For 13 years, Katie O’Brien has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in Marquette, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A large part of her job is helping to build partnerships key to saving some of the continent’s scarcest songbirds and other species. Here is some of Katie’s story, in her own words. I believe that successful bird conservation depends on ensuring the well-being of people and nature together.
The “Northwoods” region holds more than 75 percent of the breeding populations of two scarce warblers. I serve on the Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Team and I co-chair the Golden-winged Warbler Working Group. Through diverse partnerships, we seek to conserve these species while meeting local communities’ needs.
For example, working with ABC on “Forestry for Birds” programs, we empower foresters, biologists, and landowners to apply practical, economical, and effective land management strategies that benefit these birds.
The FWS’s Migratory Bird Program is committed to welcoming and including all people in bird conservation activities. Our Urban Bird Treaty program helps large cities become spaces where birds and people can thrive and where connected conservation communities are sustained.
Additionally, by teaming up with ABC’s Bird City Americas program and local Rotary clubs, I get to join forces with business owners and community leaders from diverse professional and social viewpoints, as we strive toward resilient communities and bird populations for future generations.
Golden-winged Warbler Kirtland's Warbler
Award-winning watercolor painter Beatriz Benavente lives in Spain, where she specializes in scientific and bird illustration. You can follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/wildstories.art
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