Photo: King Rail, Joshua Galicki/Audubon Photography Awards
Elizabeth “Libby” Lyons
King Rail, Joshua Galicki/Audubon Photography Awards
It seems all too often that a new report documents significant losses in bird biodiversity in the U.S. and around the world. The October release of the State of the Birds 2022 report for the U.S. (SOTB) continued that trend, but it also provided reason for hope linked to an increased sense of urgency.
Yes, the report documented widespread losses of birds across almost all habitats. It included a long list of species that have lost 50 percent of their population within last 50 years, and a list of 70 species at “the tipping point,” that is, in danger of declining by another 50 percent from their remaining population in the next 50 years. There was also some good news: waterfowl populations have increased over the past few decades.
Why do I say the report provided hope when most of the news seems so dire?
One significant cause for hope is that the increase in waterfowl populations is a model for how interventions for conservation, such as through wetland protection, can help bird populations rebound.
More importantly, the report laid out positive and proactive approaches in the form of science-driven solutions that engage communities in bird conservation at the local level. These are exactly the kinds of approaches ASNV is exploring as bird conservation takes on new urgency. We will need your help to implement these solutions!
ASNV’s strong tradition of citizen science, coupled with the scientific expertise on our Board and in our community, can serve as a foundation for developing science-based conservation solutions.
One of ASNV’s greatest assets is its cadre of dedicated citizen scientists who have spent tens of thousands of hours collecting data on biodiversity in our region. We are now digitizing and analyzing this data. We have data from regional surveys:
The Northern Virginia Bird Survey has counted birds at over 500 points across northern Virginia for almost 30 years.
The Occoquan Bay area surveys have monitored bird, butterfly, dragonfly, damselfly, and plant species year-round for over 30 years.
To these we can add regional information from broader-based surveys: 40 years of Christmas Bird Counts, numerous Winter Waterfowl Counts, World Migratory Bird Counts, Backyard Bird Counts, and the North American Butterfly Association’s spring, summer, and fall butterfly counts. And, of course, there is eBird data entered by so many of our members and others over the last 10 years.
We also can use information from SOTB; from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Natural Heritage Program; from National Audubon Society’s Survival by Degrees online tool, which estimates the potential impact of climate change on North American bird species; and from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s list of Birds of Conservation Concern (2021) that need focused, conservation efforts. Another new resource is the Bird Migration Explorer, just released this September by the National Audubon Society and 10 partners, that provides data on the migration pathways and obstacles faced by birds that migrate through our area. See this month’s article about this remarkable tool and how it can provide information on individual species in our area.
Our scientific team, which includes ASNV Vice-president Greg Butcher, a member of the SOTB Science Committee, can use these datasets and tools to identify which species in northern Virginia are at greatest risk and how and where we might work to mitigate threats and advocate for protection.
But plans alone are not sufficient. We must turn data and plans into action with lasting impact. SOTB noted that bird conservation offered bold opportunities for locally led, voluntary efforts. Such community efforts are essential if the positive effect of conservation initiatives is to be sustainable. I see the potential for ASNV to combine a proactive, science-based approach with strong community engagement as the greatest source of hope and optimism stemming from this report. In fact, Community Engagement is ASNV’s newest committee. ASNV is exploring how it might use activities such as nature education and Audubon at Home to make neighborhoods and communities the drivers for sustainable conservation projects. Such community-linked conservation efforts could provide our volunteers the opportunity to make a positive difference for birds, but also for broader protection of plants and other animals, for climate resiliency, for environmental justice, and for enhanced quality of life for all communities in northern Virginia.
Stay tuned as we develop local solutions that we will need your help to make happen!