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Author: Elva Manquera

Bear Creek Community Survey 2022 Update

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Community Science, KBO Science.

Volunteers at Lynn Newbry (c) Emmalisa Whalley

The Bear Creek Community Bird Survey (BCCBS) has been an ongoing community science project for the past two years, 2021-2022. This survey aims to measure riparian bird abundance along Bear Creek between Ashland and Central Point, OR. This project was made possible by community scientists and by local partners Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO), Rogue River Watershed Council (RRWC), Rogue Valley Audubon Society, and Southern Oregon Land Conservancy.

These surveys are completed year-round, but data collected during the breeding season are KBO’s current focus of analysis. While migration and winter habitat are also essential for birds, it’s easier to obtain reliable bird counts during the breeding season because male birds sing consistently to attract mates and mark their territories. Survey data are collected and stored using eBird NW, an easy-to-use tool for community scientists and professional biologists to input bird sightings and contribute to a worldwide database.

Yellow Warbler (c) James Livaudais

The surveys were done at seven sites between Central Point and Ashland. Five of those sites were burned during the 2020 Almeda and Central Point Fires, providing a unique opportunity to observe the changes in bird populations immediately after a fire and long-term post-fire recovery. In spring 2021, there was a notable difference between birds considered habitat generalists and riparian specialists. American Robin, a ground-foraging generalist, was equally or more abundant in burned sites than unburned sites. At the same time, riparian specialists Yellow-breasted Chat and Yellow Warbler were much more common in unburned sites in the post-fire conditions of 2021. By 2022, there had been substantial regrowth of willow, ash, and cottonwood seedlings that these species can use as nesting and foraging habitat. American Robin abundance decreased, while Yellow-breasted Chat and Yellow Warbler increased or remained stable across most sites.

A set of 13 focal bird species were identified to help assess habitat quality along Bear Creek. The species used are expected to be common in a healthy riparian habitat in southern Oregon. In 2022, only one of the seven sites had ten or more focal species in sufficient numbers: North Mountain Park. This gave Bear Creek Greenway a poor rating. This isn’t unexpected with the Greenway being located in a relatively urban setting and the impact of the 2020 fires on riparian vegetation. This snapshot of Bear Creek riparian bird population health may improve with natural vegetation regrowth, and active restoration efforts are underway. Bear Creek Community Bird Survey data will provide a measuring stick for tracking future changes in bird populations that may occur due to ongoing restoration efforts (or adverse effects of habitat loss, climate change, etc.).

The results of this effort will be combined with other metrics collected by RRWC or other partners (water quality parameters, fish abundance, fish habitat accessibility, affordable housing, air quality, etc.) to create a Rogue River Basin Report Card that will be useful for tracking watershed and community conditions, as well as for community outreach. The first report card is scheduled for release in Spring 2023. In 2023, RRWC plans to expand the current survey to additional watersheds in the Rogue River Basin.

Cover photo was taken by Frank Lospalluto. 

Cocktails for a Cause

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Partners, Trips & Events.

Join KBO for drinks on Tuesday, December 20th, 5 pm – 8 pm at Lune Cafe in Ashland, OR. $2 from every specialty cocktail or lemonade will be donated to KBO. You can also purchase tickets for a 50/50 raffle. It is the perfect way to have drinks with family and friends this holiday season and support a local conservation organization. Can’t make it on the 20th? This holiday fundraiser runs till December 31st.

Supporting Conservation with International Travel

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note.

Join Klamath Bird Observatory and Mantiqueira Bird Observatory (OAMa) for a 9-day exploration of Brazil to promote bird and habitat conservation beyond borders. Enjoy hiking and birding in the cloud forests of Brazil with local scientists leading the way. Time to explore a local town and enjoy Brazilian cuisine. Attend a bird photography workshop and watch OAMa science in action at their banding station.

With all 12 seats filled, this trip funds a fantastic opportunity for budding biologists.

OAMa logoescrito (72ppi 4x)Klamath Bird Observatory is well known for its broad international reach, focusing on partnerships and capacity building across the ranges of our shared birds. KBO’s bird banding internship program has trained over 283 interns from more than 17 countries. OAMa is a fruit of this capacity-building program, which is now running its training program in Brazil. As part of the continued partnership between these two observatories, we are pleased to announce a new internship exchange program! After training in their home country, biologists will have the opportunity to visit and train at the other observatory. KBO will host a student from OAMa for three or six months each year, and OAMa will host a student from KBO for up to three months at their field station in Brazil, joining the local crew at the year-round bird monitoring on the Mantiqueira Highlands.

In addition to supporting the intern exchange program, this trip will fund OAMa’s banding station for an ENTIRE YEAR! That includes six interns and one banding coordinator. Currently, OAMa is the only banding training program in Brazil.

The trip takes place April 12th – 20th, with travel to and from the U.S. extending the dates as needed on both ends. The cost is $5000 per person; this includes hotels, food (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and transportation (to and from the airport and during the trip). Hotel accommodation includes a double occupancy or single occupancy with a private bathroom. The only thing not included is airfare from the US to Brazil.

A $2500 deposit is required to reserve your seat; final payment is due by February 10. Proof of up-to-date Covid vaccination and liability waiver are also due at that time. Covid and liability waiver can be found here. A portion of the total fee is tax deductible; the specific amount will depend on the number of attendees. Both the deposit and final payment are non-refundable unless a replacement is found. We reserve the right to cancel before February 10th if the trip does not fill with a minimum of seven attendees.

You can view the Brazil Trip Itinerary here. Subject to change.

Recently Luiza, co-founder of OAMa, hosted a Zoom presentation to go over details and answer questions about this trip. You can view the recording here.

If you have questions, you can email Elva at ejm@klamathbird.org.

Klamath Bird Observatory follows CDC guidelines. KBO events are being offered with COVID-19 safety as KBO’s primary concern. Proof of vaccination will be required for all in-person participants. All individuals attending an event must also fill out the Waiver of Liability form. Please do not attend the event if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Masks are not required but wear based on comfortability.

Official Video Release of “From the Field – A Study of the Oregon Vesper Sparrow” by Daniel Thiede

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Education.

Sarah Rockwell talking about a MOTUS node.

Thank you to everyone that attended the world premiere of the short documentary “From the Field – A Study of the Oregon Vesper Sparrow” by Daniel Thiede at Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve. We are beyond grateful to have partners like Jeanine Moy, Director of the Vesper Meadow Education Program, who provided the space for this event and continues to support our research.

At this event, we celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day by acknowledging the land on which we work as traditionally occupied and cared for by the Takelma, Shasta, Modoc, and Latgawa peoples; and heard from Jeanine about how her program is working with local tribes to recenter Tribal members at Vesper Meadow, integrate traditional knowledge into restoration practices, and provide access to their ancestral homelands, First Foods, and other resources. Attendees also heard a short talk from KBO Research Biologist Sarah Rockwell about Oregon Vesper Sparrow research, took a short walk to view the first Motus wildlife tracking station in Oregon and a satellite node, and enjoyed the video premiere.

Vesper Sparrow Stephens flipped cropped (72dpi 11x17)
Oregon Vesper Sparrow (c) Jaime Stephens

We are officially releasing the documentary for public viewing. Join Daniel and KBO on a journey to understand the ecology of the at-risk Oregon Vesper Sparrow and the causes of its decline. Daniel covers the life history of this handsome little brown bird and the field methods and new technology that KBO is employing to study its life cycle year-round. Through beautiful imagery and graphics, he tells the story of KBOs’ continuing research to understand the decline of the Oregon Vesper Sparrow, a subspecies of conservation concern unique to the Pacific Northwest, and look for solutions.

https://youtu.be/Vy6UMBV-qts

Don’t forget to check out our website and learn more about the Oregon Vesper Sparrow and KBO’s work. The Oregon Wildlife Foundation funded the Vesper Sparrow video. Our ongoing Oregon Vesper Sparrow research has been supported by the BLM’s National Conservation Lands Management Studies Support Program, Carpenter Foundation, Charlotte Martin Foundation, Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, MPG Ranch, Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund, Oregon Wildlife Foundation, Oregon Zoo’s Future for Wildlife Fund, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

KBO is growing: Announcing our expanded conservation delivery capacity to be led by Jaime Stephens in her new role as KBO’s Director of Conservation

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Family, KBO Science, Press Room.

Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) has seen incredible progress in our efforts to advance science-driven conservation. This has come as we are seeing growing public awareness of the environmental crisis unfolding around us. The Three Billion Birds Lost movement (#BringBirdsBack) brings broad attention to recent science suggesting that we have lost one in four birds since 1970. While alarming, science also shows that when we invest in conservation, conservation works for birds and people.

White-breasted Nuthatch (c) Karl Schneck

Over the past decades, much of KBO’s work has focused on Pacific Northwest forests, where nearly half of the associated bird species are in decline. Our oak woodland forests host some of our most at-risk bird species. Over the past 50 years, we have seen dramatic losses in oak and associated prairie habitats. What remains faces many threats, including the interruption of low-severity fire cycles. There is an urgency at this moment, and the time is now to take action to recover forest bird populations while increasing the resilience of western forests, specifically oak woodlands.

 

“As KBO grows, we must continue adapting our organizational model to meet new opportunities to scale up our science-driven bird conservation efforts. As highlighted in the 2022 State of the Birds, there is an urgent need to address the Three Billion Birds crisis. With nearly half of our western forest bird species in decline, we must act now, and that is exactly what we are doing. New investments in forest restoration efforts through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the America the Beautiful Initiative, the Oregon Watershed Enhancements Board’s Focused Investment Program, and other anticipated funding opportunities present KBO with an unprecedented opportunity. We are poised to help guide these new investments in forest restoration to ensure they pay off in measurable bird conservation outcomes. Jaime Stephens is a respected regional and national conservation leader, and she is the perfect person to take on this Director of Conservation position. In her new position, Jaime will be pioneering a game-changing approach identified by the Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Initiative as a priority next step that must be taken if we are to address the Three Billion Birds crisis. By developing a new conservation delivery program area at KBO, we will be helping to develop a novel model of conservation action.” John Alexander, KBO Executive Director.

To align KBO’s staffing to meet this forest bird conservation need, we are developing a new conservation delivery program area to help us further focus and scale up our efforts to translate science into even more conservation action. This new program area is poised for success because Jaime Stephens, who has been a leader at KBO for over 20 years, will be taking on a new role as KBO’s first Director of Conservation. Jaime has served as KBO’s long-time Science Director for many years, leading our extensive monitoring and research efforts. As the Science Director, Jaime has worked tirelessly to develop the partnerships and deliver our science, helping to grow KBO’s direct involvement in on-the-ground conservation efforts. These efforts have reached a level that warrants the creation of this new position.

As KBO’s Director of Conservation, much of Jaime’s work will focus on the Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network‘s efforts to implement restoration actions in the oak and prairie habitats of southern Oregon and northern California while also contributing to the broader Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance. Additionally, Jaime will continue working with Rogue Forest Partners and the Northern Blues Forest Collaborative to ensure investments in these large-scale forest efforts pay off for birds and people.

Jaime Stephens, MS, Director of Conservation

“I am incredibly excited to shift my focus here at KBO. This new role will allow me to increase the integration of KBO’s conservation science and range-wide bird conservation objectives into land management actions guided by local and regional partnerships. Funding for several new oak initiatives has elevated the need for this program area at KBO.” Jaime Stephens, KBO Director of Conservation.

As Jaime transitions into this new role, she will continue to work with KBO’s Science Team to answer the most pressing questions to inform efforts to halt the decline of western birds. As KBO continues to elucidate the causes of decline for at-risk bird species, Jaime will ensure we take the next steps to co-produce outcome-oriented conservation efforts that are inclusive of not only conservation decision-makers but also impacted communities and rightsholders. Through her new role as KBO’s Director of Conservation, Jaime will employ this co-production process to help eliminate what is often referred to as the research-to-implementation gap.

We thank all of our supporters and partners for helping KBO to take this next step towards broad scaled conservation action and continue to grow as a regional, national, and international leader in bird conservation.

 

 

Upper Rogue Oak Initiative awarded $2.78 million for habitat restoration

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

Large mature oak tree with spreading limbs (c) Frank Lospalluto

This press release was originally posted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) HERE.

ODFW, in partnership with the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON), received a $2.78 million federal grant from America the Beautiful Challenge program to conduct oak-prairie habitat restoration in the Upper Rogue watershed.

The funding comes from multiple federal agencies and complements match funding from private donations designated for landscape-scale conservation work directed by the state, tribal, nonprofit, and working-lands partners.

“Building on a decade of collaboration, restoration, and a body of science to inform future actions, we are excited to embark on a project of this scale to protect oak for the benefit of people and wildlife,” said Jaime Stephens, Klamath Bird Observatory Science Director, and KSON Coordinator.

Large oak with spreading limbs (c) Bob Altman

The federal grant will help support two ongoing oak restoration initiatives. The Upper Rogue Oak Initiative builds on a recently awarded $7 million investment from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and $3 million matching funds to KSON’s Little Butte Oak Initiative. Support for both initiatives will create landscape resiliency and wildlife connectivity.

The additional investment expands the initiatives’ geographic reach by restoring 800 acres of oak habitat using prescribed fire, ecological thinning to reduce conifer encroachment, noxious weed reduction, and native understory planting.

For time immemorial, oak ecosystems have provided and continue to provide culturally important plants and other resources that sustain indigenous communities. Over the past century, oak-prairie ecosystems have experienced dramatic loss and degradation.

Through Lomakatsi’s Tribal Partnerships Program and the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership, tribes and inter-tribal crew members have supported oak habitat restoration as part of KSON and related initiatives for over two decades. A central part of the grant application focuses on engaging with tribes and tribal communities with ancestral ties to the project area to ensure indigenous voices and the incorporation of culturally beneficial resources and subsistence “first foods” into restoration planning.

KSON partners anticipate equally distributing restoration actions across both private and BLM-administered public lands. Restoration treatments on BLM-administered lands are planned under various environmental analyses, including the Integrated Vegetation Management for Resilient Lands (IVM-RL) Environmental Assessment (EA).

“The BLM designed and developed the assessment with a desire to help streamline collaborative projects and increase competitiveness,” said BLM Medford District Manager Elizabeth Burghard. “We recognize the importance of an all lands, all hands approach to ecosystem restoration and fuels reduction projects.”

White-breasted Nuthatch (c) Karl Schneck

It is estimated that less than 25 percent of historic prairie-oak habitat remains across Oregon. The most significant percentage of remaining oak habitat in the Pacific Northwest is in southwest Oregon. Both land conversion and human-induced ecosystem process alterations threaten these remaining habitats. Oak habitat loss is a significant threat to wildlife species in Oregon, including Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and game animals such as deer and elk.

ODFW’s Habitat Division, created by the Legislature in 2021, worked with the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, Oregon Wildlife Foundation, and Klamath Bird Observatory to secure funding through America the Beautiful Challenge and will work with KSON starting in 2023 to implement restoration work.

Additional grant funds from the America the Beautiful Challenge were also awarded to projects in Oregon:

The Nez Perce Tribe was awarded $5 million for restoring sockeye salmon habitat connectivity at the Wallowa Lake dam.

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw will receive $3.5 million for tidal wetland restoration for Oregon Coast Coho Salmon habitat restoration in the Siuslaw River estuary.

North Fork John Day Watershed Council was awarded $509,000 for the mine tailing and water quality restoration of Bull Run Creek in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

Curry County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $700,000 for treating invasive gorse and English ivy to protect the Siskiyou National Forest.

For more information about how ODFW connects conservation partners and communities with once-in-a-lifetime federal infrastructure funds and other opportunities, visit ODFW’s Investing in Oregon (IIJA) webpage.

Media Contact:
Elva Manquera-DeShields, KBO, ejm@klamathbird.org
Adam Baylor, ODFW, Adam.C.Baylor@odfw.oregon.gov

The Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) is a non-profit organization that advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. Working in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the ranges of migratory birds, KBO emphasizes high-caliber science and the role of birds as indicators to inform and improve natural resource management. KBO also nurtures an environmental ethic through community outreach and education.

Contemplative Photography Now Available Via Zoom

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note.

We now offer a Zoom option for the Holiday FUNdraiser — Contemplative Photography by Kirk Gooding. This presentation celebrates the power of photography. Kirk selected his favorite nature photos and created this inspirational series set to music. After a brief introduction, we ask you to sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds created in this stunning presentation.

This event takes place on December 11th from 5 pm – 8 pm and Zoom 6 pm – 7 pm. 

This holiday event will be held in a home in Ashland. Appetizers and beverages will be provided.

Event Itinerary

5-6 PM Arrive and enjoy pre-show food and drink.
6-7 PM Introduction, presentation, question and answer, and conversation. The Zoom portion of the event will start at this time.
7-8 PM A chance for more conversing and enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres. Cards will be for sale that features photos from the presentation. Great for the holidays

Suggested tax-deductible donation: $100 in person, $50 via Zoom

Click here to register for this event and be a KBO supporter. 

Support Bird Conservation this Giving Tuesday

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note.

Join the Giving Tuesday movement. It is the biggest day of the year for generosity. By giving to Klamath Bird Observatory, you are helping to support long-term monitoring that provides information about changes in bird populations, in-depth theoretical research that advances our understanding of bird distribution and movements, and applied ecology that addresses natural resource management challenges. We ask that you help us with our continued efforts to protect birds, putting birds and KBO’s science at the forefront of conservation decision-making and action. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO MAKE AN END-OF-YEAR DONATION NOW!

 

 

KBO Holiday FUNdraiser: Contemplative Photography

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Trips & Events.

CONTEMPLATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

Sunday, December 11th, 5 – 8 PM

Nature photography can be deeply soul-soothing and meditative. It can be educational as it gives details about the appearance or behavior of a bird, and it can result in the protection of birds and landscapes. William Finley was a conservation photographer who presented to Teddy Roosevelt photos showing the mass slaughter of herons and egrets, prompting Roosevelt to set aside land as refuges for birds.

This presentation celebrates the power of photography. Kirk Gooding selected his favorite nature photos and created this inspirational series set to music. After a brief introduction, we ask you to sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds created in this stunning presentation.

This holiday event will be held in a home in Ashland. Appetizers and beverages will be provided.

5-6 PM Arrive and enjoy pre-show food and drink.
6-7 PM Introduction, presentation, question and answer, and conversation.
7-8 PM A chance for more conversing and enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres. Cards will be for sale that features photos from the presentation. Great for the holidays

Suggested tax-deductible donation: $100 in person, $50 via Zoom

Register below

This event is hosted by KBO board members Shannon Rio and Amanda Alford. The photographer, Kirk Gooding, is married to Shannon Rio.

Klamath Bird Observatory follows CDC guidelines. KBO events are being offered with COVID-19 safety as KBO’s primary concern. Proof of vaccination will be required for all in-person participants. All individuals attending an event must also fill out the Waiver of Liability form that will be emailed to you once you register for the event. Paper copies will be available at the event. Please do not attend the event if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Masks are not required but wear based on comfortability.

*Please fill out the form for each attendee

KBO relies on private donations to further our mission of advancing bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. By attending KBO FUNdraising events, you help support KBO’s efforts. So, if you love birds, believe in birds as indicators of environmental well-being, and want to support KBO’s science-driven bird conservation mission, please register for this FUNdraising event today!