Partners in Flight: A Story of International Bird Conservation Luis Morales - Birding San Pancho | |
March 21, 2023 |
The “San Pancho Bird Observatory” first started in 2011 within the western working group of Partners in Flight (an international consortia dedicated to create collaborations for migratory bird conservation in the western hemisphere) with the special support and guidance of the Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) in Ashland, Oregon who have been our main partner organization during nearly a decade of international bird conservation partnerships.
During 2012, I had the opportunity of travelling to Oregon and visiting KBO for 4 months as an intern with the US Forest Service international program to learn about bird banding and to embrace the bird conservation model being implemented by KBO. At the end of my visit in Oregon I was able to drive to British Columbia in Canada to attend the North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
At this conference, I met with Canadian researchers studying the migratory connectivity and working for the conservation of the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) which happens to be an endangered species in BC. Canada, the mascot/logo bird of the Klamath Bird Observatory since this peculiar species also breeds in Oregon and California and the Chat also happens to be a relatively abundant bird species at my backyard during the winter in Mexico.
Over the years, this migratory connectivity for the YBCH in Canada, United States and Mexico ignited a growing number of trinational collaborations that continues nowadays and has resulted in the development of a science-driven bird conservation model adapted over the last years to the specific circumstances of our region in western Mexico.
Our bird and habitat conservation model consists of integrating (1) educational and capacity building programs with (2) community development opportunities mainly through ecotourism, (3) scientific research and monitoring of priority birds and their habitats to (4) inform decision makers about the best practices to ensure bird and human populations coexisting in harmony.
Over these years we learned that although the conservation needs and approaches might be different in each of the countries, our common motivation is the same: the well-being of birds which equals the health of the ecosystems that human populations depend on.
From my perspective the most important aspect these days to have a significant impact on birds and nature conservation is partnerships, both at the local and international levels, unifying all sectors (social, public, private, academic) in a common vision for bird conservation.
For more info visit the website at BirdingSanPancho.net
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