Vernal Pool Association, the Charles River Watershed Association, and the Taunton River Watershed Alliance, is completing a three-year project to evaluate and protect water quality in vernal pools.

 

The project assessed 120 vernal pools in eastern Massachusetts for a variety of physical parameters (e.g., size, temperature, pH), potential contaminants (e.g., road salt, nutrients, lawn use chemicals, and heavy metals), and presence of amphibians and other specialized wetland fauna. The geographic focus has been developing landscapes in the Taunton and Charles River watersheds, which provide an approach for evaluating water quality protection in suburban and built environments. The project has depended heavily on the participation of landowners whose property contains a vernal pool.  Project participants include private landowners, municipalities, state agencies, land trusts and non-government organizations. 

 

Project outcomes include evaluation of vernal pool water quality in relation to specific land-use practices, recommendations for improving water quality (such as customized Best Management Practices), and an educational campaign with stakeholder groups to promote protection of water quality in suburban environments.

 

The purpose of the conference is to provide summary information from the project and share strategies for improving water quality in vernal pools.

 

Topics to be included:

Presentations by Project Partners

Manomet's Water Quality Protection in Vernal Pools Project

Status of Water Quality in Charles &Taunton Rivers

Habitat Value of Vernal Pools

Low Impact Lawn Care & Landscaping

How Conservation Commissions Can Protect Vernal Pools

 

Registration will be limited to 75 conference attendees.  To register, contact Beth Brazil at 508-224-6521 or bbrazil@manomet.org. Manomet is grateful to the following for their financial support of this conference:  Massachusetts Environmental Trust, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Island Foundation, Entergy Environmental Stewardship Program and Manomet members.

 

 

Natural Heritage &
Endangered Species Program

Directions to Stonehill College

From Boston and Directly North of Boston:

• At Route 3/93 split, bear right. Follow signs for Route 93 South to Route 95 Dedham, Providence
• Stay left to Exit #4 -- Route 24 South/Brockton, Fall River
• Exit 17B -- Route 123 West/Easton College is 1/2 mile on right

From The Cape:

• Route 25 West
• Into Route 495 North
• Exit #7A -- Route 24 North
• Exit #17B --
• Route 123 West/Easton College is 1/2 mile on right

From West of Boston:

• Route 90 (Mass Pike) East
• Route 95 South
• At junction of 95 South and 93 North, Stay straight on Route 93 North heading toward Braintree. Do not exit on Route 95 South.
• Take Exit #4 for Route 24 South/Brockton, Fall River
• Exit #17B -- Route 123 West/Easton
• College is 1/2 mile on right

Park at Lot 2 and walk to Stanger Hall, which is behind the Chapel. Once in Stanger Hall, take stairs or elevator to second floor, Room 209.

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"Astonishing Journey" of Bar-tailed Godwits Captures Media Attention

It has recently been demonstrated by scientists at the Alaska Science Center of USGS that Bar-tailed Godwits routinely fly from Alaska to New Zealand in a journey of 7,200 miles, with no food, rest or water on their southbound migration. The 9-day non-stop journey of this bird is practically inconceivable and was recently covered on major television networks and radio. Once we get over our initial astonishment, though, we must ask: what are the conservation implications for this and other shorebird species that migrate such enormous distances?

Shorebirds are among nature's most ambitious, long-distance migrants. But their numbers are dropping quickly with some species projected to go extinct within our lifetime. Protecting these birds requires proactive, coordinated efforts within each country visited during their vast migrations. The scale of this effort joins hundreds of partners across the globe in applying sound science (such as the research that led to the discovery of the godwit's migrations) and monitoring approaches.

A case in point is that of the Yellow Sea of China and South Korea, a key refueling stop for godwits on their way back to Alaska. More than three million migratory birds of 36 species annually stop on their journeys to rebuild their energy reserves. The Yellow Sea is also home to 600 million people - about 10% of the world's human population. The demands of this growing human population are progressively destroying the tidal feeding grounds, crucial for migratory shorebirds. According to our partner, BirdLife International, "The most important shorebird site within the Yellow Sea – Saemangeum – is currently being reclaimed for development, putting millions of migratory birds under threat. The 40,100 ha construction project on the west coast of South Korea involves damming the estuaries of the Mangyeung and Dongjin Riverswith a vast 33-km long seawall."

The Shorebird Recovery Project is committed to saving shorebirds like the Bar-Tailed Godwit, and to protecting their far-flung habitats. Spearheaded by Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, the Shorebird Recovery Project is a collaborative, cross-border approach, based on a "3-S strategy" of Site-based conservation; building the Science foundation; and measuring Success.

The site-based conservation is done in tandem with the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). WHSRN is a voluntary, non-regulatory coalition whose mission is the conservation of shorebird species and their habitats across the Americas. Created in 1985 as a visionary approach to addressing shorebird conservation needs, WHSRN today consists of 70 sites in 10 countries and over 22 million acres. Working in conjunction with hundreds of landowners, land trusts, corporations and national governments, WHSRN is the only hemisphere-wide conservation program focused on protecting shorebirds.

Another component of the Shorebird Recovery Project is that of science–identifying the causes for declines and how best to manage habitat. Manomet has a long and successful history of bringing science to the table to find the best solutions for saving threatened species, taking the lead role in the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan and conducting long-term research as well as creating conservation strategies for species of high concern such as the Red Knot.

The third component of the Shorebird Recovery Project consists of "conservation accounting," a set of Success Measures used to monitor threat levels and biological populations. These success measures inform Manomet and its many partners about what is working and how improvements can be made. A major tool for measuring success will be the development of the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM), which will monitor shorebird population trends across the entire hemisphere.

The Shorebird Recovery Project promotes an international network of scientific collaborators, including the Shorebird Research Group of the Americas, and conservationists who are busy at work at shorebird sites, protecting habitats, purchasing easements, working with refuge managers to manage their wetlands for multiple species, and establishing nature centers to teach communities about the importance of their wildlife for overall ecosystem health.

Charles Duncan, Director of the Shorebird Recovery Project, said that partnerships are key to conserving shorebirds and their flyways. "A shorebird like the Bar-Tailed Godwit can be a great force in showing us the problems that shorebirds, habitats and humans are facing together. Shorebirds connect communities and they are in many ways sentinels for the health of our environment."

We congratulate our friends and colleagues from the USGS Alaska Science Center, NOAA, USFWS, PRBO Conservation Science, the University of Auckland [New Zealand], the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and the University of Groningen [Netherlands] for revealing the mystery and wonder of this migration. For more detailed information, visit the USGS website at http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/shorebirds/barg_updates.html

Please click here to read article "Extreme Endurance Flights" from Proceedings of The Royal Society

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Manomet Takes to the Trail to Improve Recreation Stewardship

Quality outdoor recreation is vital to the economy and character of New England's Northern Forest. But in some areas, overuse of this "natural capital" may be degrading the very landscape people enjoy. Concerns about what constitutes appropriate recreational uses are becoming more frequent on both public and private lands. But how much, and where, is the threat most acute? Manomet's Recreation Scorecard aims to answer these key questions, providing a standardized means of measuring the impacts of all forms of recreational trail use.

Recently, Maine TV WCSH6's Bill Green interviewed Manomet Scientist Ethel Wilkerson who shared perspective on Manomet's Recreation Stewardship Scorecard and its value to ensuring ecologically-responsible trail use. Click here to view the segment.

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Arctic Wings Exhibit National Tour Launched

Stephen Brown, Director of Shorebird Science at Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, recently presented at the opening of a new environmental photography exhibit at Seattle's Burke Museum. The exhibit explores the phenomenon of bird migration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a region that is environmentally crucial to the survival of over 190 bird species, yet is a hotbed for political controversy. Dr. Brown is editor of Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the book that inspired the exhibit. He is also known for leading Manomet's often intrepid research expeditions in the Arctic Refuge to determine the areas most important to staging shorebirds on the North Slope.

Arctic Wings: Miracle of Migration opened on September 13 at the Museum and will run through the end of this year. Featuring the work of award-winning photographers Subhankar Banerjee, Michio Hoshino, Mark Wilson, Arthur Morris, Hugh Rose, Paul Bannick, and Brad Winn, Arctic Wings presents over 30 color photographs that capture the global bird biodiversity abundantly represented in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ecosystem. Read More...

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ANNOUNCING:

The 2008 Manomet

BIRD-A-THON

 

Manomet Bird-A-Thon (September 20th & 21st 2008)

Bird-a-thon days are amazing for a number of reasons, but my favorite aspect of the birding 'big day' is how an individual or group can undergo a complete emotional 180°. At one moment you can be upset at the weather or the absence of a species in a particular area, but these emotions can be erased in hours, minutes or even seconds due to an appearance of the unexpected, friendly interactions with other birders or even a bad joke. These are the memories that make the experience unforgettable.

This year's Bird-a-thon did not lack excitement or fun. Our northern team (comprised of Mark Thomas, Linnea Rowse, Ian Davies and Evan Dalton) was picked up by Trevor in the wee hours for our pre-dawn drive to Plum Island. Although our minds were culturing the seeds of excitement, on the drive up our eyelids were less than compliant. As the sky began to light up, so did we; we spotted the first bird of the day: an immature Herring Gull flying over Route 1. Soon we were in Newburyport at Plum Island lot 1 scanning the bushes for residents and rarities (but not before we almost ran over an American Woodcock!) Here we had an Indigo Bunting, our first of three Merlin and a brief flyover from a calling Baird's Sandpiper. Stopping along the road we attempted to slake our thirst for warblers.  A Black-and-white Warbler, Magnolia Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat seemed willing to comply. At the warden's we picked up a Clay-colored Sparrow that had been hanging around. We also found a Baltimore Oriole, Field Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, and a few Blue-winged Teal feeding with some Mallard; certainly a nice treat. Our forays into the marsh and swamp loops turned up amazing looks at several warbler species, including Black-throated Blues, Black-and-whites (one of which nearly decapitated some of us,) Nashville, Tennessee, Parula and a Blackburnian. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet and some angry Marsh Wrens were icing on the cake. Some highlights at the Stage Island Pool included a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and an Am. Golden-Plover mixed with Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin, shortly followed by a young Peregrine Falcon looking for a tasty morsel. Obviously, the shorebirds scattered and we stood slack-jawed as the fastest animal on the planet gracefully fluttered not 25 feet over our heads. At the viewing platform we scoped three Northern Shoveler as ten American Pipits flew over us calling. After milking PI for all it could give us, we stopped at some local specialty spots around the north shore. We picked up Ring-necked Duck and Ruddy Duck in the same pond. We stopped at a great-looking rail spot and were pleased with some fleeting glimpses of a Pied-billed Grebe. We didn't bring any recordings of Sora or Virginia Rail so we ended up wandering along the road whistling and squeaking in an attempt to hear a response from a curious marsh chicken. We had almost given up when a Sora and Virginia Rail both called back. Perhaps they sympathized with us. Or perhaps they were interested in supporting Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences... either way, pretty incredible. We finished our day by coming full circle at Manomet Point. We spotted Common Eider, Northern Gannet and Great Cormorant. Not a bad finish to a 115 species day!

Meredith Gutowski, Keith Morehouse, Kathleen Hutton and Jim Kowalsky covered coastal Plymouth (hummingbird, Ovenbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo) while Linda Leddy added the Plympton Wild Turkeys. On Sunday, most of us went out on our own to try and fill in some of the blank spaces on the list. In the end we observed 134 species. Not bad!

The Bird-a-thon is fun not just because it is an all out, no holds barred birding-fest, but also due to the experiences. Although it is easy to forget exactly how many individuals of each species were in an area, it will be hard to forget our looks at the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Peregrine, or hearing the rails: the true rewards of a hard day's birding. A final reward is the fact that our efforts help raise money from generous donors (such as you) who help facilitate the ongoing programs at Manomet. We would all like to extend a heartfelt thank you.           Evan Dalton

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Manomet Forest Ecologist Featured on Maine Public Radio Program

In a recent Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) interview from the field, Manomet Senior Scientist Andy Whitman shares his perspective with MPBN News Director Susan Sharon on the Late-Successional indicator species found in the 200-acre stretch of Big Wilson Stream. Click here to listen to the program.

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Manomet in the News: Timber Company Delays Tree Harvest

Plum Creek Delays Tree Harvest
Friday July 25, 2008 - Bangor Daily News
Plum Creek Timber Co. officials said they are talking with several potential buyers interested in protecting a rare, 220-acre forest near Elliotsville containing trees older than the state of Maine itself. Plum Creek has temporarily shelved any plans to harvest in what some people have dubbed the Big Wilson Stream "old-growth" forest. The company has been under pressure from some local residents and environmental groups to abandon plans to harvest on the land later this summer. Click here to read full story.

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Arctic Refuge & Oil: Manomet Response to Inaccurate Information

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ScienceDaily Highlights Manomet Research on Migration Timing and Climate Change

A recent article in ScienceDaily references Manomet's research analyzing changes in the timing of spring bird migrations and the challenges of a rapidly changing climate.

Click here to read more.

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WHSRN Discussed in Social Science Journal Essay

The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) has inspired an in-depth essay about institutional effectiveness authored by Jeremy Wilson, professor of Political Sciences at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and published in International Environmental Agreements, a Springer Science+Business Media publication. In the journal essay, WHSRN is cited as an example of a transnational initiative that draws together a constellation of partners to achieve cross-border conservation outcomes. The Manomet-led U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan is also referenced, as well as key Manomet shorebird conservation staff. The paper concludes that "the shorebird conservation community has so far devoted much of its energy to institution building, especially the essential foundational work of constructing the institutions needed to support a sustained, multi-dimensional, and credible program of population monitoring and scientific research." The author reflects on core aspects of the set of problems facing shorebird conservationists, noting "Like many others trying to conserve biodiversity, they must continually cope with a problem structure characterized by many species, many ecosystems, many threats, many competing hypotheses, and many seemingly worthwhile ways of intervening."

To read this paper in International Environmental Agreements, click here.

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Arctic Calling...

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most significant wildlife habitats in North America. Each summer, thousands of shorebirds gather along the coastline of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where they prepare for their epic southward migrations by fattening up on the abundant food resources available during the short arctic summer. Manomet's Stephen Brown and his team continue their fieldwork in the Arctic Refuge this summer at Teshekpuk Lake and along the coastline. Taking a break whenever time allows, Stephen Brown has been calling in from the Arctic via satellite phone to keep us informed about Manomet's work. His calls from the Arctic Refuge give us an appreciation of the rigors of Manomet's research and the extreme environmental conditions these scientists encounter.

Manomet Team Returns to Arctic for Second Year Surveying

Helicopter Surveys Reveal High Densities of Breeding Shorebirds

Back in the Arctic: Summer Coastline Counts

Read more about Manomet's Summer 2008 field season in the Arctic.

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	2008 Pablo Canevari Award Asociación Calidris (Español)
Every two years, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences presents an award of US $2,000 to an individual or organization from Latin America who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to shorebird conservation - much the way Pablo Canevari did until his sudden and untimely death in 2000. Pablo, the first Director of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN), was an extraordinary man whose name soon became synonymous with Latin American wetland and waterbird conservation, beginning in his home country of Argentina. Manomet is pleased to announce Asociación Calidris as the recipient of the 2008 Pablo Canevari Award. Asociación Calidris (Calidris Association) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental conservation organization formed in 1989 by students of Dr. Luis Germán Naranjo at the Universidad de Valle in Cali, Colombia. Inspired by the fieldwork they began in Dr. Naranjo's Ecology of Waterbirds and Shorebirds class, the students decided to form a group to continue their studies on migratory shorebirds, choosing the shorebird genus name Calidris. Now, 19 years later, Asociación Calidris has grown to 20 employees and 40 associates, and is a highly respected conservation leader in Latin America.
Asociación Calidris' accomplishments are many, and include: Conducting long-term waterbird and shorebird studies that have generated data about migratory and resident birds (natural history, distribution, breeding ecology, trophic ecology, and population estimates) in Colombia. Supporting the efforts to designate Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and wetlands of international importance under Ramsar, and identifying key shorebird areas that will become the first WHSRN Sites in Colombia. Building and implementing bird monitoring protocols for migrant passerines and waterbirds in protected areas (National Parks and Private Reserves). Providing the information used in the management plans of several National Parks on Colombia's Pacific coast, and other national policies. Publishing identification guides, protocols, scientific papers, and educational material (posters, videos, and pamphlets) on birds, ensuring that the results of Calidris' studies are widely available. Co-publishing the Guía de los Chorlos y Playeros de la Región Neotropical, a widely used guide to the Plovers and Sandpipers of the Neotropics, authored by Pablo Canevari, Gonzalo Castro, Michel Sallaberry, and Luis Germán Naranjo; Planning and running educational programs that involve local communities in research and conservation.
The formal presentation of the Award will be made at the next WHSRN Hemispheric Council meeting, scheduled for February 2009 in Santa Marta, Colombia, coinciding with the celebration of Asociación Calidris' 20th anniversary (www.calidris.org.co). The Asociación is represented on the Council by Executive Director Luis Fernando Castillo (pictured at left, in center). The WHSRN Executive Office is a program of Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (www.manomet.org). For more information about Pablo Canevari or previous winners, please visit http://www.whsrn.org/about/canevari-award.html.

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Ian Davies and Team Place 2nd in 2008 WSB

It's 11:59 p.m. in the Great Swamp of New Jersey and 11 teams of birders are doing their best to lure a screech owl into view. At midnight, the owl will be the first bird identified in the 24-hour period that Manomet volunteer Ian Davies and his team have to count as many birds as possible. Racing through New Jersey, Ian is part of the 2008 New Jersey Audubon World Series of Birding (WSB).

For those who don't know, the WSB is a charity event aimed at raising money for the New Jersey Audubon and the charity of the team's choosing. Ian chose Manomet again this year, and he and his team raised over $1,000 through pledges and contribution in support of Manomet's research and conservation programs.

Ian and two other young men, Luke Seitz of Falmouth, ME, and Kai Reed, N. Egremont, MA, regrouped to form the same team as last year (minus one member). The team topped last year's count 180 species — with a whopping total of 206 species identified over the hectic 24-hour period. This placed them 2nd out of the 19 youth teams (18 and younger) in the state, and 9th out of 88 teams participating. Birds are identified either visually or by sound. Each team is on an honor system and 95% of the birds must be seen by all members, while the remaining "dirty birds" need only be seen by two members.

With Kai's dad at the wheel, the team started out in Morris County, then headed south to Vesper Hill in Sussex County, traversed the Delaware Water Gap, working their way South to Cape May in Cumberland County. The team finished the day at the Tuckahoe Wildlife Management area with a whip-por-will, for an amazing total of 206 species identified.

Why the difference from last year? "This year we had scouts in the South of the State, checking locations for birds, and also we decided to go to Brigantine, which is rich in birds," said Ian. "We picked up 7 more species there." By scouting ahead, the team did not get lost, and saved valuable time. The only delay this year was what seemed like an interminable wait  at a crossroad for a horde of bicyclers to pass.

What was the Wow moment of the day? "The highlight of the day was at a gas stop. A goshawk flew by and it was a big surprise because they are uncommon and sighting it was unexpected," said Ian. Other surprises were a Wilson's Phalarope at Brigantine (not discovered during scouting), and a Long-eared Owl calling at dawn.

Ian summed up the 2008 World Series of Birding as "a wonderful experience, even better than the last year." Next year the team will be sponsored by Nikon Optics, and they hope to win the youth division.

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Manomet Awarded Grant to Develop Conservation Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences has received a $200,000 award to help the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW) adapt to the fast-approaching impacts of climate change on the state's diverse wildlife and ecosystems.

The Wildlife Conservation Society through its Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund made the grant award. The support to establish the Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund was provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

A leader in the development of collaborative, science-driven solutions, Manomet will work over the next 18 months with state wildlife agencies to ensure that the State's investments in wildlife management and conservation, as outlined in its 2005 Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS), also known as the State Wildlife Action Plan address the likely impacts of climate change. Manomet also will help facilitate the adoption of these climate-adapted strategies by the state agency's implementation partners.

"This project comes at a pivotal moment for Massachusetts as the state legislature is considering Governor Patrick's record new bond initiative for habitat acquisition," said Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. "It is critical that we look carefully at the impacts of climate change when we are making decisions about how to spend the open space protection funds to best protect all kinds of habitat and wildlife."

Based on the research, new refuges could be created or management actions taken for species that have moved northward or disappeared entirely from the state in 50 years due to climate change. This project will ensure that public and private conservation funds are spent with climate change impacts in mind — so that investments are made in the state's natural resources of today, as well as of tomorrow.

"Manomet's main goal in this project is to assist state conservation agencies, particularly the Massachusetts Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), to identify some of the most iconic and important wildlife resources in the state, assess their vulnerabilities to climate change, evaluate and improve climate adaptation of wildlife management strategies, and ensure the climate adapted strategies are adopted by the agencies and their implementation partners," said Dr. Hector Galbraith, director of Manomet's Climate Change Initiative and an internationally-recognized authority on climate change.

Virtually all scientists recognize that we are in an era of rapid climate change that will adversely affect ecological resources, and that those conservation strategies for wildlife and ecosystem management that fail to accommodate climate change may be ineffective. The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy is one of the few state wildlife plans that mention climate change and its likely effects on wildlife habitat.

The main outcomes of the project will include:

• A companion publication to the state plan that updates its conservation strategies in the face of climate change;
• Cutting-edge scientific reports on vulnerabilities of Massachusetts wildlife and wildlife habitat to climate change;
• A widely applicable methodology for rapid assessment of climate change vulnerabilities of wildlife and wildlife habitat; and
• A tried and tested process that can be used more widely to identify and evaluate adaptive climate change conservation strategies.

This effort will place Massachusetts at the vanguard of an issue that other states are just beginning to address. With Manomet's help, the state's environmental agencies and organizations will produce a model that other states will adopt to ensure that the nation's vital natural resources remain rich, diverse, and healthy in a rapidly changing world.

This project will involve many key habitat protection and stewardship partners, including Massachusetts Division of Fish & Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy, key land trusts of the state (e.g., The Trustees of Reservations), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The number of collaborators involved in implementing the results of the project is anticipated to grow.

"Manomet is delighted to have been selected for this collaborative project and to have a leadership role in finding solutions to climate change impact and adaptation issues," said Galbraith.

About Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences is one of the nation's only independent non-profits dedicated exclusively to carrying out environmental research. Originally founded 40 years ago as the Manomet Bird Observatory, its scientists have been bringing together environmental stakeholders—communities, individuals, universities, government agencies, and businesses—to develop cooperative, science-based policies and management strategies. Dedicated to conserving the natural world for the benefit of wildlife and human populations, Manomet's work encompasses ecosystem services, climate change, large-scale hemispheric migration networks, and conservation strategies for landbirds, forests, wetlands, and agricultural habitats. For more information, please visit www.manomet.org.

Manomet's Climate Change Initiative

Manomet's Climate Change Initiative is aimed at answering many of the urgent impact and adaptation questions raised by a changing climate. Building on the expertise and institutional knowledge of migratory wildlife and ecosystems and a commitment to developing conservation strategies, Manomet is taking a lead role in addressing urgent questions about how climate change will affect the Northeast United States and how to adapt land management and conservation practices.

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Manomet Heads to Arctic Refuge

Stephen Brown, Manomet's Director of Shorebird Science, and his team, will head back to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this summer to conduct an intensive season of fieldwork that includes a major coastal survey, a survey of a critical portion of the National Petroleum Reserve, as well as Avian Flu testing. Read more...

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Flight Path
A Special Exhibition at Plimoth Plantation
May 3 to November 30, 2008

Plimoth Plantation has teamed up with wildlife photographer Jim Fenton, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Goldenrod Foundation and Massachusetts Audubon Society, to present a fascinating new exhibit entitled Flight Path. The exhibit will run from May 3 to November 30, 2008 at the Plimoth Plantation.

Flight Path explores the crucial role of Plymouth Beach as part of a complex and ancient system of shorebird migration routes running from to the tip of South American to the Arctic Tundra.

Flight Path Calendar of Events

Flight Path Flyer

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Saving Shorebirds and Their Habitats on a Hemispheric Scale
Manomet Hosts Event in Falmouth, MA

The plight of shorebirds, one of nature's most amazing migrant species, and the conservation of their habitats will be the topic of a special lecture at the West Falmouth Library, Falmouth, MA, Thursday, June 19, 7:30 p.m. The event will be hosted by Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to raise awareness of one of its key initiatives, The Shorebird Recovery Project.

Dr. Charles Duncan, Director of the Shorebird Recovery Project, is the featured speaker. The event is free and open to the public.

Shorebirds such as Red Knots, Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and Hudsonian Godwits undertake one of nature's most daunting journeys, traveling from their winter grounds as far south as Tierra del Fuego, to their breeding grounds in the Arctic Tundra—and then back again. But today, many of these species, some of which we've seen on Falmouth beaches, are in serious trouble: their numbers are dropping so quickly that scientists estimate some could become extinct in our lifetime.

Conserving shorebirds entails the enormous challenge of protecting the many far-flung, international sites that shorebirds require in order to survive—from their breeding grounds in the Arctic, to their wintering grounds in the southern hemisphere and their resting and refueling sites in between.

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and its partners have launched the Shorebird Recovery Project to save shorebirds and their habitats using site-based conservation, science and monitoring to ensure success.

"I may never in my life see a Polar Bear or a Mountain Gorilla, but it is important to me that they exist," said Duncan. "I want our grandkids to be able to imagine countries far from their own, to imagine or maybe someday visit Tierra del Fuego or Baffin Island, Canada. I want them to be inspired by how a bird, no bigger than a dove, can shrink the Earth to a size that brings people together instead of dividing us. That for me is ultimately what the Shorebird Recovery Project is about."

Join Manomet for a special evening, and learn why shorebirds and their habitats are in danger of disappearing. Explore how that would affect the quality of our lives, and what the Shorebird Recovery Project is doing about it.

West Falmouth Library is located in Falmouth, MA, on West Falmouth Highway, Route 28A, near the corner of Blacksmith Shop Road across from the Quaker Meeting House. For more information, visit www.westfalmouthlibrary.org or call 508-548-4709.

Click here for an event flyer.

About Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences
Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences is dedicated to helping humans live in harmony with natural resources. Founded 40 years ago, Manomet has led the way in bringing together stakeholders—communities, individuals, universities, government agencies, and businesses—to develop cooperative, science-based policies and management strategies that work in the real world.

Manomet's major initiatives focus on enabling people, communities and businesses to measure, manage and sustain natural systems and the wildlife and people dependent on them. We strive to develop new solutions for climate change and natural capital protection and create conservation strategies for wildlife, working landscapes, and wetlands. For more information, visit www.manomet.org

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Information About Avian Flu
September 17th, 2008

Avian Influenza type A (H5N1) or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1)

As a conservation science organization with many bird-based programs, Manomet is closely monitoring the current outbreak of Avian Influenza type A (H5N1). Because the scientists at Manomet are not experts in the fields of wildlife virology or human infectious diseases, the Center is working with colleagues to better understand the potential impact of Avian Flu in the Western Hemisphere. In addition, we have identified a number of websites that contain useful information about the potential risks to human health, domestic birds and wild bird populations presented by avian flu. As a public service, we are providing a brief description and links for the websites that contain the most accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information on all aspects of avian flu. We will update them regularly.

We have tested spring and fall migrant landbirds at Manomet and breeding shorebirds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (2006 and 2008) with a harmless swab technique to establish the presence or absence of any sub-type of avian influenza type A virus. This is a joint effort by many US banders in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, testing labs at UCLA's Center for Tropical Research, Los Alamos National Lab, USGS Diagnostic Virology Laboratory in Madison, WI and numerous other government and NGO organizations. Over 74,000 wild birds were tested in the USA in 2006 and 12,000 in Canada; all samples are negative.  All 2007 and 2008 samples to date have also tested negative for H5N1.

Background Information on H5N1 (Updated 17th September 2008)

Although there are at least 16 types of bird flu, the serious 2003-2008 outbreak which started in Asia is a virus strain called Avian Influenza type A (H5N1). This strain is frequently called Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1). This has caused the death or culling of hundreds of millions of mostly domestic birds in Asia and now Africa (Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt), northwest India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and most of Europe. The World Health Organization reports (10th Sep. 2008) a total of 387 human cases and 245 deaths, the latter all in Asia, Nigeria and Egypt (12 countries to date).  Fewer human cases and deaths were reported in 2007 than in 2006.

Some Key Facts:

• There have been no cases of HPAI H5N1 reported in the Western Hemisphere.
  
• No human to human transmission has been proved to date, except a very few rare cases which may have occurred in SE Asia; transmission has not continued beyond one person (CDC).
  
• Until 2006, there was no unambiguous evidence that wild migratory birds had spread the HPAI H5N1 to new locations, but this possibility now seems likely and requires constant monitoring. Recent outbreaks from January to December 2007 in England, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Czech Rep. and Romania have involved only domestic poultry, with a few recent confirmed cases in wild waterfowl in Germany and France. In winter 2008 outbreaks were confined to wild swans and Canada Geese in England and Iran, also waterbirds in Ukraine. Hong Kong continues to report H5N1 in wading birds and a Peregrine Falcon.
  
• Humans transporting live domestic poultry or their products have been implicated as the principal cause of the virus transmission to date. Legal and illegal pet trade birds have also carried the virus.
  
• If wild migratory birds carry and shed the virus along flyways, the potential exists for the virus to spread to additional migratory species and into other parts of the world including eastern Siberia, Australasia and the Americas. It is unclear how far infected birds are capable of migrating and spreading the virus. Wild ducks, geese, and swans are theoretically possible carriers.

 

[The graph illustrates the 376 confirmed human cases (World Health Organization data) since 1st January 2003 when the current outbreak began. The serious nature of the H5N1 virus is indicated by the 238 human deaths, an average mortality rate of 63%.]

Sources of Additional Information

For more information see these links:

Centers for Disease Control web site is an authoritative and up-to-date source of science and recent news. Articles on key facts about Avian Influenza in wild birds and livestock, and infections in humans, are very recently updated. Links are given to other related web-sites. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm

World Health Organization a very full and completely up-to-date site with articles, links and answers to frequently asked questions on all general aspects of Avian Influenza.
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/

Public Health Agency of Canada has current Canadian and worldwide information with numerous links. This site is available in English and French.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/new_e.html

World Organization for Animal Health [or Office International des Epizooties (OIE)] animal summary is a completely up-to-date listing of outbreaks by country with graphs of cumulative cases. This site is available in English, Spanish and French.
http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/A_AI-Asia.htm

United States Geological Survey — National Wildlife Health Center web-site is brief, up-to-date and contains links to other government sites and some news reports.
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/avian_influenza/index.jsp

UN Environment Programme — Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (24th Oct. 2005) task force report gives broad guidelines for governments and appends a list of Eurasian migrant Globally Threatened bird species at risk from Avian Influenza.
http://www.cms.int/news/PRESS/nwPR2005/pressrelease_AvianFlu_final_24_10_05.pdf

US Dept. of Agriculture — Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service brief fact sheet with contact phone numbers to report deaths and links to other sites
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/ca/avian_influenza.htm

Wetlands International has established a website on Avian Influenza and wild birds: It has details of outbreaks among wetland birds, shows maps and links, and is updated often.
http://www.wetlands.org/articlemenu.aspx?id=fa641fcb-eff6-4975-921a-b66c734cd573

Wildlife Conservation Society has summaries of threats to humans, livestock and wildlife. There are suggestions for governments and individuals, plus extensive links to medical, government and veterinary web-sites.
http://www.wcs.org/media/file/avian-influenzamigratorybirdsaug2005factsheetupdatev2.pdf

Birdlife International (August 2007) gives a concise statement on Avian Influenza, followed by brief answers to frequently asked questions.
http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/avian_flu/

Ducks Unlimited statement - (11th December 2006) answers basic questions with an emphasis on facts for waterfowl and upland game-bird hunters. Links are provided to some US government sites.
http://www.ducks.org/Hunting/BirdFlu/128/BirdFluLanding.html

US Fish and Wildlife Service this compilation of links to some of the best information currently available online on the topic of avian influenza in wild birds is now on the Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Migratory Bird Management Web site: but has not been updated since 2005.
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/AvianFlu/WBAvianFlu.htm

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Presentation Announcements Vernal Pool Project: An Evaluation of the Water Quality in Vernal Pools Come hear about an exciting project on vernal pools in the Charles and Taunton River watersheds. We will introduce you to Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, familiarize you with what a vernal pool is, let you know what animals use vernal pools, and inform you about how our project intends to improve the quality of water in vernal pools. We hope to see you at one of the following presentations: Thursday, February 7th at 6:30 PM Norton Public Library For directions please visit the library's web page. This presentation is being organized by the Norton Conservation Commission. Tuesday, March 11th at 12:30 PM Charles River Watershed Association Weston, MA For directions please visit CRWA's web page. Learn more about the study. To register for the presentation, contact Beth Brazil at bbrazil@manomet.org. Also... Saturday, March 29th, 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM Living with Vernal Pools on the Landscape Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference Co-presenting with the Vernal Pool Association Worcester, MA For more information, or to register, click here. The vernal pool project has been made possible due to the generosity of our partners and funders who include the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Island Foundation, and Entergy. Back to top

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Vernal Pools Featured in Sun Chronicle

A vernal pool, or "spring pool," is a shallow depression that typically contains water for only part of the year. These pools provide important wildlife habitat, especially to amphibians, and range in size from a few square feet to several acres.

Read more...

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