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At a Glance

2010

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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 37 projects was approved in March 2010. A total of $4.94 million in funding was approved with project partners contributing $14.9 million in matching funds to affect 330,000 acres of habitat. This information is gathered from proposals as submitted and 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

ALASKA
Project: Neotropical Migratory Bird Habitat and Nesting Use in the Northeast Region of the NPR-A – Alaska.
Location: North Slope Borough.
Congressional District: At Large.
Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society.
Contact: Joseph Liebezeit, jliebezeit@wcs.org.
Partners: Disney’s Friends for Change Grant; Liz Claiborne/Art Ortenberg Foundation; Kresge Foundation.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $22,338.
Matching Funds: $67,014.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Pacific.
BCR: 3.
Ecoregion: NA1103.		 The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska contains some of the most important breeding grounds for more than 20 species of Neotropical migrant shorebirds and waterfowl, most of which nest on the exposed tundra during the brief arctic summers.  Within this region, the northeast area of the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska has been identified as a region of exceptional importance to breeding Neotropical migratory birds.  This is also a region of pending oil development and its eastern boundary lies adjacent to the current oil field infrastructure.  However, little information is available to assist land managers in making informed land-use decisions to protect nesting birds.  The Wildlife Conservation Society will collect baseline information on habitat use, nest survivorship, and nest predators of nesting Neotropical migratory birds at a site in this area near the Ikpikpuk River and compare this information to data collected at another site and to nearby sites in oil-developed areas
COLORADO
Project: Apishapa Ranch Conservation Easement Project.
Location: Otero County.
Congressional District: 3.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Missy Davis, missy_davis@tnc.org.
Partners: Great Outdoors Colorado.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $810,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 18.
Ecoregion: NA0815.		 The Nature Conservancy of Colorado will use grant and match funds to acquire approximately 8,000 acres of high priority grassland and riparian habitat for Neotropical migratory birds on Colorado’s Central Shortgrass Prairie.  The property proposed for protection harbors riparian habitat interspersed with shortgrass prairie, critical to at least four declining grassland birds – lark bunting, grasshopper sparrow, western meadowlark and lark sparrow.
MONTANA
Project: Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Easement Project II.
Location: Teton County.
Congressional District: 1.
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy.
Contact: Dave Carr, dcarr@tnc.org.
Partners: The Nature Conservancy.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 10.
Ecoregion: NA0808, NA0815.		 The Nature Conservancy in Montana will protect 1,817 acres of scientifically identified high priority grassland and riparian habitat for Neotropical migratory birds on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front through the purchase of a conservation easement on the 12,098-acre Saypo Cattle Company property. The Saypo property harbors extensive areas of native grasslands and provides breeding habitat for five priority grassland species of North America: chestnut-collared longspur, ferruginous hawk, long-billed curlew, McCown’s longspur and Sprague’s pipit.
NORTH CAROLINA
Project: Golden-winged Warbler Habitat Preservation in the Highlands of Roan.
Location: Avery County.
Congressional District: 10.
Grantee: Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
Contact: Michelle Pugliese, michelle@appalachian.org.
Partners: Private landowners.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $95,000.
Matching Funds: $295,500.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Atlantic.
BCR: 28.
Ecoregion: G200 and NA0403.		 Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will acquire 50 acres of land containing important Neotropical migratory bird habitat, and will maintain and manage the entire property until it can be conveyed to the adjacent Pisgah National Forest.  The property will be managed with the goal of restoring the golden-winged warbler habitat.  It is located in the nationally significant Roan Mountain Natural Heritage Area and is adjacent to a 24,000-acre network of high elevation protected lands. SAHC will actively manage for golden-winged warbler habitat and conduct research and more frequent monitoring.  The group will also host some guided educational hikes on the property.
WASHINGTON, OREGON
Project: Quercus and Aves V: Expanding Habitat Protection, Restoration, Science, and Outreach for Bird Conservation in Oak Habitats of the Pacific Northwest.
Location: Benton and Jackson counties, OR; Kittitas and Klickitat counties, WA.
Congressional District: OR 2, 4; WA 4, 9.
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy.
Contact: Bob Altman, baltman@abcbirds.org.
Partners: Columbia Land Trust; The Nature Conservancy Oregon; Greenbelt Land Trust; Lomakatsi Restoration Project; Kittitas Conservation Trust; USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $753,500.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Pacific.
BCR: 5, 9.
Ecoregion: NA0512, NA0516.		 This project will continue nearly a decade of work to conserve oak habitats and associated priority bird species in the Pacific Northwest.  Specifically, conservation actions will include acquisition of approximately 300 acres in Klickitat County, Washington; habitat restoration on at least five sites covering approximately 75 acres; monitoring of bird response to habitat restoration on at least 50 sites covering approximately 2,000 acres; and two demonstration days to highlight habitat restoration and bird conservation on private lands.  A Land Managers Guide to Bird Conservation in Oak Habitats in the Pacific Northwest will be produced and distributed to private and public land managers.
WISCONSIN
Project: Quarry Road Conservation Site Neotropical Migratory Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative.
Location: St. Croix County.
Congressional District: 3.
Grantee: Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, Inc.
Contact: Nelson T. French, nelsonfrench@kinniriver.org.
Partners: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $250,000.
Matching Funds: $750,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 22.
Ecoregion: NA0805.		 The project involves the acquisition of a 112-acre property that will be transferred to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for restoration and maintenance of native prairie communities in perpetuity.  The focus of the project is to benefit grassland dependent Neotropical migratory birds, especially during the breeding period.  Numerous focal and planning species and other non-Neotropical migratory birds are likely to benefit, and public recreation will increase as the health of a groundwater-dependent Class One trout stream is improved.  Academia and local residents will be engaged in an effort to monitor the use of the property by Neotropical migratory birds.

U.S. - International Projects

COLORADO, MEXICO
Project: U.S.-Mexico Grassland Bird Conservation, Phase VIII.
Location: Colorado; Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Durango, Zacatecas, and San Luís Potosí, Mexico
Congressional District: CO-4.
Grantee: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.
Contact: Arvind Panjabi, Arvind.panjabi@rmbo.org.
Partners: Fort Collins Natural Resources Department.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $240,026.
Matching Funds: $720,249.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 18, 34 and 35.
Ecoregion: NA0815 and NT1303.		 This project will continue work funded by NMBCA grants since 2002 to conserve high-priority and declining grassland bird species of western North America. Specifically, strategies employed in this project include: continuation of a regional Chihuahuan grassland wintering bird research and monitoring program in Mexico to inform conservation strategies and management; education for school children and outreach to train grassland biologists in northern Mexico; protection of 660 acres of shortgrass prairie in a large conservation area in northern Colorado; and research, monitoring, management, education, and law enforcement to benefit mountain plovers, burrowing owls, McCown’s longspurs, and 17 other high-priority grassland birds in this region.
FLORIDA, CARIBBEAN
Project: Research and Monitoring for the Management and Conservation of the White-Crowned Pigeon in the Caribbean.
Location: Florida, Bahamas, Caymans, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and other islands of the Caribbean.
Grantee: Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds.
Contact: Dr. Lisa G. Sorenson, lsoren@bu.edu.
Partners: Hispaniola Ornithological Society; Avian Research and Conservation Institute; National Environment and Planning Agency of Jamaica; Bahamas National Trust; and Cayman Islands Department of the Environment; Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources; private individual.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $66,000.
Matching Funds: $238,505.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: Wider Caribbean 6 of 9 ecoregions, including south Florida, Bahamian, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Western Caribbean, and Eastern Caribbean.		 The white-crowned pigeon is a focal Neotropical migratory bird that is threatened over much of its Caribbean range due to hunting, poaching and habitat loss.  Grant funds will be used for an international meeting and training workshop in 2010, and small grants for management-based research and monitoring projects and special publication in 2011.  This project is part of ongoing efforts to develop a regional coordinated monitoring program.
MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, WYOMING, SASKATCHEWAN
Project: Conserving Neotropical Migratory Birds Using Bison Landscape Models to Restore Grasslands and Heterogeneity: II.
Location: Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota; Saskatchewan.
Congressional District: MT-At Large; ND-At Large; SD-At Large; WY-At Large.
Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society.
Contact: Dr. Kevin Ellison, kellison@wcs.org.
Partners: Nature Conservancy Canada.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $54,600.
Matching Funds: $164,189.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Flyway: Central.
BCR: 11 and 17.
Ecoregion: NA0810 and NA0811.		 Neotropical migrant grassland birds are in severe decline; new revegetation efforts and grazing management of grasslands will likely have great conservation implications for these birds.  This project will survey and monitor the responses of grassland birds to restorative plantings of native grasses and prescriptive grazing management in the northern Great Plains.  Results at revegetation sites will be compared with those from native grasslands surveyed as part of Phase I. Overall results will inform outreach activities aimed at refining grazing management of cattle and bison to conserve grassland birds.

International Projects

ANTIGUA
Project: Offshore Islands Conservation Program: Conserving Antigua’s Most Critical Bird Habitats.
Location: Antigua & Barbuda, West Indies.
Grantee: The Environmental Awareness Group.
Contact: Donald Anthonyson, eag@candw.ag.
Partners: Fauna and Flora International; Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust; Black Hills State University; Government of Antigua & Barbuda.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $118,038.
Matching Funds: $354,980.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0220, NT1310 and NT1416.		 At least 122 Neotropical migrants and 61 Birds of Conservation Concern use the Antigua & Barbuda archipelago.  Many species have been in decline due to habitat degradation, predation by alien invasive species and other factors.  Progress has been made by the grantee and local partner organizations through the successful eradication of alien rats and mongooses from 12 islands in Antigua, which has triggered an exponential increase among the birds being monitored, and prompted the creation of a new protected area covering a quarter of Antigua’s coastline.  This project will capitalize on these achievements to control alien invasive species that endanger birds and their habitats in two Important Bird Areas; integrate bird conservation into the management of Antigua’s new coastal protected area; improve the behavior of recreational users in the project area; and monitor the effects of conservation actions on bird populations.  Expected outcomes of this project include lasting national capacity to maintain coastal habitats free of alien species that prey on birds and degrade their habitats; more rigorous documentation of Antigua & Barbuda’s Neotropical migrants; and continued measurable, sustainable increase in bird populations on islands restored and managed by the project.
ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY
Project: Expanding the Alliance: Towards Sustainability of Neotropical Grassland Migrant Conservation.
Location: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil.
Grantee: BirdLife International.
Contact: Rob Clay, rob.clay@birdlife.org.
Partners: Aves Argentinas; Aves Uruguay; Guyra Paraguay; SAVE Brasil.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $247,250.
Matching Funds: $744,212.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0803, NT0806, NT0909 and NT0710.		 The temperate grasslands of southern South America once comprised one of the richest grazing areas in the world and one of the most important grassland biomes for biodiversity conservation.  A key element of this biodiversity is a suite of Neotropical migrants that depend on the Southern Cone grasslands for their wintering habitat.  Only a tiny percentage of this habitat remains in a natural state, and it is increasingly threatened by agricultural intensification.  This project will address these threats by building on two highly successful earlier NMBCA-funded projects that took the initial steps to create a Southern Cone Grasslands Alliance and develop best practice management regimes at seven high priority sites.  The new project will focus on consolidating the Alliance through its establishment as a legal entity and formal expansion to include the productive sector, research institutions and government agencies; refining and disseminating best management practices for cattle ranching and rice cultivation; establishing two pilot ecotourism ventures that enable the set-aside of pristine grassland habitats; and developing a “bird friendly” regional label and certification scheme for agricultural products.
BARBADOS
Project: Improving Survival Prospects for Neotropical Migratory Shorebirds in Barbados.
Location: St. Philip Parish.
Grantee: BirdLife International.
Contact: David Wege, david.wege@birdlife.org.
Partners: Canadian Wildlife Service; Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, University of the West Indies; Barbados National Trust; local companies and individuals.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $30,015.
Matching Funds: $90,045.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: Insular Caribbean region.		 Building on an initial NMBCA investment, this project will improve the long-term conservation status of several shorebird species at the most important migratory stopover for these birds in the Caribbean.  BirdLife will continue work with the Barbados Wildfowlers Association, Barbadian and international partners to develop reasonable bag limits and other hunting season regulations, manage a “no-shooting” wetland and establish another, and increase public visitation and use of the wetlands.
BELIZE
Project: An Integrated Approach to Neotropical Migratory Bird Habitat Management for Southern Belize.
Location: Maya Golden Landscape, Toledo District.
Grantee: Fauna & Flora International, Inc.
Contact: Katie Frohardt, Katie.frohardt@fauna-flora.org
Partners: United Nations Development Programme; Ya’axché Conservation Trust.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $112,827.
Matching Funds: $342,925.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0154.		 This project is aimed at conserving Neotropical migratory birds and their habitat within the Maya Golden Landscape using an Integrated Landscape Management approach that takes into account all land and resource uses to reduce cumulative impacts.  An operational management strategy recently developed for the project area will be complemented by an integration framework providing recommendations to ensure that Neotropical migrant conservation decisions are integrated at all levels, from policy to operations.  The project proposes to implement these recommendations within the Maya Golden Landscape, a mosaic of privately owned lands, communities and protected areas that encompass a broad range of habitats that support a rich diversity of migrant bird species.  Specifically, the project incorporates protection of bird populations and habitat, as well as research and monitoring of bird population dynamics, and outreach and education focusing on changing behaviors linked to key species and habitat.
BOLIVIA
Project: Conservation of Neotropical Migratory Birds Through Direct Incentives in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz Valleys IV.
Location: Department of Santa Cruz.
Grantee: Fundación Natura Bolivia.
Contact: Maria Teresa Vargas Rios, mteresavargas@naturabolivia.org.
Partners: MacArthur Foundation; European Commission; Departmental Governments.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $75,488.
Matching Funds: $241,333.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: Transition zone between Central Andean Yungas Forests (Global 200 Priority(46) Southwestern Amazonian Moist Forests (47) and Chiquitano Dry Forests 58 ).		 This project will build on three previous NMBCA grants to establish mechanisms for the sustainable financial management of Neotropical migrant habitat in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz Valleys.  The grantee will repeat the model used to establish Payments for Environmental Services initiatives in the municipalities of Comarapa, Mairana and Los Negros for farmers whose forests protect both water supplies and Neotropical migrant habitat, expanding this successful model to the newly created 734,000-hectare Rio Grande/Cruceño Valleys Protected Area.
Project: Protecting Critical Stopover Habitat for the Neotropical Migratory Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Bolivia.
Location: Department of Beni.
Grantee: Asociación Armonía.
Contact: Bennett Hennessey, abhennessey@armonia-bo.org.
Partners: American Bird Conservancy; Bird Endowment; Canadian Wildlife Service; Loro Parque Fundacion; World Land Trust-US.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $109,900.
Matching Funds: $336,200.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0702.		 In September 2009, Armonía researchers discovered large numbers of buff-breasted sandpipers and other shorebird species in the Barba Azul Nature Reserve.  The Beni Savanna appears to be a critical stopover area after their migration over the Amazonian rainforest from Central America.  Partners will protect habitat for these birds through reserve creation and habitat protection, burn management and the creation of a Conservation Strategy for Neotropical Migratory Birds in the Beni Savanna; manage habitat by fencing off cattle from surrounding ranches and creating more foraging habitat; conduct research and monitoring in the Beni Savanna to identify the most important stopover sites and to monitor annual movements, setting priorities in conservation management; educate land owners and cattle ranchers to explain the importance of the area, and present private land management alternatives to protect important habitat.
BRAZIL, GUYANA, FRENCH GUIANA, SURINAME, VENEZUELA
Project: Assessing Population Status, Structure and Conservation Needs for Semipalmated Sandpiper II.
Location: Orinoco River delta east to Guyana border; Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname coasts; Oyapock River to Amazon River delta, Brazil.
Grantee: New Jersey Audubon Society.
Contact: David S. Mizrahi, david.mizrahi@njaudubon.org.
Partners: Friends of STINASU; Canadian Wildlife Service; Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund; DuPont-Clear into the Future Program; New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $167,400.
Matching Funds: $527,980.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT1411 and NT1419.		 The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive conservation strategy for semipalmated sandpiper in its core South American migration, staging and wintering areas.  The project's primary objectives are to assess the abundance and distribution of the species along South America’s northern coast during southbound migration and winter; characterize the species' demographic properties and population structure; identify areas used by populations that pass through Delaware Bay during northbound migration; identify and address stressors that may limit populations; and collaborate with South American biologists and resource managers to develop and implement a monitoring and conservation plan. Data collected in South America will be used to infer links between southern staging and wintering areas and populations using Delaware Bay in spring.  This information will provide a basis for developing population-specific conservation strategies with North and South American partners.
CARIBBEAN
Project: Promoting Wetland Bird Conservation Through the Caribbean Waterbird Census.
Location: Islands of the insular Caribbean including Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and Antigua and Barbuda.
Grantee: Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds.
Contact: Dr. Ann Haynes-Sutton, asutton@cwjamaica.com.
Partners: Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds; Organization of American States; Royal Society for Preservation of Birds; Pacific Union College; Klamath Bird Observatory; Optics for the Tropics, Bahamas National Trust.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $65,000.
Matching Funds: $235,458.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0903, NT1403, NT1410 and NT1416.		 Wetlands in the insular Caribbean support at least 156 species of Neotropical migratory birds, of which 17 percent are Birds of Conservation Concern.  This project seeks to promote wetland conservation throughout the region by providing funding to field test and implement the newly developed Caribbean Waterbird Census in at least three countries in the region.  The initiative will also promote awareness of wetlands conservation, and actions that can be taken to increase wetland resilience to climate change.  This will be done through a wetlands awareness program linked to the wetland surveys focused on World Wetlands Day 2011.
COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, PERU
Project: Reforestation of Critical Wintering Habitat for Neotropical Migrants.
Location: Seven sites across Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy.
Contact: Dr. David Wiedenfeld, dwiedenfeld@abcbirds.org.
Partners: Fundación ProAves; Asoción Ecosistemas Andino; Fundación Jocotoco.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $249,992.
Matching Funds: $761,993.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0123, NT0136, NT0145, NT0153, NT0174, NT0214, NT0223 and NT1006.		 American Bird Conservancy and its in-country partners will work cooperatively to acquire and protect an estimated 3,200 acres, reforest or restore more than 1,760 acres with 438,000 trees, and plant 12 miles of living fences with 7,000 trees for significant wintering habitat in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru for more than 20 Neotropical migratory bird species.  By identifying the types and elevation bands of habitat these Neotropical migrants favor on their wintering grounds, ABC and its partners have been able to target conservation activities to steadily protect and increase the amount of wintering habitat supporting significant populations of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory bird species.
COSTA RICA, HONDURAS
Project: Habitat Selection and Market-based Habitat Conservation of Non-breeding Priority Migrants.
Location: Costa Rica and Honduras.
Grantee: Mesoamerican Development Institute.
Contact: Raúl Raudales, info@mesoamerican.org.
Partners: Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries; Cooperative COMISUYL; UMASS, Lowell; UMASS, Amherst; 1420 Foundation; Honduran Coffee Institute; National University of Costa Rica; National University of Honduras.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $135,000.
Matching Funds: $405,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0119.		 Two high priority Neotropical migrant birds occupy forest habitats in the montane coffee growing regions of Central America: the golden-winged warbler and the golden-cheeked warbler.  Both species use forest habitats on the wintering grounds.  This project will be conducted in Costa Rica and Honduras, with detailed studies of the golden-winged warbler, as well as market-based habitat conservation research, occurring at the Montes de Oro cooperative, in northwestern Costa Rica near the town of Miramar in the buffer zone of the Arenal Tilarán Conservation Area.
COSTA RICA, MEXICO, NICARAGUA
Project: Linking Wintering and Breeding Populations of the Wood Thrush Using Geolocators: A New Tool for Conservation Partnerships.
Location: La Selva Biological Station, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica; Reserva Silvestre Privada Nebliselva El Jaguar & Datanli El Diablo, Nicaragua; Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.
Grantee: York University.
Contact: Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, bstutch@yorku.ca.
Partners: NSERC PGS Scholarship; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council; Molson Foundation.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $26,000.
Matching Funds: $81,400.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion:NT0011, NT0181 and NT3031.		 Until now it has been impossible to track individual songbirds to their wintering areas, which is essential for predicting the demographic consequences of tropical habitat loss and climate change in tropical regions. Using miniature geolocators mounted on wood thrush in Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the grantee will determine which breeding populations depend on specific wintering regions. Connecting wintering and breeding populations is critical for focusing conservation efforts in regions where they are needed most, and for establishing new and more effective international partnerships in migratory songbird conservation.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAITI
Project: Sustainable Livelihoods at Critical Caribbean Biodiversity Areas.
Location: Département du Sud, Haiti; Pedernales & Independencia provinces, Dominican Republic.
Grantee: Nature Canada.
Contact: Mara Kerry, mkerry@naturecanada.ca.
Partners: CIDA; Naomi Lupka Trust.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $143,925.
Matching Funds: $506,606.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0118 and NT0305.		 This project will promote reduced degradation of bird habitat in Macaya National Park in Haiti and the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve in the Dominican Republic.  These sites contain wintering habitat for Neotropical migratory bird species that is disappearing, despite its protected status, because of unsustainable use of natural resources.  Nature Canada will work with Haiti Audubon Society and Grupo Jaragua to provide training and on-site projects to promote improved livelihoods for eleven communities located in and around the five important birds areas contained in these two sites.  The partners will build awareness of the bird diversity at these sites, through environmental education and outreach.  The project will also reinforce the skills and lessons learned by the participants by bringing them together to share their experiences locally and regionally.
ECUADOR
Project: Conservando el Hábitat Invernal de la Reinita Cerúlea en Ecuador con Grupos de Apoyo Local.
Location: Provincias: Napo y Orellana.
Grantee: Aves & Conservación.
Contact: Sandra Loor-Vela, aves_dirección@avesconservacion.org.
Partners: Santuario de Vida Silvestre Wild Sumaco; Fundación Sumac Muyu; Asociación Pura Vida.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $96,980.
Matching Funds: $411,855.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0118.		 Located in the northeastern Andean slopes of Ecuador Sumaco Napo – Galeras National Park Important Bird Area is one of the most important wintering grounds for cerulean warbler and other Neotropical migrants in Ecuador, but is threatened by logging activities and monocultures. The main goal of this project is to establish a Site Support Group at the Sumaco Napo Galeras IBA and increase local awareness by providing training to local people. Project activities include workshops on bird observation and identification, ecotourism and guiding, and friendly agricultural practice; and environmental talks with local schools. Participative biological monitoring is also considered (citizen science) in order to continue the monitoring on cerulean warbler habitat use. Conservation of suitable wintering sites will increase the overwinter survival and breeding success probabilities for cerulean warblers and other Neotropical migrants as well as preserve populations of resident species that overlap its distribution.
GUATEMALA
Project: Saving the Most Threatened Lowland Rainforests in Caribbean Guatemala.
Location: Department of Izabal.
Grantee: Foundation for Ecodevelopment and Conservation.
Contact: Marco V. Cerezo, m.cerezo@fundaeco.org.gt.
Partners: Dutch Cooperation; Protected Areas Council (CONAP).
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $156,000.
Matching Funds: $505,500.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0111.		 The remaining tropical rainforests of Caribbean Guatemala face enormous threats and rapid deforestation, yet are among the country’s biodiversity hotspots. More than 425 species of birds are reported for the region – 58 percent of the bird species reported for the country. After carrying out a region-wide monitoring and conservation effort with the support of a NMBCA grant, this project will focus on protecting the most threatened lowland rainforest in the region: Punta de Manabique. Partners will ensure the preservation of over 600 hectares of critical lowland forest and aquatic habitat through the purchase of a strategically located property. To prioritize viable habitats for bird conservation, the project will implement an experimental design for its bird-monitoring program, seeking to provide more precise information for habitat management at the landscape scale. Finally, the project will support implementation of the grantee’s innovative environmental education program and produce an annotated, regional bird checklist, intended as a conservation management tool and as bird-watching promotional material for the region.
MEXICO
Project: Aros/Yaqui Rivers Habitat Conservation II.
Location: Sierra Los Pavos and Zetasora; Aros/Yaqui River Basins, Sonora, Mexico.
Grantee: Northern Jaguar Project.
Contact: Diana Hadley, hadleyd@email.arizona.edu.
Partners: Naturalia, A.C.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $73,575.
Matching Funds: $390,390.
NonmatchingFunds:None.
BCR: Sierra Madre Occidental.
Ecoregion: NA0201, NT0228, NT0302, NT1303 and NT1310.		 The Aros/Yaqui Rivers Habitat Conservation II project is situated on a peninsula of land framed by the Yaqui and Aros rivers, and includes the Northern Jaguar Reserve and neighboring private ranches approximately 125 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border.  The Northern Jaguar Project and its Mexican conservation partner Naturalia’s conservation approach features land purchase; bird research and monitoring, including habitat/foraging research and defining habitats in need of restoration; connecting the reserve to other protected areas to establish safe-passage corridors; establishing new protected areas with ranchers; conducting education outreach to the local community and schoolchildren; and preventing harm to the Aros and Yaqui rivers and riparian habitats. This grant will fund intensive spring/fall migration censuses on the reserve; bird habitat restoration through creation of cattle exclusion zones in sensitive riparian areas and reforestation of degraded lands with sycamores and other native trees; additional land purchase; bird and vegetation surveys on surrounding ranches and newly purchased properties; and continued community and educational outreach.
Project: Critical Habitat Protection for Neotropical Migratory Birds in the Durango Mountains.
Location: Durango.
Grantee: Pronatura Mexico A.C
Contact: Miguel Ángel Cruz Nieto, mcruz@pronatura-noroeste.org.
Partners: Pronatura Noroeste A.C.; National Commission of Natural Protected Areas; Instituto Tecnológico de El Salto; Forestry Management Unit of Ejido Pueblo Nuevo; private landowners.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $249,940.
Matching Funds: $1,376,520.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 34.
Ecoregion: NT0302.		 Natural Protected Areas are the main tool for the conservation of ecosystems and their biodiversity recognized by Mexican legislation. Natural Protected Areas and Ecological Easements are complementary and are used to extend the surface and strengthen the level of protection in the various natural protected management areas. The project goal is the protection and sustainable forest management of a network of priority regions for the conservation of Neotropical birds in the Western Sierra Madre through three possible legal protection strategies: habitat protection by creating a Natural Protected Areas System in Durango; protection of critical bird habitats through Ecological Easements; and strengthening the Forestry Certification processes, resolving specific conflicts in forestry use and birds such as eliminating prohibited pesticides. The project will benefit more than 350 bird species identified in this region, including 138 migratory Neotropical birds.
Project: Conservation Strategy for Grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Location: Chihuahua.
Grantee: Pronatura Mexico A.C
Contact: Miguel Ángel Cruz Nieto, mcruz@pronatura-noroeste.org.
Partners: Pronatura Noroeste A.C.; Pronatura Noreste A.C.; Pronatura Sur; The Nature Conservancy; National Commission of Natural Protected Areas; Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad; Chihuahua University; Instituto Tecnológico El Salto; Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León; Unidad de Manejo Forestal Babicora-Casas Grandes; PROFAUNA; private landowners.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $249,928.
Matching Funds: $810,080.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: Chihuahuan Desert
Ecoregion: NA1303.		 This project offers a cooperation mechanism to jointly address at a broad scale the multiple threats facing this ecoregion.  Its objectives are to establish a regional alliance to develop negotiations and continue progress on grassland conservation; protect or restore through easements 15,000 hectares of grasslands representing critical wintering habitat for Neotropical migratory birds; begin negotiations and technical studies to establish a network of natural protected areas in the Chihuahuan Desert, and develop a study directed to the wintering ecology of the mountain plover, one of the most vulnerable bird species in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Project: Ecological Reserves in Ejidos of Mexican Northeast Prairies III.
Location: Zacatecas; San Luis Potosí; Coahuila; Nuevo Léon.
Grantee: Pronatura Noreste, A.C.
Contact: Mario A. Morales Loa, mmorales@pronaturane.org.
Partners: SEMARNAT-Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales; UANL-Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León; CONAFOR-Comisión Nacional Forestal; private landowners; IEZ-Insitituto de Ecología de Zacatecas; American Bird Conservancy.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $249,930.
Matching Funds: $854,641.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 35.
Ecoregion: NT1303.		 This two-year project is directed to grassland bird’ habitat protection and management in five grassland ecosystems that represent the most extensive and continuous colonies of Mexican prairie dog, a habitat that is disappearing and requires protection and a more sustainable management to maintain healthy populations of migratory birds. Project objectives are to protect 26,000 hectares of grassland bird habitat in Matehuapil and Tanque Nuevo, San Salvador, Zacatecas; restore, maintain and manage bird habitat of reserve properties at ejido El Cercado, Llano La Soledad, Matehuil and Tanque Nuevo; and monitor wintering migratory bird populations and breeding bird populations in El Tokio grasslands.
Project: Long-billed Curlew Management in Two Wintering Habitats at the Chihuahuan Desert II
Location: Chihuahua.
Grantee: Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León.
Contact: José Ignacio González Rojas, josgonza@fcb.uanl.mx.
Partners: Pronatura Noreste, A.C.; WWF México; Private Landowners.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $59,581.
Matching Funds: $179,100.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 36, 45.
Ecoregion: NA1303.		 This project is designed to help develop an effective conservation and management strategy for the long-billed curlew, one of the most threatened shorebirds in North America. This species shares its habitat with a number of grassland birds of special concern at a continental scale, such as mountain plovers and burrowing owls. Long-billed curlews breed, migrate, and winter across multiple geographic areas; effective conservation actions require cooperation by local, regional and international entities. Several studies about the ecology of the species on its breeding range have been conducted, however, in Mexico no data are available beyond censuses, limiting our ability to assess the species needs and implement appropriate management actions. The goals for this project are habitat restoration and continuation of the study of long-billed curlew winter ecology, including satellite tracking and color banding to assess local movements on wintering and breeding ranges as well as assessing migratory routes and stopover sites; characterization of the sites used for foraging and roosting; measuring pesticides levels; and food availability.
Project: Private Reserves Network and Forest Management, Western Sierra Madre II.
Location: Chihuahua.
Grantee: Pronatura Sur, A.C.
Contact: Miguel Ángel Cruz Nieto, mcruz@pronatura-noroeste.org.
Partners: Pronatura Noroeste A.C.; Pronatura Sur A.C.; National Commission of Natural Protected Areas; Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey; Unidad de Manejo Forestal Silvicultores de Tutuaca; private landowners.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $249,870.
Matching Funds: $1,553,228.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 34.
Ecoregion: NA0302.		 This project began 13 years ago as a partnership between landowners and federal, state and municipal government agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations, with the purpose of reducing threats to five Important Bird Areas in the western Sierra Madre. The goal is to create a functional ecological corridor through a network of reserves to protect critical habitats for migratory birds. Project objectives are to develop new Forest Management Plans that will regulate forestry use in the next 20 years; create four sanctuaries in the most fragile environments and a new modality in the National System of Natural Protected Areas called Restricted Preservation; create at least one Voluntary Ecological Easement; restore degraded ecosystems; and increase awareness among key audiences in the region, including 40 teachers and 1,600 young people, to facilitate the decree processes for the sanctuaries.
Project: Protecting Neotropical Migratory Bird Habitat in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.
Location: Campeche.
Grantee: Rainforest2Reef,Inc.
Contact: Cheri Sugal, cheri@rainforest2reef.org.
Partners: Global Conservation Fund, Conservation International; Disney Conservation Fund; Seaworld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund; Salesforce.com Foundation; Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, individual donations.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $30,000.
Matching Funds: $90,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
BCR: 56.
Ecoregion: NT0181.		 Rainforest2Reef has protected 300,000 acres in the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in the Yucatan Peninsula -- an area that is critically important for the survival of 85 Neotropical migratory bird species – by providing local landowners with economic benefits derived from conservation of their land. With previous grants through the NMBCA, Rainforest2Reef has been able to secure critical habitat for Neotropical migratory birds, undertake a research and monitoring program that has informed our conservation strategy, and carry out educational workshops for teachers and students in the region. This grant will help the group to continue its land protection efforts.
NICARAGUA
Project: Conservation of Critical Wintering Habitat for Golden-winged Warbler in Northern Nicaragua.
Location: El Jaguar Reserve, Jinotega Department.
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy.
Contact: Dr. David Wiedenfeld, dwiedenfeld@abcbirds.org.
Partners: Reserva El Jaguar.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $34,775.
Matching Funds: $104,325.
NonmatchingFunds:None.
Ecoregion: NA0112, NT0303.		 American Bird Conservancy and its in-country partner will work cooperatively to increase and maintain shade coffee plantings on coffee farms in northern Nicaragua around El Jaguar Reserve, to protect the remaining forest fragments found on the farms, and to assist the farmers in having their crops certified under sustainable coffee programs. This project will benefit more than 50 migratory bird species including golden-winged warbler, olive-sided flycatcher, and bay-breasted, cerulean and other warblers. Project partners will support farmers by providing training and materials, including tree seedlings, and help train them to certify their coffee under one of several certification programs that encourage sustainable production that is friendly to migratory birds (organic, Rainforest Alliance, or Bird Friendly coffee certification programs). In addition, partners will educate the local population about the significance and value of Neotropical migratory birds, monitor bird populations in El Jaguar Reserve, and set baselines on the farms participating in the program.
Project: Making Connections for Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation in a Proposed Biosphere Reserve.
Location: Island of Ometepe, Lake Nicaragua.
Grantee: Fauna & Flora International, Inc.
Contact: Katie Frohardt, katie.frohardt@fauna-flora.org.
Partners: Fauna & Flora International, Inc; BPBO; Audubon; BATCA; Franklinia; Birdlife; JICA; Arquetc Latin; FEV; Fund Coccibol; Cooper CD; Municipality; DED, Fundacion Centro Empresarial Pellas.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $124,358.
Matching Funds: $416,867.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0119.		 The project goal is to restore and protect critical biological corridors for Neotropical migratory bird conservation through improved management of state protected areas and land stewardship by local landowners. To capitalize on progress made to date and ensure sustainability of both past and future efforts, the goal is to connect people and ecosystems of Ometepe so that bird conservation is an integral part of zoning, island environmental education, and sustainable tourism promotion. Project activities will include expanding, restoring and protecting critical habitat (especially the fragmented and degraded dry forests) in municipal parks and on private land; using applied Neotropical migratory bird research to highlight their role in ecosystem services as well as their habitat needs in climate change adaptation; expanding law enforcement; improving major trails; and producing high quality natural history materials on Ometepe.
Project: Protecting Neotropical Migratory Birds and Key Habitats in the Paso del Istmo Corridor Rivas, Nicaragua.
Location: Rivas Department.
Grantee: Paso Pacifico.
Contact: Dr. Sarah M. Otterstrom, sarah@pasopacifico.org.
Partners: Optics for the Tropics; Carbonfund.org; Red de Reservas Silvestres de Nicaragua.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $42,000.
Matching Funds: $129,000.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NA0209, NA0119.		 This project aims to protect Neotropical migratory birds and key habitats across private reserves in the Paso del Istmo Biological Corridor on the Rivas Isthmus. This area provides refuge to at least 36 species of Conservation Concern and is an important land bridge for migrating swallows and raptors. Paso Pacifico will restore 400 hectares of cattle pasture to natural forest by using native tree species and facilitated natural regeneration, and will assist private reserve owners in mapping key habitats, developing and designing interpretive bird lists, and developing management plans to protect these habitat types. Additionally, Paso Pacifico will carry out year two of a long-term monitoring program established in 2009, and will increase local capacity through training workshops and by sharing monitoring results at regional conservation meetings. Finally, Paso Pacifico will reduce bird mortality through a slingshot exchange program where two hundred binoculars and bird-focused curricula will be delivered to children in rural schools in exchange for slingshots. This outreach program will culminate in the celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, a first-time event for Rivas Nicaragua.
PARAGUAY
Project: Flyway Conservation for Paraguay’s Neotropical Migratory Shorebirds.
Location: Paraguay River (Departments Presidente Hayes, Concepción, San Pedro, Cordillera, Central and Ñeembucú) and Paraná River (Departments Ñeembucú, Misiones and Itapúa).
Grantee:  Guyra Paraguay: Conservación de Aves.
Contact: Dr. Alberto Yanosky, yanosky@guyra.org.py.
Partners: Club Mbigua.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $112,350.
Matching Funds: $342,550.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0708, NA0907, NA0908.		 The biodiverse Pantanal wetlands and the valleys of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers form the largest corridor of wetland habitats in the world. Home to an exceptionally abundant and diverse range of fauna and flora, this natural river system has been used as a pathway for Neotropical migratory birds for thousands of years. Key elements of this project include sustainable research to develop information regarding Neotropical migratory bird habitat use within this flyway; development and implementation of effective conservation action plans for key sites; and a major awareness program at the local, regional and national level, to confront, persuade and motivate audiences to adopt changes in their behavior and decision-making to promote biodiversity.
Project: Researching Neotropical Migratory Birds in the Ricefields of Paraguay’s Tebicuary River Basin.
Location: Departments of Misiones, Itapúa and Caazapá.
Grantee:  Guyra Paraguay: Conservación de Aves.
Contact: Dr. Alberto Yanosky, yanosky@guyra.org.py.
Partners: El Faro.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $12,400.
Matching Funds: $40,794.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT0150.		 This project will investigate the importance of Paraguay’s ricefields for Neotropical migratory birds. Recent field studies have identified that these sites provide important temporary habitat and feeding sites. This project will carry out field observations during a complete crop cycle and publish a technical report on the importance and relation of Neotropical shorebirds to rice fields in the southern region of Paraguay. Workshops will be carried out with landowners, rice producer associations, government agencies, and the community. If appropriate, a brochure will be produced and distributed to raise awareness and inform the public of the importance of ricefields for birds and biodiversity conservation.
PERU
Project:Building Peru’s National Bird Banding Program.
Location: Nationwide.
Grantee: Centro de Ornitologia y Biodiversidad.
Contact: Eveling Tavera Fernandez, etavera@corbidi.org.
Partners: Porzana Bands; Wetland Trust; Centro de Educación, Ciencia, y Conservación, Tambopata; Fauna Forever Tambopata; Panamerican Duck Project, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $39,200.
Matching Funds: $117,600.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: Multiple.		 The status of most Neotropical migrants in Peru is poorly known and based mainly on museum collections and sight records. Supporting existing banding efforts in Peru will promote the collection of much-needed data on winter site fidelity, within-season site-persistence, social and territorial behavior, and body condition and molt. Bands will be applied to wild birds for research goals and the project manager will develop management systems for banding project registration, band distribution to cooperators, banding database development; recovery/recapture database development; and establishment of communication channels with banders, band recoverers, and the public. This project will also identify appropriate data collection procedures for bird banders in Peru in coordination with other South American national banding programs; develop data quality control procedures and computer programs to achieve comprehensive checks; and make cooperator registration materials, band request procedures, banding data collection protocols and data submission procedures available on the Web. In the end, all banding results in Peru would be accessible through a single database.
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
Project:Building Benefits for Birds and People: Ashton Lagoon Restoration, Phase II.
Location: St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Union Island).
Grantee: Sustainable Grenadines Project, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies.
Contact: Martin Barriteau, susgrenpm@vincysurf.com.
Partners: Coastal and Environmental Engineering Solutions, Inc.; Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds; Fermata, Inc.; Sustainable Grenadines Project of the University of the West Indies; Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies; Union Island Museum and Ecological Society; Union Island Environmental Attackers; Union Island Ecotourism Movement; AvianEyes Birding Group; Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire; The Nature Conservancy; local partners.
Approved: March 2010.
Grant: $199,910.
Matching Funds: $602,275.
Nonmatching Funds: None.
Ecoregion: NT1416.		 Since 1950, the mangroves, salt ponds, mud flats, coral reefs and seagrass beds of Ashton Lagoon have stood out as an increasingly rare and valuable natural resource for wildlife and the peoples of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Dredging and a marina causeway associated with an abandoned development project blocked water circulation, leading to the loss of significant coastal resources with direct ecological and economic impacts to Union Island and the region, including loss and degradation of habitat for wintering and migratory populations of seabirds, waterbirds, shorebirds and landbirds. Through the contribution of local community groups, scientific review and government support, an opportunity has been developed to restore Ashton Lagoon and its critical ecosystem functions and values. This project seeks to enhance wildlife habitat potential for birds, fishes, and other marine organisms by restoring hydrology and tidal flushing in Ashton Lagoon through carefully engineered landscape manipulation of remnant marina structures that impede water circulation; developing sustainable local tourism and livelihood opportunities for local people; and increasing knowledge and awareness of the importance of mangrove and salt pond ecosystems and bird life in Union Island.
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Last updated: June 21, 2011