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At a Glance

2009

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Applications deadline is November 30, 2011.

Since 2002, more than $39 million in grants.

Grants have supported 367 projects in more than 35 countries.

Partners have contributed an additional $152 million.

More than 3 million acres of habitat affected.

Funding for the following 36 projects was approved in May 2009. A total of $4.83 million in funding was approved with project partners contributing $19.6 million in matching funds and $591,586 in nonmatching funds to affect 531,100 acres of habitat. This information is accurate as of the date of approval. For further information about specific grant projects, please contact the grantee listed in individual project summaries. Project Summary Table, U.S. Projects, U.S. - International Projects, International Projects.

U.S. Projects

ILLINOIS
Project: Doubling a New Grassland Bird Conservation Area near Chicago.
Location: Rich Township, Illinois.
Congressional District: 2.
Grantee: Audubon-Chicago Region.
Contact: Judy Pollock, jpollock@audubon.org.
Partners: Forest Preserve District of Cook County; Openlands; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers; Bird Conservation Network; Thorn Creek Audubon; Bartel Volunteers.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $88,310.
Matching Funds: $265,170.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Mississippi.
BCR: 22.
Ecoregion: NA0804.		 The aim of this project is to restore bird habitat on publicly owned hayfields and degraded grasslands in the Chicago area to prairie habitat, greatly increasing numbers of Neotropical migrant grassland birds.  Audubon-Chicago Region will collaborate with several agencies to restore and maintain one of two Grassland Bird Conservation Areas, the Bartel Grassland, in southern Cook County, more than doubling its size to 879 acres.  As a result of previous project phases, populations of Henslow’s sparrows, bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows and other grassland birds in this area have already increased greatly.  As many as 22 wintering short-eared owls and many northern harriers have returned to the area for the first time since the 1970s.  Migrating shorebirds, sandhill cranes and waterfowl are now regular visitors in the new wet prairies and sedge meadows.
MINNESOTA
Project: The Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership Project.
Location: Itasca and Koochiching counties, Minnesota.
Congressional District: 8.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Tom Landwehr, tlandwehr@tnc.org.
Partners: Blandin Foundation.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $100,000.
Matching Funds: $400,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Mississippi.
BCR: 12.
Ecoregion: NA0416.		 The Minnesota Forest Legacy Partnership, a coalition of non-profit, business and government organizations, is working to protect up to 75,000 acres of industrial forestland in northern Minnesota by buying conservation easements from landowners to protect habitat, jobs and public access.  To date, the partnership has protected 52,823 acres, and funding under this grant will allow The Nature Conservancy to purchase further easements from willing sellers.  Some 300 bird species can be regularly seen in the northern Minnesota forests, including more than 110 species that depend on interior forests for nesting and raising their young.  Species of highest concern that may use the project area include golden-winged warbler, wood thrush, Canada warbler, red-headed woodpecker, olive-sided flycatcher, northern flicker and purple finch.
NEW MEXICO, TEXAS
Project: Eastern New Mexico/Texas Panhandle Habitat Protection and Community Outreach.
Location: Roosevelt, Curry, Lea and Quay counties, New Mexico; Yoakum, Bailey, Terry and Cochran counties, Texas.
Congressional District: NM 2, 3; TX 19.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Terry Sullivan, tsullivan@tnc.org.
Partners: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish; Playa Lakes Joint Venture.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $250.000.
Matching Funds: $752,280.
Nonmatching Funds: $419,000.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 18.
Ecoregion: NA0815.		 This project will expand protection of habitat critical to declining grassland bird species of the shortgrass and shinnery oak of New Mexico.  Initially launched in 2002, the effort uses habitat protection, reduced landscape fragmentation and increased connectivity between protected parcels.  Partners have acquired 7,891 deeded acres and 1,280 leased acres in Roosevelt County, New Mexico.  The project has also used highly successful community outreach and capacity building efforts in eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle to help private landowners improve grassland bird habitat on their properties.  Through this project, partners will acquire a 9,171-acre parcel of land that contains habitat for the lesser prairie-chicken and other species of grassland birds, and provides connectivity to adjacent conservation properties.
PUERTO RICO
Project: Migratory Bird Wintering Habitat Conservation Project Phase III.
Location: Ciales-Florida, Puerto Rico.
Congressional District: At Large.
Grantee: The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.
Contact: Jorge Baez, baezj@fideicomiso.org.
Partners: None.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Atlantic.
BCR: U.S. Caribbean.
Ecoregion: G200 and NT0155.		 This project is part of a larger initiative to protect and manage migratory bird habitat in the northern karst region of Puerto Rico.  The project will focus primarily on acquiring, managing, protecting and restoring critical migratory bird habitat in the municipalities of Ciales, Florida and Manatí to establish the Rio Encantado Natural Reserve to protect in perpetuity habitat for wintering migratory birds.  This project will also establish a long-term monitoring effort to gather information on migratory bird populations on the acquired lands, and offer a series of hands-on educational activities emphasizing the importance of the karst region as habitat for Neotropical migrants, the plight of endangered species and how citizens can help protect them.
WISCONSIN
Project: Central Wisconsin Grassland Conservation Area – Acquisition.
Location: Adams, Clark, Marathon, Portage, Taylor, Wood, Waushara counties, Wisconsin.
Congressional District: 3,6, and 7.
Grantee: Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council Inc.
Contact: Sharon Schwab, SchwabS@co.portage.wi.us.
Partners: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds:$86,293.
Flyway: Mississippi.
BCR: 23.
Ecoregion: NA0415.		 The Central Wisconsin Grasslands Conservation Area partnership has a goal of protecting more than 15,000 acres by identifying willing sellers; encouraging rural landowners to enroll in perpetual federal, state or local conservation programs; protecting a high-profile threatened state species as the basis for broad grassland habitat conservation; and promoting appreciation of grassland ecosystems through education and research.  Through this partnership, Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development will assist the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in its efforts to purchase 3,000 acres of available lands over the next two years within the Central Wisconsin Grasslands Conservation Area.  This project will enhance conservation of 130 Neotropical migratory bird species by preserving 750 acres, providing breeding, nesting, migratory and stopover habitat.  Grasslands species of particular importance confirmed to breed within the conservation area include the northern harrier, short-eared owl, upland sandpiper, grasshopper sparrow, eastern meadowlark and Brewer’s blackbird.

U.S. - International Projects

Alaska—CANADA, CHILE
Project: The Migratory Connectivity of Hudsonian Godwits.
Location: Alaska; Manitoba and Northwest Territories, Canada; Castro, Chile.
Congressional District: AK-At Large.
Grantee: Cornell University, Laboratory of Ornithology.
Contact: Linda Griswold, lag13@cornell.edu.
Partners: Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $12,033.
Matching Funds: $36,100.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Pacific.
BCR: 4 and 7.
Ecoregion: NA0603 and NT0616.		 Hudsonian godwits are large shorebirds that migrate from southern South America to Arctic and sub-arctic Alaska and Canada.  They are a species of high conservation concern because of their small population size, disjunct and limited breeding distribution, and threats to their breeding and non-breeding ranges.  To address knowledge gaps and immediate conservation issues, partners in the Pacific Shorebird Migration Project initiated a rangewide study in 2008 of Hudsonian godwit migration ecology and breeding biology.  For 2009, partners will expand the project to encompass two additional field sites in Alaska and Canada and to enable Chilean colleagues to undertake research on godwit non-breeding ecology.  The ultimate goals are to provide an accurate picture of the ecology of Hudsonian godwits throughout the year so that scientists can identify high priority habitats and sites in need of conservation; influence the direction of current management of important sites under immediate threat; and extend conservation efforts focused on godwits and other migratory shorebirds to countries throughout their range.
California-MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA
Project: Identification and Management of Priority Winter Habitats for Migratory Landbirds.
Location: Field work in Mexico and Central and South America; coordination, analysis and report preparation in Marin County, California.
Congressional District: CA 6.
Grantee: The Institute for Bird Populations.
Contact: James F. Saracco, Ph.D., jsaracco@birdpop.org.
Partners: Fundación Ecológica Cuixmala, A.C.; Fundación Ecológica Cuixmala, A.C.; Chamela-Cuitzmala; Instituto de Biología; Conservacion, Investigación y Serv. Amb. A.C.; Alamos Wildlands Alliance; Colegio de Postgraduados; Universidad Autonóma de Tamaulipas; Pronatura A.C.; FUNDAECO/Alexis Cerezo; Defensores de la Naturaleza; SalvaNatura; Fundación Avifauna; Asociacón Calidris; Alianza para las Areas Silvestres; Amigos de la Tierra; Bosawas Biosphere Reserve; Fauna & Flora International; Fundación Amigos del Río San Juan; Fundación Cocibolca; Fundación Conservacion Costaricense; Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica – Inst. Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre; private researchers.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $196,216.
Matching Funds: $957,600.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Pacific.
BCR: Multiple BCRs in Mexico and Central and South America.
Ecoregion: Approximately 30 ecoregions in Mexico and Central and South America.		 The Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal program has been a core component of bird monitoring, research and conservation efforts in the Neotropics, providing a standardized field protocol to inform conservation at multiple spatial scales; training opportunities for local biologists; financial support, equipment, and materials; education for local communities; baseline data on bird populations; and habitat connectivity in 14 countries.  Through this grant project, partners will operate 40 long-running monitoring stations and establish and operate 10 new stations to fill geographic gaps, increase sample sizes and provide baseline data for new protected areas.
Colorado, Nebraska–MEXICO
Project: U.S.-Mexico Grassland Bird Conservation, Phase VII.
Location: 18 counties in Colorado; Kimball County, Nebraska; Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Congressional District: CO 4,7; NE 3.
Grantee: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.
Contact: Arvind Panjabi, (970) 482-1707, Arvind.panjabi@rmbo.org.
Partners: Fort Collins Natural Resources Department; Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory; Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $244,351.
Matching Funds: $886,625.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 18, 34 and 35.
Ecoregion: NA0815 and NA1303.		 This project will continue work funded by the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act since 2002 to conserve high priority and declining grassland bird species of western North America.  Strategies include monitoring populations and researching the physiological health of wintering grassland birds in cultivated landscapes in Mexico to advance conservation strategies for mountain plover and 25 other high priority species.  Partners will also protect 440 acres and manage more than 55,000 acres in a shortgrass prairie conservation area in Colorado that supports breeding populations of at least 22 high-priority grassland bird species.  This project will also protect nests in agricultural fields.  Grant funds will also allow outreach to engage landowners in conservation programs for mountain plovers in Colorado and Nebraska, and education targeting resource managers, agricultural producers and students to increase appreciation for grassland birds.
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota – CANADA
Project: Monitoring Neotropical Grassland Bird Conservation and Bison Reintroduction.
Location: Blaine, Phillips, Roosevelt and Valley counties, Montana; McKenzie and Oliver counties, North Dakota; Custer and McPherson counties, South Dakota; Saskatchewan, Canada.
Congressional District: MT At Large; ND At Large; SD At Large.
Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society.
Contact: Dr. Kevin Ellison, kellison@wcs.org.
Partners: Smith Fellowship; American Prairie Foundation; World Wildlife Fund US.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $40,345.
Matching Funds: $121,900.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 11 and 17.
Ecoregion: NA0810 and NA0811.		 Project partners will develop a multi-scale method using grassland bird species as indicators to evaluate the impact of bison on habitat and biodiversity.  The method will be refined and tested in 2009 before its application in 2010 at several bison reintroduction sites across North America.  Partners seek to understand and document how bison reintroductions, particularly at large scales, might be good for reviving native grassland habitat and thus benefit grassland birds.  Studies conducted during the process of bison reintroduction will help inform how grassland structure changes and is maintained at different scales.  Habitat improvements will benefit Neotropical species such as the mountain plover, grasshopper sparrow, savannah sparrow and Sprague’s pipit.

International Projects

ARGENTINA
Project: Fortalecimiento y puesta en valor de áreas de importante valor biológico para las aves playeras.
Location: Buenos Aires and Chubut provinces, Argentina.
Grantee: Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina.
Contact: Alejandro Arias, comunidades@vidasilvestre.org.ar.
Partners: Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Laboratorio Vertebrados; Centro Nacional Patagónico, Laboratorios de Humedales Utilizados por Aves Migratorias.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $31,500.
Matching Funds: $96,458.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0803 and NT0805.		 This project will evaluate the maintenance, protection and conservation of shorebird species in the Argentine protected area of Bahía Samborombón in Buenos Aires Province and two other key beaches, Fracasso and Colombo, in Península Valdés in Chubut Province.  Both areas sustain a high diversity of migratory and resident shorebird species.  Partners will generate an agreement among local authorities and decision makers to create – in Península Valdés – and to strengthen – in Bahía Samborombóm – the protected categories for each area, and to assess the best way to work with the involved communities to implement those protections.  As part of this project, partners will also do outreach to local communities about the importance of these protected areas.
Project: Integrating management, science and education for migratory bird conservation in Iberá Natural Reserve.
Location: Corrientes Province, Argentina.
Grantee: The Conservation Land Trust.
Contact: Ignacio Jimenez, i_jimenez_perez@yahoo.es.
Partners: Fundación Flora y Fauna Argentina; Aves Argentinas; Asociación ecológica Ceiba; Laboratorio Ecológico de las Yungas; Fundación Proyungas.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $70,000.
Matching Funds: $892,500.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0708, NT0801 and NT0909.		 Ibera Natural Reserve is one of the largest protected areas sheltering pristine marshland and grassland areas in the Neotropics.  Data indicate that some areas, such as Rio Corriente and Arroyo Carambola, hold high numbers of shorebirds during their southward migration. Other habitats, like extensive grasslands and savannas, are known to hold wintering populations of upland sandpiper and golden plover. In recent years, there has been an increase in threats to the ecosystem from agricultural intensification and infrastructure development.  The aim of this project is to promote conservation of Neotropical migratory birds during the winter by establishing, strengthening and managing public and private protected areas; identifying key sites and habitat of special concern for migratory birds and conducting more specific conservation actions; and conducting advocacy and capacity building at several levels.
ARGENTINA, CHILE, PERU
Project: Towards sustainable migratory bird conservation: Linking sites, linking people.
Location: Argentina, Chile, Peru.
Grantee: BirdLife International.
Contact: Rob Clay, rob.clay@birdlife.org.
Partners: Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation-Rio Tinto; BirdLife International; Aves Argentinas; CODEFF.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $90,200.
Matching Funds: $271,140.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0210, NT0404, NT0803 and NT1303.		 With this project, BirdLife International will assess and document the role of Important Bird Areas in Argentina and Chile in conserving Neotropical migrants and develop an on-line directory for the highest priority areas for conservation action. This project also seeks to advance the conservation of four high priority sites in Argentina, Chile and Peru linked through shared migratory species of conservation concern to Great Salt Lake, Utah. The project will extend the successful approach of linking communities at Great Salt Lake with communities in Canada and Mexico to those at the four sites in southern South America. It is hoped that the collaborative conservation projects developed at the four sites will be models for future conservation at additional sites.
CANADA
Project: Boreal Avian Modeling Project.
Location: Canadian boreal forest and taiga regions.
Grantee: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
Contact: Dr. Erin Bayne, bayne@ualberta.ca.
Partners: Canadian Foundation for Innovation; Ducks Unlimited Canada; Environment Canada; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Environmental Studies Research Funds; University of Alberta – Renewable Resources.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $150,000.
Matching Funds: $601,080.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: .
BCR: 4, 6, 7, 8 and 12.
Ecoregion: NA0612.		 The Boreal Avian Modeling Project was initiated to address the lack of information about birds and their habitats across Canada’s boreal forest. The project’s main goal is to facilitate proactive conservation of bird populations and habitats in this immense area that supports a major share of North America’s migratory landbirds.  The first phase of this initiative focused on compiling point count and environmental data and developing preliminary habitat models to determine the key climate and landscape factors influencing bird species distributions.  Funded by this grant, the next phase will focus on spatial estimation of bird population densities and development of sophisticated predictive models to illuminate the factors that determine bird distributions and abundance. Results will support conservation planning and management in the boreal forest system, which is increasingly threatened by human development.
Project: A Coordinated Ecosystem Approach to Conserving a Globally Significant Site for Neotropical Migrants.
Location: Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada.
Grantee: Pelee Island Bird Observatory.
Contact: Graeme Gibson, gr8auk@attglobal.net.
Partners: Ministry of Natural Resources Species at Risk Fund; private individuals; Trillium Foundation; Mysterious Starling Inc.; Nature Conservancy Canada; Metcalf Foundation; EJLB Foundation; McLean Foundation; Friends of PIBO.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $117,000.
Matching Funds: $495,250.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: .
BCR: 13.
Ecoregion: NA0414.		 Situated in the western basin of Lake Erie, 10,000-acre Pelee Island is the largest and least developed major island in the Lake Erie Archipelago.  The Pelee Island Bird Observatory is leading a coordinated stewardship strategy to monitor, conserve and restore habitat for neotropical migrants on Pelee Island, a designated Important Bird Area. In cooperation with Nature Conservancy Canada, this project will deliver comprehensive community-based stewardship that supports Pelee’s globally significant biodiversity.  Project objectives are documentation of breeding species locations and populations; assessment of threats to migrant and breeding bird habitat; management and restoration planning; mitigation of threats such as invasive species; monitoring the effectiveness of stewardship activities; and heightened local awareness and appreciation for Pelee Island’s bird communities.
Project: Conservation of strategic natural areas on the territory of the Appalachian Corridor.
Location: Appalachian Corridor, Québec, Canada.
Grantee: Appalachien Corridor Appalachien.
Contact: Mélanie Lelièvre, melanie.lelievre@apcor.ca.
Partners: Audubon, Vermont Chapter; Nature Conservancy Canada; The Ruiter Valley Land Trust; Mount Echo Conservation Association; Fiducie Foncière du Mont Pinacle; South Stukely Nature Conservation Association; Conservation des Vallons de la Serpentine; Canadian Wildlife Service Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk; Québec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks; Fondation de la Faune du Québec; EJLB Foundation; private landowners.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $154,160.
Matching Funds: $462,480.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway:
BCR: 14.
Ecoregion: NA0410.		 Project partners will acquire voluntary conservation easements on four parcels of land within core areas of Canada’s Appalachian Corridor that are key to implementing a transborder conservation strategy.  Partners will also survey and monitor Neoptropical migrants at risk such as peregrine falcons, Bicknell’s thrush, chimney swifts and golden‐winged warblers.  The project will also involve public and community outreach through a variety of activities and capacity building for local conservation groups.
COLOMBIA
Project: Climate-friendly coffee and carbon offsets for neotropical migratory birds.
Location: The Colombian Andes.
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy.
Contact: Arturo Restrepo, arestrepo@abcbirds.org.
Partners: Blue Moon Fund; Centro de Investigacion Cafetera/Federacion Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $90,000.
Matching Funds: $270,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0109, NT0118 and NT0136.		 Colombia is a major wintering ground for dozens of Neotropical migratory bird species including several declining species such as cerulean and golden-winged warblers. Shade-grown coffee farms have been demonstrated as important wintering habitat for migratory birds, especially cerulean warblers. Unfortunately, Colombian coffee growers have been converting shade-grown coffee farms to sun coffee, with serious impacts on migratory bird populations. American Bird Conservancy will determine the additional carbon load held by shade coffee plantations over sun coffee plantations and test consumer interest in “climate-friendly coffee.” This project could benefit millions of acres of the Andes throughout Colombia that are habitat for cerulean warbler and other migrant and resident birds.
Project: Colombian Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Program.
Location: Across Colombia.
Grantee: Fundacion ProAves.
Contact: Sara Ines Lara, slara@proaves.org.
Partners: ProAves Trust Fund; EcoTurs; World Land Trust-US; American Bird Conservancy; Foundation ProAves UK; The Wetland Trust; Conservation International.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $1,146,238.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0107, NT0109, NT0110, NT0115, NT0118, NT0121, NT0136, NT0137, NT0145,NT0159, NT0163, NT0178, NT0207. NT0221, NT0229, NT0401, NT0709, NT1006, NT1308 and NT1311.		 Several of the most threatened Neotropical migrant landbirds depend on habitat in Colombia. In 2003, with support from a Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant, Fundación ProAves launched an intensive nationwide campaign to identify key areas and habitats for the most threatened migrants.  After six years of research, monitoring and analysis, the group has established comprehensive strategies to focus actions in key areas for species of greatest conservation concern, and has built a network of strategic public and private protected areas.  In partnership with communities and institutions, this grant project aims to implement comprehensive landscape conservation strategies by expanding protected area coverage and restoration of the most endangered habitats on which cerulean, Canada and golden-winged warblers and other migrants depend. In additional to managing and restoring 15 reserves owned by ProAves, partners will protect and manage an additional 192,690 acres.
Project: Colombian Shorebird Conservation Plan.
Location: Colombia.
Grantee: Calidris- Asociación para el Estudio y Conservación de Aves Acuáticas en Colombia.
Contact: Fernando Castillo, calidris@calidris.org.co.
Partners:Corporacion Autonoma Regional del Valle del Cauca; Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial; Instituto para la Investigacion de Recursos marinos y costeros; Federación Colombiana de arroceros. Granada-Acacias; El Fondo- Fondo Para la Acción Ambiental; Wildlife Conservation Society – Colombia; World Wildlife Fund-Colombia; Grupo de Estudio en Ecologia y conservacion; National Network of Ornithological Organizations; Acualombia; Horizonte Verde, Asociacion Renacer; Fundación Colombia Progresa; Sanquianga National Park.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $40,556.
Matching Funds: $499,997.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0115, NT0137, NT0201, NT0207, NT0221, NT0709 and NT1308.		 Colombia Shorebird Conservation Plan began in 2006 as non-government initiative led by Asocaición Calidris. With the support of national and international partners, the plan has become a framework for shorebird conservation in Colombia. Scientific bases for the plan have been provided by updating distribution and shorebird populations estimates and participation on international projects to track migration flyways and assess limiting factors and threats of shorebirds on their wintering grounds. Over the next two years, partners will asses and reduce the impact of contamination and other threats on coastal wetlands and improve Colombian ricefield practices to provide habitat for shorebirds.
COSTA RICA
Project: Bosque Para Siempre: The Collaborative Forever Forest Project to Create and Restore Migratory Bird Refuges on the Pacific Slope of Costa Rica in the Corredor Biologico Pajaro Campana.
Location: Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Grantee: Fundación Conservacionista Costarricense.
Contact: Debra Hamilton, fccmonteverde@gmail.com.
Partners: The Monteverde Conservation League; ProNativas; Monteverde Conservation League-U.S..
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $122,587.
Matching Funds: $480,629.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: Talamancan-Isthmian Forests.		 On the Pacific slope of the Tilaran Mountain Range in Costa Rica, more than 100 species of Neotropical migrant birds depend upon various types of habitat during their migration stay or stop over. This project aims to restore 200 hectares of abandoned farmland to pasture, secure 68 hectares in permanent refuges, maintain over 108 hectares of previously protected Pacific slope habitat; connect forest fragments to serve as ecological corridors; plant native species gardens, and work with residents; schools and foreign student groups to educate the public about the plight of migratory birds in the tropics.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Project: A Multidisciplinary, Community-based Approach to Protect Biodiversity and Bicknell’s Thrush Habitat in the Dominican Republic.
Location: Consorcio Ambiental Dominicano.
Grantee: Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
Contact: Rodriguez, cad@codetel.net.do.
Partners: AgRefresh; Audubon New York; Eddy Trust; La Fundación Loma Quita; Sociedad para el Desarollo del Nordeste; Sociedad Ornitologica de la Hispaniola; Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $142,088.
Matching Funds: $438,282.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0127.		 Focusing on a priority Neotropical migrant, Bicknell’s thrush, this project will provide a habitat conservation model that can be replicated at a larger scale. Partners will establish a framework for developing a reserve network of protected lands that will increase the protected area around existing reserves by 10 percent; increase protected habitat in the reserves’ buffer zones and intervening corridor through land acquisition; strengthen habitat protection within the reserves through a community-based park ranger program; develop a scientifically-based plan to protect and restore habitat for Bicknell’s thrush and other migrant and resident species; examine the feasibility of carbon and water markets to conserve habitat for Bicknell’s thrush and other co-occurring bird species; and create a “Sister” Bicknell’s Thrush Conservation Fund in the Dominican Republic.
ECUADOR
Project: Conservando IBAs prioritarias para las aves acuáticas migratorias en Ecuador – II Fase.
Location: Provincia de Santa Elena, Ecuador.
Grantee: Aves & Conservación.
Contact: Sandra Loor-Vela, aves_dirección@avesconservacion.org.
Partners: Wetlands International; Ministerio del Ambiente; Ministerio de Turismo; ProBosque/SEO; UPSE/Estudiantes; Ecuasal Industria; Cámara de Turismo de Santa Elena; Programa Conciencia Marítima; Consejo Provincial de Santa Elena; private individual.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $27,680.
Matching Funds: $83,132.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT1413.		 This project aims to improve conservation of two artificial salt lakes in the Santa Elena Peninsula -- Salinas and Pacoa -- that are recognized as key wetlands harboring thousands of migratory aquatic birds annually.  The focus of this project is strengthening local capacities in research, monitoring and ecotourism by reproducing Site Support Groups to consolidate a local sustainable tourism initiative.  Aves & Conservación will strengthen cooperative alliances with local universities and provide a scholarship fund for short-term research on migratory bird species.  Education activities aimed at establishing the value of these sites for tourism and conservation will be carried out at different levels for educational institutions and for stakeholder groups directly working in tourism and outreach activities.
EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS
Project: Conservation Capacity Building in Central American Refuges in Pine-Oak Forests of Highland Mesoamerica.
Location: Ahuachapan, Santa Ana, Morazan and Chalatenango, El Salvador; Ocotepeque, Copán, Lempira, Intipucá, La Paz, Cortés, Comayagua, Francisco Morazan and El Paraiso, Honduras.
Grantee: SalvaNATURA.
Contact: Oliver Komar, Ph.D., okomar@salvanatura.org.
Partners: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund; Citi Foundation; Escuela Agrícola Panamericana, Zamorano.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $100,000.
Matching Funds: $810,380.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0303.		 This projects seeks to build capacity at protected areas and Important Bird Areas in pine-oak and highland forests of Honduras and northern El Salvador. The ecoregion is critical winter habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and 55 other neotropical migratory species. The goal of the project is to expand the conservation community's knowledge about populations and ecology of threatened migratory bird species wintering in the Central American Pine-oak Forest Ecoregion. In 2006, SalvaNATURA received the El Salvador’s National Environmental Award for its long-term bird monitoring effort combined with local environmental education and community outreach. Expanding on these efforts, the Conservation Science Program will offer 18 intensive training courses for 10 municipal and comanagement organizations; train and hire community members at two bird-monitoring stations; and hold environmental education field days for local schools.
EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, MEXICO, NICARAGUA
Project: Conservación y manejo sustentable de los bosques de pino-encino de Centroamérica.
Location: Altos de Chiapas, México; Altiplano Central, Verapaces y Oriente, Guatemala; Olancho, Honduras; Dipilto-Jalapa, Nicaragua; Montecristo, El Salvador.
Grantee: Pronaturas Chiapas, A.C.
Contact: M. Macias Caballero, cmacias@pronatura-sur.org.
Partners:  Fundacion EDUCA; Fundacion Defensores de la Naturaleza; Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources, El Salvador; SalvaNATURA; The Nature Conservancy; Alianza para las Areas Silvestres.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $200,000.
Matching Funds: $774,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0303.		 In this second phase of a multi-phase project, partners will continue working to protect and conserve pine-oak forests in Central America to support the golden-cheeked warbler and other migratory species.  Partners will initiate long-term actions through formal mechanisms for protecting areas, sustainable forestry management practices and integrated management of fire initiatives, and will increase activities in areas it already covers, consolidating and strengthening initiatives begun in the first phase of the project.  The major goal in this second phase is to strengthen and consolidate the multi-organization efforts for the sustainable management and conservation of at least 52,000 hectares of pine-oak forest of highest ecological integrity within the ecoregion.
GUATEMALA
Project: Conservation of Bird Habitat in the IBA Cerro El Amay.
Location: Quiché and Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.
Grantee: Proeval Raxmu.
Contact: Tara Cahill, tara.cahill@proeval-raxmu.org.
Partners: Heifer International; National Forest Institute of Guatemala.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $25,000.
Matching Funds: $207,705.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0112 and NT0303.		 This project will contribute to the conservation of broadleaf and mixed forest habitat in the Guatemalan Atlantic slope mountains, including habitat at Cerro El Amay, identified as an Important Bird Area.  More than 90 Neotropical migratory bird species will benefit from this habitat conservation.  The importance of all Guatemalan Important Bird Areas for Neotropical migrants has been assessed recently, but no data were available for Cerro El Amay.  Through repeated sampling, partners will create a comprehensive inventory of bird species for Cerro El Amay and assess the conservation status of species of special concern and Neotropical migrants. Data will enable assessment and justify forest easements and help expand materials for ecotourism.
MEXICO
Project: Aros/Yaqui Rivers Habitat Conservation.
Location: Sierra Los Pavos and Zetasora; Aros/Yaqui River Basins, Sonora, Mexico.
Grantee: Northern Jaguar Project, Naturalia, AC.
Contact: Diana Hadley, hadleyd@email.arizona.edu.
Partners: None.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $38,000.
Matching Funds: $235,328.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 34.
Ecoregion: NA0201.		 In 2008, with support from a Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant, the Northern Jaguar Project and Naturalia purchased the largest private reserve in Sonora — 70 square miles and 20 miles of riparian habitat—dedicated to preserving biodiversity.  The northern jaguar serves as the “umbrella” species for this reserve.  The Northern Jaguar Project now surveys eight transects and other avian habitats annually and will expand its program with new transects, surveys, the inclusion of Mexican scientists and students, and a plan to restore bird habitat.  More than 60 percent of the birds listed under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act have been recorded in the Aros/Yaqui conservation area, including more than a dozen species of concern.
Project: Conservation of Migratory Birds in Tropical Ecosystems of the Selva Zoque Region.
Location: Veracruz, Mexico.
Grantee: Pronatura Chiapas A.C.
Contact: Israel Amezcua Torrijos, israel@pronatura-chiapas.org.
Partners: CONANP; FMCN; State Commission of Sustainable Forestry and Conafor; Conservation Strategy Fund; World Wildlife Fund; The South Frontier College – ECOSUR; CMSS; Klamath National Forest.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $226,160.
Matching Funds: $972,320.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 52.
Ecoregion: NT0154.		 This project will be conducted in the biologically diverse Selva Zoque region of Mexico.  More than 100 Neotropical migrants have been recorded in this region, including swallow-tailed kites, Swainson's hawks, buff-bellied hummingbirds, olive-sided flycatchers, blue-winged warblers, Botteri's sparrows and painted buntings.  The project will be conducted in two Important Bird Areas -- El Ocote and Chimalapas.  Partners will work to reduce threats to the region’s Neotropical migrants and increase local participation in conservation of specific sites, which will contribute to the establishment of a belt of conservation and sustainable use to protect the core of the Selva Zoque.
Project: Grassland Protection and Restoration in the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve, Coahuila.
Location: Sierra Mojada, Coahuila, Mexico.
Grantee: Pronatura Noreste A.C.
Contact: Alfonso Banda Valdez, abanda@pronaturane.org.
Partners: La Comision Nacional Forestal; Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon; Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $190,650.
Matching Funds: $572,600.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR:
Ecoregion: NA1303.		 This project is directed at restorating and protecting of a large land extension in the Mapimi Biosphere Reserve, located on the boundaries of the states of Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila.  Partners will create management plans and implement land conservation actions and grassland restoration, and monitor changes in abundance and distribution of Neotropical birds to determine the results of habitat conservation.  Species that will benefit include Sprague’s pipit, lark bunting, long-billed curlew, burrowing owl, loggerhead shrike and scaled quail.
Project: Key Migratory Bird Habitat Conservation in Northeastern Yucatan Peninsula.
Location: Yucatan and Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Grantee: Amigos de Sian Ka'an.
Contact: Gonzalo Merediz Alonso, gmerediz@amigosdesiankaan.org.
Partners: Central Hardwoods Joint Venture; CONANP; Niños y Crías; The Nature Conservancy; El Edén (private reserve).
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $165,000.
Matching Funds: $777,743.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 52.
Ecoregion: NT0235, NT0181, and NT1403.		 Some 200 species of migratory birds annually arrive in the northeast Yucatan Peninsula looking for shelter and food.  The peninsula harbors a natural water reserve that leads the performance of tropical forests, wetlands, marine and coastal ecosystems.  These fragile ecosystems support much of the local economy through tourism and agriculture.  Using grant funds, the Alliance for Birds will acquire private land for migratory bird conservation.
Project: Migratory Bird Habitat Conservation - Calakmul and Calakmul Sian Ka´an Corridor.
Location: Campeche and Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Ann Snook, asnook@tnc.org.
Partners: Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $150,000.
Matching Funds: $450,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 56.
Ecoregion: NA0181.		 The 1.8-million acre Calakmul Biosphere Reserve provides wintering habitat for 127 species of Neotropical migrants.  The Nature Conservancy and partner Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatán will collaborate with government agencies, local communities and other stakeholders to develop long-term strategies for protecting natural areas and target species in the region, including Neotropical migratory birds.  Partners will improve community tourism in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve; launch a campaign to create a larger constituency for conservation in Calakmul; promote sustainable community forestry; and protect the Calakmul–Sian Ka’an Corridor.
Project: Neotropical Migratory Bird habitat conservation at San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
Location: Tamasopo, Aquismón, Alaquines, Rayón and Valles, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
Grantee: Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A.C.
Contact: Leonardo Chapa-Vargas, lchapa@ipicyt.edu.mx.
Partners: La Comision Nacional Forestal; Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas; Pronatura Noreste, A.C.; Institute for Scientific and Technological Research of San Luis Potosi; Department of Agriculture and Water Resources; Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $100,000.
Matching Funds: $713,211.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 48 and 61.
Ecoregion: NA0303 and NT0176.		 This project will include five properties from the Huasteca region of San Luis Potosí that contain some of the best preserved tracts of extensive tropical habitats of central and northern Mexico. This area contains habitat for several Neotropical migrants, including the yellow-bellied flycatcher, hermit thrush, black-throated green warbler, black and white warbler, ovenbird and western tanager.  Project partners will conduct research and monitoring of Neotropical migratory birds in five vegetation communities to identify key conservation areas.  This project will also establish education workshops to inform local communities about the value of their lands for bird conservation.  Partners will also protect Neotropical bird habitat by implementing legal habitat protection agreements with local communities, and by initiating a conservation plan that will apply programs funded by government agencies that promote sustainable rural development.
Project: Protecting Neotropical Migratory Bird Habitat in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.
Location: Campeche, Mexico.
Grantee: Rainforest2Reef.
Contact: Cheri Sugal, cheri@rainforest2reef.org.
Partners: Global Conservation Fund-Conservation International; Disney Conservation Fund; Seaworld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $144,797.
Matching Funds: $438,031.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 56.
Ecoregion: NT0181.		 Rainforest2Reef is currently protecting 350,000 acres in the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatan Peninsula, an area important to Neotropical migratory bird species.  Grant funds will help the group to continue land protection efforts, conduct the legal work necessary to establish a long-term financial mechanism, further develop a bird monitoring program with the participation of local communities, continue environmental programs and provide technical assistance for communities.
Project: Recuperando Habitat de Aves Migratorias en la Sierra De Zongolica.
Location: Veracruz, Mexico.
Grantee: Pronatura A.C.Veracruz.
Contact: Aníbal Farabundo Ramírez Soto, aramirez@pronaturaveracruz.org.
Partners: Secretaria de Desarrollo Social y Medio Ambie.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $196,900.
Matching Funds: $593,900.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 54.
Ecoregion: NT0146, NT0154, and NT0308.		 With this grant, Pronatura will conduct bird monitoring and habitat evaluation in the Sierra Zongolica in Veracruz to produce geospatial data and GIS maps showing the ecological integrity of habitat for 10 declining migratory bird species. Data and maps will be used to strategically reforest degraded ecosystems in the Sierra, involving the participation of five municipalities and 10 local schools.  A community nursery will be established to produce 300,000 plants of migratory bird habitat value for the 10 target species.  No formal migratory bird studies have ever been conducted in the Sierra Zongolica.
Project: Restoration of Critical Wintering Habitat for Neotropical Migratory Landbirds in Baja California Sur.
Location: Sierra de la Laguna, Baja California Sur, México.
Grantee: Pronatura Noroeste.
Contact: Osvel Hinojosa Huerta, ohinojosa@pronatura-noroeste.org.
Partners: Pronatura Noroeste; Pronatura México; Comisión Nacional Forestal; Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $78,540.
Matching Funds: $375,178.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 42.
Ecoregion: NT0227.		 The Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve provides wintering habitat for species of continental concern, including least bell’s vireo and varied bunting, and breeding habitat for species such as Belding’s yellowthroat and Xantus’s hummingbird.  Significant extensions of the reserve have been degraded by overgrazing, and the goal of this project is to restore tropical deciduous forest within the reserve and build local capacity to implement successful ecotourism enterprises.  Partners will also facilitate exchange workshops between restoration practitioners from Sierra de la Laguna and counterparts from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to provide a framework for collaboration, improve capacity, and create awareness of the land links created by migratory birds. In addition, a monitoring program will help determine the status and trends of birds, as a measure to evaluate management practices, and a training workshop with the reserve will create the capacity in their staff to continue the implementation of the monitoring activities in the long term.
Project: San Bernardino Neotropical Migratory Bird Habitat Restoration.
Location: Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico.
Grantee: Cuenca Los Ojos A.C.
Contact: Valer C. Austin, vaustin@elcoronadoranch.net.
Partners: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory; private individual.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $751,515.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 34.
Ecoregion: NT0176, and NT0223.		 This project will restore, manage and maintain some 2,000 acres of native Apachean Grassland and Savanna habitat, leading to an increase in use of this habitat by key Neotropical migrant species, primarily sparrows.  This habitat improvement will be sustained and benefits promoted to the local community through demonstration, education, training and community outreach activities. The San Bernardino basin lies within portions of two ecoregions that has been identified as globally important and threatened biodiversity “hotspots”.  The basin is one of the most biologically diverse elements of both these ecoregions.  It supports more than 70 kinds of grasses and is designated one of northern Mexico’s Grassland Priority Conservation Areas. It is a key migration route and home to approximately 300 species of resident and migrating birds.
Project: Veracruz River of Raptors: Expanding Its Reach, Consolidating Its Conservation Mission.
Location: Veracruz, Mexico.
Grantee: Pronatura A.C. Veracruz.
Contact: Elisa Peresbarbosa Rojas, peresbarbosa@pronaturaveracruz.org.
Partners: National Audubon Society; The Nature Conservancy; Hawk Watch International; Hawk Mountain Sanctuary; Procter and Gamble; Ayuntamiento de Actopan; Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz; Semarnat; Conafor; Comisión Federal de Electricidad.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $206,996.
Matching Funds: $626,100.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR:
Ecoregion: NA1303.		 In 1991, Pronatura Veracruz, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association and Hawk Watch International launched what is now the longest-running raptor conservation initiative in Latin America: the Veracruz River of Raptors project.  The work of this project has largely been responsible for bringing the conservation community’s attention to this geographic bottleneck for Neotropical migrants, particularly the five million raptors of 25 species that migrate through annually from the United States.  This grant project will continue, improve and consolidate the Veracruz River of Raptors’ long-term activities with environmental education, monitoring and eco-tourism.  The project will also launch two new components that will build on the strength of Veracruz River of Raptors’ existing projects: land protection, which seeks to establish a network of conservation sites connecting existing public and private protected areas, and a campaign to raise local community awareness about the area’s unique significance for migratory raptors.
PARAGUAY
Project:  Campaña del Orgullo Para la Conservación de las Aves Migratorias.
Location: Bahía de Asunción, Paraguay.
Grantee:  Guyra Paraguay: Conservación de Aves.
Contact: Dr. Alberto Yanosky, yanosky@guyra.org.py.
Partners: Fundacion Milenio.
Approved: May 2009.
Grant: $46,500.
Matching Funds: $142,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0708.		 Asuncion Bay has been designated as an Important Bird Area, primarily due to its importance as a stopover site for the buff-breasted sandpiper.  Just one mile from downtown Asunción, the bay is exposed to many potential and actual threats, including urban expansion, pollution, overexploitation of natural resources and habitat destruction.  The objectives of this project are to develop and implement tools to increase local awareness about the environment, change attitudes and reduce harmful behavior, involve the community in conservation projects, and reduce the risks facing migratory species.
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Last updated: June 21, 2011