From the Tundra to Tierra del Fuego, local communities protect the world's great travelers

Birds are winged emissaries that know no borders, and wherever they travel, people are drawn to their mysterious arrivals and departures. At the International Conservation Fund of Canada we often find that the local... [ view full abstract ]

Birds are winged emissaries that know no borders, and wherever they travel, people are drawn to their mysterious arrivals and departures. At the International Conservation Fund of Canada we often find that the local community, from the youngest child to the eldest resident, have an interest in participating in protection efforts.  This is especially the case for shorebirds, which congregate en masse at migration stopovers and wintering sites.  It is even possible to engage those members of the community who once had livelihoods from harvesting birds for the market to embrace conservation when they can participate in planning and have opportunities for employment.

This presentation will highlight examples of community engagement and successful conservation outcomes from various parts of the world where ICFC works with local in-country non-governmental organizations to protect migratory birds. 

The world’s most endangered shorebird, the iconic Spoon-billed Sandpiper, teeters on the verge of extinction with just 200 breeding pairs.  But conservation groups and communities in 15 countries from Russia through China to Bangladesh are now working together on solutions and the species’ population decline has been halted.  One third of North America’s Atlantic coast population of Piping Plovers winter in the Bahamas, where ICFC is working with local communities to remove the invasive Australian pine that destroys native coastal habitats.  A plan is underway with the Bahamian government to increase the benefit of this work by harvesting the wood for commercial uses.  In the far reaches of South America in Argentina and Chile our projects involve coastal communities in protecting thousands of North American shorebirds during the nine months of the year they depend on local estuaries to rest and restore their fat supplies for the up to 12,000-km flights back to the Canadian tundra.  In coastal Chile a project has successfully rallied municipal governments, indigenous people and residents of small communities to establish five new wetland reserves to form a regional birding trail in developing bird related tourism and the associated economic benefits. 

Noteworthy aspects of the ICFC approach include our desire to fully understand the needs of local communities and provide educational outreach, while exploring all innovative ideas that may preserve watersheds, endangered biota, and life-sustaining ecosystems.