Land trusts are extremely important for conserving bird habitat on private lands, yet few bird conservation organizations are partnering with approximately 1700 land trusts in the U.S. To remedy this disconnect, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology worked with the Land Trust Alliance and human dimensions researchers to examine how land trusts were addressing conservation issues and how to better engage land trusts in bird conservation efforts.
Playas are the most numerous wetlands across the Western Great Plains and are important for both wildlife and people. Since this region is 97% privately owned, playa conservation must occur on private lands. In 2006, the Playa Lakes Joint Venture contracted with DJ Case and Associates to conduct a survey of landowners to determine baseline knowledge of playas and interest in enrolling in conservation programs or implementing restoration practices.
The Central Valley Joint Venture incorporated human dimensions information into their implementation plan: 1) to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the conservation strategies described in the plan, and 2) to identify human dimensions research needs for the JV to address in the future.
Early successional forest habitat (ESH) and associated wildlife species in the northeastern United States are declining. NY Department of Environmental Conservation partnered with the Cornell University Human Dimensions Unit to determine how to support landowners interested in ESH management.
In 2005, the first ever national duck hunter survey was conducted with over 10,000 duck hunters. This survey provided insight into duck hunters' satisfaction and harvest preferences, contributed to federal considerations in establishing duck hunting regulations, and established a baseline for additional nationwide human dimensions research.
Visitors inadvertently leaving small amounts of food debris led to an increase in Steller's Jay populations close to campgrounds at Redwoods National and State Parks (RNSP). This increase in the jay population led to heightened jay predation on threatened Marbled Murrelets. To help reduce this predation, RNSP staff worked with social science researchers to conduct a communications study to evaluate current visitor communication messaging and develop improved management strategies.
Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring Waterbirds that migrate long distances between wintering and breeding destinations present a complex challenge to wetland managers. These birds use a wide range of sites during their annual cycle. Therefore managers must carefully consider a number of questions: Which species should a manager focus on at a specific site? How [...]
Ed. Note: Three-day migration forecasts on BirdCast will resume on 1 August, just in time for the start of the fall migration season. Weather radar stations across the continental United States may have predicted "April showers" for some this spring, but for the first time, new maps used radar to forecast and track in near-real [...]
When I first began working on water and habitat issues in California a decade ago, it seemed counter-intuitive to me to seek partnerships with farmers and hunters, as I naively assumed we wouldn’t share values and priorities. Fortunately, I had some veteran California conservationists as mentors, and they taught me just how aligned our purposes [...]
We often hear about the importance of migratory bird programs that build capacity internationally for shared species conservation. But what exactly does that mean, and how does one measure the success of such efforts? The Park Flight Migratory Bird Program was created with the vision of connecting U.S. national parks and partners in the United [...]
