BIRD CONSERVATION

Bird Conservation oversees a suite of interrelated projects and activities that contribute to goals in bird research, habitat preservation and enhancement, and education and engagement, with the overarching objective of conserving and recovering bird populations on local, regional, national, and international scales.

GOAL 1

Continue Bird Banding at Rushton Woods

Preserve and Farm as follows: spring and fall songbird migration banding, summer breeding banding as a participant in the nation-wide MAPS program, and fall northern saw-whet owl migration banding, as part of Project Owlnet.

Goal 2

Serve as a key partner in the Northeast Motus Collaboration by maintaining the existing network of receiving stations, serving as a mentor to other regions in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, and by developing research projects that inform critical bird conservation measures.

Goal 3

Continue the longstanding bird population monitoring program and use the annual historical data to provide a useful assessment of trends in our area.

Goal 4

Continue to provide both experiential education and community engagement opportunities through the various activities centered around the Rushton Woods Banding Station and the Rushton Conservation Center including student internships and research projects, volunteer training, public banding days, banding workshops, visits from school groups and other conservation organizations, lectures, and mentorships.

GOAL 7

Contribute to the Habitat at Home program, by connecting with and educating private property occupants on the use of native plants, the importance of shrub-scrub habitat, and other aspects of natural habitat.

GOAL 8

Continue to enhance breeding success through the Backyard Bird Box Program, the maintenance of Preserve bird boxes, and the expansion of chimney swift towers and purple martin nesting sites at Rushton.

Goal 5

Continue to contribute to regional, national, and international conferences, with a focus on bird conservation and habitat restoration.

Goal 6

Use the Rushton Woods Master Plan as a guide and model and collaborate with Land Stewardship to enhance WCT’s preserve management practices to better manage our preserves for wildlife, particularly birds, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability.

GOAL 9

Seek additional ways to use our knowledge and skills to create “on the ground” bird conservation programs through habitat preservation, including research on eastern towhees and shrubscrub habitat, and research on bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks, and grassland habitat.