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Tag: Jaime Stephens

Birds, Forests, and the Heart of Conservation

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

Three years ago, KBO launched a travel program. Our small-group, conservation-focused journeys are led by expert guides and designed to inspire, educate, and directly support our mission. I have just returned from co-leading a 10-day trip with my colleagues at the Mantiqueira Bird Observatory in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The trip itinerary blends birding and nature exploration with cultural experiences, as well as opportunities to observe scientific research and conservation in the field. This trip helps raise funds for the intern exchange program between our two bird observatories, allowing us to advance science while training the next generation of field biologists. To learn more about future opportunities to travel with us, visit klamathbird.org/birding-trips/. – Jaime Stephens

KBO Board President Shannon Rio joined me on the trip. Here is a personal reflection from her time in Brazil.

“We are in Brazil for 10 days on a fundraising trip for the Mantiqueira Bird Observatory (OAMa), and there is one evening where we are exploring our definition of conservation.
Dani, a scientist and a Master’s degree student, tells us that her purpose in life is to save the world. She has just been to a workshop led by Al Gore on climate change, and before the conference, she had little hope for our planet. But now, she sees a future, and it is positive. At the end of the evening, I have finally understood my definition of conservation. It means the caring for and protection of ALL forms of life: birds, people, plants, insects, etc. It means doing the work that is in your heart to make the world a better place. For Ruthie, my 17-year-old granddaughter, who is also on our trip, it is working with small children so that their formative years are healthy. For Tomoe, a 70-year-old woman on our trip, it is providing a healthy future for people on this planet. For me, it’s about protecting birds and habitats, as well as reducing hunger in our Rogue Valley.

So, our journey through Brazil is about this: hiking the land, eating the food, being with the local people, watching the scientific work of banding birds in the field, swimming in cold pools under waterfalls, and BEING IN each moment.

Our guides are Sami, Luiza, and Jaime, whom I affectionately call our ‘flock mothers’ because they keep us safe, read our desires and requests, and incorporate them into their itinerary.

We stayed in 4 lodges, mostly remote. These are simple accommodations that serve us local healthy foods. Picking a favorite part of each day was challenging for me because we experienced so much and also had time to rest and absorb it. For example, we hiked through the jungle in search of monkeys and saw a baby TITI monkey on its mother’s back. Paul was our curiosity seeker, taking photos and identifying the plants, fungi, and fauna on our forays into the jungle, into the rocky areas of the National Park, and also in villages.

We had the good fortune to be at the aviary in the jungle that held the endangered Black-fronted Piping-Guans. It was on that one day that GPS backpacks were being secured onto their backs to track their routes and habitat locations in the effort to find out the information that might result in preventing their extinction.
Later that day, we heard a presentation by a conservation organization dedicated to protecting several endangered species in Brazil. It is difficult to put into words the dedication, hard work, and hope that are poured into this endeavor. For me, being informed and inspired makes this a worthy journey into the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.
Sami, one of our guides, celebrated her 34th birthday on this trip, and we wrote her haikus as our gift, along with cake and singing, and, as is the Brazilian tradition, enthusiastic clapping of hands.

Luiza, who founded OAMa along with her life partner, Pedro, is a born leader. She combines her brilliant ideas with hard work. Please visit their website to learn more, and I encourage you to consider making a donation.

Jaime Stephens is KBO’s Director of Conservation. She shared a project she worked on with Luiza and Pedro during their time at KBO, tagging Common Nighthawks to help discover their migratory route. The nighthawk does not know boundaries and considers their breeding grounds throughout the US and Canada to be a shared home with their wintering grounds in Brazil.

Another aspect of this trip is the sharing of it with my 43-year-old son, Jeremy. Because he is busy being a teacher, has 4 children, and lives in Illinois, it was both rare and special to have 10 days on a mother-son (and granddaughter) trip. Like many who come on this tour with OAMa and KBO, Jeremy expressed how life-changing it was to travel in a small group with local Brazilians who are inspirational in their desire to, as Dani put it, save the world.

This yearly endeavor raises money for the conservation scientists at OAMa. Exposure to the people, the culture, and the food, along with supporting efforts to protect birds and habitats, makes this my favorite kind of travel. When else can you take a vacation with someone like Dani, who gives a high five and says, “Let’s save the world together!””

Whether you’re drawn to the thrill of birding in remote forests, the joy of cultural exchange, or the hope sparked by grassroots conservation, these journeys offer something rare: connection—with nature, with people, and with purpose. As we reflect on the unforgettable moments shared in Brazil, we invite you to join us on our next adventure, support our intern exchange program, or make a donation to help protect birds and habitats across the Western Hemisphere. Together, we can keep saving the world, one step, one story, one bird at a time.

Season by Season: The Oak–Bird Connection

Written by Elva Manquera on .

From acorns to birdsong, explore the cycles that shape our landscapes.

This October, step into the rhythms of the natural world with an engaging journey through the seasons of an oak tree and the birds that depend on them, led by Jaime Stephens, KBO’s Director of Conservation. We begin in the fall, when acorns drop in abundance and Acorn Woodpeckers, California Scrub-Jays, and countless other species turn oak woodlands into bustling food stores. As summer’s breeding migrants head south, new species arrive to spend the winter, keeping oak woodlands lively year-round. In the spring, oak blossoms and fresh leaves unleash a surge of insects, perfectly timed for both resident and migratory songbirds as they raise their young. By summer, shady oak canopies provide refuge and abundant food for fledglings preparing for independence. Season after season, oaks serve as timekeepers—synchronizing their cycles with the shifting needs of birds and people alike.

This presentation blends wonder and science, exploring how oak woodlands sustain life, the threats they face, and the inspiring stories of restoration where oaks and birds are thriving once more. Through photos and bird songs, you’ll discover how your own connection to oaks fits into this larger cycle—and learn simple, meaningful actions you can take to ensure these song-filled seasons continue for generations to come.

WHEN: October, 16th, 5:30 pm to 7 pm

WHERE: This is a hybrid presentation; a Zoom link will be emailed out after registration, or you can join us in person at the KBO Office in Ashland.

Registration is required, as well as KBO’s waiver of liability

 

Vacation for Conservation

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

Join KBO’s dynamic duo Director of Conservation Jaime Stephens and Board President Shannon Rio for a memorable 9-day trip to Brazil, April 12th – 20th, 2023. This trip will be guided by past KBO intern and co-founder of Mantiqueira Bird Observatory (OAMa) Luiza Figueira. The cost of this trip includes hotels, food (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and transportation (to and from the airport and during the trip). The total cost of the trip is $5,000, $2500 to reserve your seat, and the total amount is due by February 10th. With 12 people attending these funds will cover a FULL YEAR of OAMa’s banding program. It will also be used to help support a student intern that is participating in KBO OAMa’s intern exchange program.

Click HERE for more information and registration. 

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.

 

 

Vesper Sparrow Stephens flipped cropped (72dpi 11x17)

Coming this Field Season: Oregon Vesper Sparrow and Technology

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

Spring has sprung, and migratory birds are making their way back to the Klamath Siskiyou Bioregion. Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) is preparing by dusting off field gear, mapping out survey sites, and hiring summer staff. Each staff member has their own favorite thing to look forward to this field season: starting a new project, expanding an active project, or wrapping up data collection.

Dr. Sarah Rockwell, one of KBO’s Research Biologists, is excited to be expanding the Oregon Vesper Sparrow GPS tracking project. KBO will be deploying more tags at our Lily Glen study site near Howard Prairie. Sarah will also be training partner Bob Altman with the American Bird Conservancy to expand the study and place GPS tags on Oregon Vesper Sparrows in the Willamette Valley this summer. KBO will look at the Willamette birds’ migratory routes and overwintering areas, and compare them to the data KBO has gathered from birds in the Rogue Basin.

Oregon Vesper Sparrow (c) Frank Lospalluto

This summer KBO will also continue to deploy MOTUS tags on late-stage Oregon Vesper Sparrow nestlings. In previous years, very few juveniles have returned to the same meadow where they were hatched. To investigate this, Sarah will be putting MOTUS nodes out in new meadows surrounding past sites, expanding her search for these birds.

Oregon Vesper Sparrow Nest

Sarah is wrapping up collecting resight data for the Oregon Vesper Sparrow this summer – by resighting individually color-banded birds year after year, she can analyze their annual survival. KBO has also studied the sparrows’ nest success and habitat preferences in past years. The vegetation characteristics of sites where the sparrows choose to place their nests could be used to encourage land managers to plant beneficial vegetation. Other partners are collecting parallel data in the Willamette Valley, OR, and Puget Lowlands, WA, for similar use. The Oregon Vesper Sparrow is under review to potentially be added to the federally threatened and endangered species list, and Sarah hopes these data will help contribute to a decision.

This summer Science Director Jaime Stephens is excited about the ongoing Oregon Vesper Sparrow project. “KBO has been focusing our field research on this species for nearly a decade. A challenging part of science is that it can take a long time to gather the necessary data. In the next two years, KBO expects to have results available from this project that could be very impactful. These include nest success and breeding season habitat relationships, and as that wraps up we are moving on to MOTUS and GPS tagging to study non-breeding season movements. We are finishing an exciting part and moving on to an even more exciting part of the project.”

To learn more about the Oregon Vesper Sparrow and KBO’s conservation science projects click here. “Coming this Field Season” is a blog series highlighting the different projects that KBO staff are working on this summer. Subscribe to the blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be notified of the next article.

Jaime Stephens, MS

Written by KBO on . Posted in KBO Staff.

Director of Conservation

As Director of Conservation, Jaime integrates a foundation of forest ecology, bird conservation priorities, and regional avian science to inform land management decisions. She collaborates with a diverse suite of partners to guide resource management strategies and conservation actions that improve outcomes for birds and ecosystems.
Her current work focuses on oak woodland restoration in southwest Oregon and northern California and, more broadly, across the Pacific Northwest; oak habitats host some of our most at-risk bird species. At the local level, she coordinates the Klamath-Siskiyou Oak Network, a partnership with a proven track record of leveraging multi-million-dollar projects to restore imperiled oak habitats. She is also involved in several forest collaboratives working to restore forests to reduce wildfire risks, increase climate resilience, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Jaime works closely with the science team at KBO to answer the most pressing questions to inform efforts to halt the decline of western birds. As science continues to elucidate the causes of decline for at-risk bird species, Jaime ensures 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, interested parties, and rights-holders.
Jaime has 25 years of experience working in ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. She earned her BS in Zoology and Conservation Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined KBO in the spring of 2002 as a Master’s student at Southern Oregon University. She completed a thesis comparing the effects of various timber harvest prescriptions of forest interior songbirds. From 2008-2022, Jaime was KBO’s Science Director, overseeing and growing our long-term monitoring and applied ecology programs. During that time, she published more than 20 papers examining focal species; bird communities related to environment and climate; and avian response to grazing, wildfire, hazardous fuel reduction, and restoration. Her publications have also examined migratory movements, connectivity, spatial and temporal components of molt, and site fidelity. In addition, she has authored five conservation plans that are the foundation of her current work.
Klamathbird.org/jaime-stephens