Scscb whmsi-final-cwc-workshop-report-20-march-2011
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IMPLEMENTATION OF A TRAINING ACTIVITY ON MONITORING WATERBIRDS IN CARIBBEAN PROTECTED AREAS FOR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
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Scscb whmsi-final-cwc-workshop-report-20-march-2011
- 1. ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES/ WESTERN HEMISPHERE MIGRATORY SPECIES INITIATIVE PROJECT PROJECT PO#259197 IMPLEMENTATION OF A TRAINING ACTIVITY ON MONITORING WATERBIRDS IN CARIBBEAN PROTECTED AREAS FOR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC EDUCATION FINAL REPORT SCSCB Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Monitoring Training Workshop 23 - 27 February 2011 Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas Date: 20 March 2011 Prepared by: Ann Haynes‐Sutton Ph.D & Lisa G. Sorenson Ph.D. For: Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds Email: asutton@cwjamaica.com, Lsoren@bu.edu Website: www.scscb.org
- 2. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Background......................................................................................................................................3 Project goal and objectives ..............................................................................................................3 Outputs and indicators of success for CWC project...........................................................................3 CWC Workshop................................................................................................................................4 Objectives......................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Project core team......................................................................................................................................................................................5 Project partners, funding and support............................................................................................................................................5 Workshop format and agenda............................................................................................................................................................7 Training materials ...................................................................................................................................................................................7 Online learning products and services ............................................................................................................................................9 Bird education citizen science discussion....................................................................................................................................9 Participants..............................................................................................................................................................................................10 Assessment of the workshop by participants.............................................................................................................................12 Lessons learned.......................................................................................................................................................................................12 Funding for next steps..........................................................................................................................................................................14 Deliverables developed under project...........................................................................................................................................15 Next steps ..................................................................................................................................................................................................15 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................................................................16 Appendix 1: Agenda for workshop (23‐27 February 2011)..............................................................................................17 Appendix 2: International presenters and facilitators ........................................................................................................22 Appendix 3: Workshop evaluation report and letters of appreciation from participants...................................24 Appendix 4: CWC small grant Proposal guidelines ...............................................................................................................40 Appendix 5: List of workshop materials provided to each participant........................................................................48 Appendix 6: workshop evaluation form.....................................................................................................................................49 Appendix 7: Label for folder cover for workshop materialS.............................................................................................54 Appendix 8: Certificate of participation.....................................................................................................................................55 Appendix 9: Report of bird‐education‐citizen science break‐out discussion groups ............................................56 Appendix 10: Draft bird education‐citizen science strategy.............................................................................................60 Appendix 11: CWC workshop summary report and photos .............................................................................................64
- 3. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 3 BACKGROUND The project “Implementation of a training activity on monitoring birds in Caribbean protected areas for adaptive management and public education” ” was funded by OAS/WHMSI and implemented between November 2010 and March 2011 by the Society for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB). PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES Goal: To strengthen conservation for migratory species in the Caribbean through the development of a cadre of persons trained in the development, promotion and implementation of a region‐wide waterbird and habitat monitoring program. Objectives: • To increase capacity for implementation of the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) that was conceived at the WHMSI Training Workshop in Nassau, Bahamas in 2009 (Haynes‐Sutton and Sorenson 2009) and related monitoring, education and management activities, based on an agreed capacity‐building strategy. • Host a regional workshop to train Caribbean trainers in the application of the CWC methodology, and to educate them in the use of SCSCB’s education and outreach materials. • Hold a discussion of the use of citizen science by SCSCB to increase awareness and engage more people in birds and conservation. OUTPUTS AND INDICATORS OF SUCCESS FOR CWC PROJECT Project outputs and indicators of success are listed in Table 1 below. Table 1: Summary of project outputs and indicators of success ACTIVITY HEADING OUTPUTS INDICATORS OF SUCCESS Discussion of the potential for expanding citizen science activities for SCSCB Report of citizen science discussion and draft strategy ‐ Report on discussion and draft strategy for citizen science for education, awareness and monitoring of birds and their habitats prepared Development of materials ‐ Caribbean Waterbird Census manual & protocols ‐ Presentations and other supporting materials ‐ Manual and protocols produced, updated and shared ‐ PowerPoint presentations/modules developed for workshop ‐ Dissemination of materials Resources on ‐ Revised CWC Manual, presentations and
- 4. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 4 ACTIVITY HEADING OUTPUTS INDICATORS OF SUCCESS online ConserveOnline supporting materials posted Workshop Workshop held 23‐27 February 2011 in Nassau, Bahamas ‐ Total no. of participants = 22 (initial target was 10) from 14 Caribbean countries/islands ‐ Special interest groups represented at workshop included decision‐makers, protected area managers/ wardens, scientists, wildlife/ forestry officers, educators, volunteers in government and non‐government agencies, all of which are potential national coordinators, site coordinators and site monitors ‐ A variety of modules were prepared: 28 presentations were included in the workshop ‐ Evaluation report showed very high levels of satisfaction with the workshop ‐ Workshop report produced Project development for funding Develop project for funding Project proposal submitted to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Deepwater Horizon fund (January 2011) and short‐ listed for funding, pre‐proposal developed and submitted to US Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Without Borders Program (March 1, 2011) CWC WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES The objectives of the CWC workshop were to: 1) Provide persons from across the Caribbean with equipment, materials, training and skills in waterbird and wetland monitoring protocols, so that they can: • Design and implement a long‐term waterbird monitoring program in their own country (or improve/expand programs that are in place) • Participate in the Caribbean Waterbird Census
- 5. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 5 • Train and mentor others • Form the basis of a regional monitoring network. 2) Hold a discussion of a possible strategy to expand citizen science in the SCSCB. PROJECT CORE TEAM The core team included Lisa Sorenson (SCSCB), Ann Sutton (SCSCB), Jeff Gerbracht and Jennifer Fee (Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology), and Ken Kriese (USFWS) – see Appendix 2. PROJECT PARTNERS, FUNDING AND SUPPORT The project attracted considerable cash and in‐kind support from a wide variety of partners (Table 2), most of whom are part of the Caribbean Monitoring Coalition established in 2009 in the first phase of SCSCB’s monitoring program (development of Caribbean Birdwatch Program: http://conserveonline.org/workspaces/caribbeanbirdwatch). Table 2: List of project partners that contributed cash or in‐kind support. NAME OF ORGANIZATION CONTACT PERSON CASH/IN‐ KIND NOTES Organization of American States Richard Huber In‐kind Attended workshop and gave a presentation Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative & US Fish and Wildlife Service Richard Huber Cash 1 day training workshop on the CWC for delegates at the WHMSI meeting in Miami on 10 December 2010 US Forest Service, International Programs Carol Lively Cash Financial support to bring additional persons to workshop, contribution to funding for small grants for 2010 participants Royal Society for the Protection of Birds James Millet Cash Financial support to bring additional persons from the UK Overseas Territories to workshop Optics for the Tropics Joni Ellis Cash and in‐ kind Provided binoculars for all participants, and financial support for two Cuban participants. Also assisted with evaluation of applicants to attend the workshop. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Jeff Gerbracht In‐kind Provided technical support and advice, contributed to writing and review of CWC manual, & helped facilitate workshop
- 6. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 6 NAME OF ORGANIZATION CONTACT PERSON CASH/IN‐ KIND NOTES Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Jennifer Fee In‐kind Provided technical support for the citizen science‐bird education portion of the workshop US Fish and Wildlife Service Frank Rivera In‐kind Provided technical support, mentoring and advice, contributed to review of CWC manual and development of revised protocols US Fish and Wildlife Service Ken Kriese In‐kind Provided technical support and advice and helped facilitate the workshop Bahamas National Trust Eric Carey, Lynn Gape, Predensa Moore, Carolyn Wardle, Tamica Rahming and others In‐kind Provided logistical support, conference facilities, office facilities, transportation, guiding for field trips and a presentation on working with volunteers Bahamas National Trust Pericles and Christina Maillis In‐kind Provided fresh fish and use of their family’s beach and pavilion for the field trip lunch Waterbird Council of the Americas Jennifer Wheeler, In‐kind Provided technical advice and support from the Waterbird Council Wetlands International Taej Mundkur, Daniel Blanco, Arne Lesterhuis In‐kind Provided technical advice WildlifeCounts.com Aaron Suring Cash Provided discount on Wildlife COUNT program, CD given to all participants Various government and non‐ government Participants in first CWC, Feb 2010 In‐kind Provided feedback on monitoring manual and protocols to help improve them USFWS Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act funds Andrea Grosse Cash Funding for 11 small grants to enable participants in 2010 workshop to implement waterbird monitoring programs in their own countries The original target with OAS‐WHMSI funding was to bring 10 persons to the workshop. Additional funds were requested and received from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, US Forest Service, and Optics for the Tropics and others that enabled us to bring an additional 12 participants to the workshop making a total of 22 participants. The funding provided by OAS/WHMSI was more than matched by cash and in‐kind donations to the project by third parties.
- 8. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 8 training activities and tools. Introduction to SCSCB, Caribbean Birdwatch & CWC program and the workshop ppt What is monitoring? Why monitor birds? ppt eBird Caribbean: Types of monitoring, what these data show and how they can be used for conservation planning and management ppt Introduction to Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC): Goals, objectives, proposed structure, why and how to get involved, outline of steps to implement program ppt Choosing your site, asking questions, setting your objectives, site reconnaissance ppt General considerations in designing your monitoring program: study design, bias and detectability, and challenges of counting waterbirds ppt Levels of monitoring and CWC protocols: Species inventories, area searches, and point counts ppt Bird Identification 101 ppt Waterbirds of the Caribbean ppt Monitoring Caribbean Wetland Habitats for the CWC ppt Examining the data: Simple approaches to data analysis ppt IABIN/WHMSI and Caribbean activities ppt Distribution of migratory waterfowl in Latin America and the Caribbean: An analysis of survey data and band recoveries ppt What can you learn from monitoring data? Sample analyses from ongoing waterbird monitoring in St. Croix ppt What can you learn from monitoring data? Analyses of WIWD monitoring data from Antigua and Barbuda 2003‐2009 ppt Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) ppt Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network – About WHSRN and important sites to monitor in the Caribbean ppt Junkanoo in the Sky: Bahamas IBA Programme and opportunities and challenges of working with volunteers ppt Training observers for the CWC ppt Organizing and promoting the CWC in each country in the Caribbean ppt Wildlife COUNT program – training tool for counting wildlife/birds in the field CD How to prepare reports and communicate your results to decision makers ppt How to prepare and write grant proposals ppt CWC Small Grants Program Guidelines ppt Overview of SCSCB educations programs: WIWD and Wetlands Conservation Project ppt Overview of SCSCB educations programs: International Migratory Bird Day ppt Overview of SCSCB educations programs: The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival ppt How Cornell engages the public in birds: eBird, Bird Sleuth, Urban Birds, and other Citizen Science education programs at Cornell ppt Name That Bird!!! CWC Bird ID Team Competition ppt
- 10. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 10 In the afternoon, participants divided up into 4 break‐out discussion groups that focused on the following areas to develop and expand citizen science: 1) Public outreach and awareness, 2) Protected Areas, 3) Caribbean Waterbird Census, and 4) Schools. Each group discussed and answered the following questions: 1. What are the objectives? 2. Who is the audience? 3. What are the main messages? 4. What help do you need? The report of the discussion groups is presented in Appendix 9; based on the discussions, “A draft strategy for citizen science for education, awareness and monitoring birds and their habitats in the Caribbean” was prepared (see Appendix 10). PARTICIPANTS Notices about the workshop were posted on‐line on SCSCB’s Yahoo e‐group (BirdsCaribbean), website (www.scscb.org), and several other e‐groups. As a result, 33 applications were received from 17 countries/islands. Criteria for evaluating applications were developed and a volunteer assisted with the review process. Based on this process 23 persons were invited to attend; 22 persons from 14 countries/islands across the Caribbean accepted the invitation and were able to attend the workshop. Table 4: List of participants at the CWC Workshop, Nassau, Bahamas, 23‐27 February 20101 Name Institution Position/Title Email Adams Toussaint Forestry Department Assistant Chief Forestry Officer, Forestry Department toussaintadams@yahoo.c om Atoya George Conservation and Fisheries Dept. Professional Cadet atgeorge@gov.vg Cordero Bullard Bahamas National Trust Deputy Warden cbullard@bnt.bs Darren Henry Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (DNRE) Forester 1: Head of Parks and Open Area Unit darren_tours@yahoo.com David Cooper Bahamas National Trust Deputy Park Warden dcooper@bnt.bs Eric F. Salamanca Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources (DECR) Scientific Officer ericfsalamanca@gmail.co m/eric@environment.tc Lillian Russell BSI Trust Corporation (Bahamas) Limited Deputy CEO/Trust Manager Lilrus_2000@yahoo.com
- 11. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 11 Lindy Knowles Bahamas National Trust Assistant Parks Planner lknowels@bnt.bs Lorraine Callwood Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society Environmental Assistant Lcallwood8@gmail.com Lucia Mings Gilbert Agricultural & Rural Development Centre Project Manager, Caribbean Flamingo to Barbuda – Feasibility Study Project lucia_mings@yahoo.com Mark Daniels Bahamas National Trust Deputy Park Warden, New Providence mdaniels@bnt.bs Matthew Maximea Forestry Wildlife and Parks Division Forester II maximeamatthew@hotm ail.com Maureen Milbourn National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Environmental Officer, Protected Areas Branch, Conservation and Protection Sub‐ division maureen.milbourn@nepa .gov.jm Lindy Knowles Bahamas National Trust Assistant Parks Planner lknowels@bnt.bs Natalya Henry Environmental Awareness Group Offshore Islands Conservation Programme Coordinator skn_h@yahoo.com; eag@candw.ag Prescott Gay Bahamas National Trust Deputy Park Warden pgay@bnt.bs Sheylda Diaz‐ Mendez SCSCB CEBF Regional Coordinator sdiaz64@suagm.edu Stephen Durand Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division Assistant Forest Officer – Conservation and Research Unit forestofficerprotection2@ cwdom.dm Tamica Rahming Bahamas National Trust Director of Parks and Science TRahming@bnt.b Tiffany Cummins Dept. of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Biologist tiffgc@hotmail.com Tyrone Buckmire Grenada Fund for Conservation Inc. Executive Officer gfcinc1@gmail.com Ernesto Reyes Mouriño Centro de Servicios Ambientales Matanzas. Researcher.Biologist zapatarail@ehtgiron.co.cu Anay Serrano Rodríguez Ecology Bird Group, Institute of Ecology and Systematic. Researcher. anne@fbio.uh.cu, anay@ecologia.cu
- 12. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 12 ASSESSMENT OF THE WORKSHOP BY PARTICIPANTS The participants expressed a very high level of satisfaction with all aspects of the workshop (see Workshop Evaluation Report, Appendix 3). They especially appreciated the training on the CWC methods, field trips to practice bird identification and count protocols, and networking opportunities with the facilitators and other participants. Comments included . . . • I am very thankful to have been given this opportunity. I hope to be a key part in great successes in my country and region. Thank you!!! • I am very grateful for the network in the Caribbean and the support system provided by the facilitators. I am very happy that not only have you given us the knowledge, but also the tools in terms of skills and equipment. Thank you for being so open‐minded and facilitating our comments and queries. I also like the opportunity we had to share “best lessons learned.” I will also assist the Public Education Branch to incorporate activities on birds in educational programs. • I thoroughly enjoyed ALL aspects of the workshop. It was a wonderful learning experience and networking with regional colleagues was the best part of the program. • It was a wonderful workshop. Although we had very long days, from as early as 6:30 a.m. I came back feeling energized because of the passion and enthusiasm of the facilitators and participants for the conservation of our wetlands and waterbirds. It was contagious and I loved it, and I have not put down my bird guide since I returned. Great workshop! • Knowledge is power. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. • Facilitators were full of energy and it was contagious. Thank you for giving me this great experience. • We want to thank you for a great week and an excellent CWC training workshop. We are extremely grateful for all the efforts made to ensure our participation was possible. We learned alot and want to assure you that we'll assist with CWC monitoring in Dominica. • I just wanted to thank you again for giving me this opportunity. The workshop in the Bahamas was excellent. I learnt so much and realized that there is still so much to learn. I also gained a greater appreciation for the importance of monitoring birds. LESSONS LEARNED The workshop confirmed our observations from 2010, that there is a huge demand for this type of training in practical approaches to wetland and waterbird monitoring. One of the most important things we learned from this workshop, associated discussions, review exercises, and feedback on the workshop evaluations was that there is a huge demand for the type of basic modular and regional approach to waterbird and wetland
- 13. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 13 monitoring that we are developing. Participants in the workshop and our first regional CWC count in January 2011 appreciated the assistance they received in learning how to count waterbirds using standard methodology. They also like being a part of a larger effort, where their data contributes to regional as well as local knowledge of migratory and resident waterbirds. Developing the protocols for the CWC program continued to be extremely challenging. We spent a lot of time in 2010 refining the protocols, and preparing for the first regionw‐wide of the CWC, which took place in January‐February 2011. So far more than 160 checklists from 10 countries have been submitted using the CWC option on the eBird Caribbean website. We urgently need funding for a paid CWC coordinator to coordinate the program, as the amount of time needed to manage it is significant and growing. Practical lessons learned include: Getting applicants at the meeting can be dogged by unexpected problems • Cost and difficulty of Caribbean travel. There hardly seems to be any intra‐Caribbean travel any more. Almost all flights go through Miami, which means that applicants must have US visas. Getting US visas usually takes two months or more, which means that it is virtually impossible for applicants who do not already have visas at the time of application to get them. Routing flights so that they do not go through Miami is prohibitively expensive (due to the necessity of staying overnight enroute). At least one applicant had to be rejected for this reason. Fortunately their employer was able to suggest someone else. • Other unexpected problems included an applicant from the DR who could not get a visa to the Bahamas because she was considered a health risk because of Cholera in Haiti. Another person found out at the last minute that their passport had expired. Lesson learned: Ask people from the outset whether they have US Visas, and if not suggest they apply urgently. Remind applicants to check that their passport is valid for the period of travel. Preparations • Despite sending materials early to the Bahamas there were still problems. One supplier could not export materials to the Bahamas and failed to tell us in time. Lesson learned: Order materials even earlier in advance, and check the export status of suppliers. Support • There was some reduction in financial support as donor agencies feel the effects of the economic crisis. Volunteer support remained very high. Lesson learned: We should not be shy to ask for volunteer or financial support. Follow‐up • One of the things that participants most looked forward to was continued support from the facilitators after the workshop. This is something that we must aim to provide effectively, through our website,
- 14. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 14 email, e‐groups and personal contact. We also need to prepare projects to support future workshops and support Lesson learned: Follow‐up is essential but time‐consuming. Project funding should reflect the continuing commitment. Demand • We had originally planned to develop a new workshop theme, around landbirds. However in the course of the year it became apparent that there was a large, unsatisfied demand for further training towards the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC), to consolidate it and build on its momentum. We realized that it was a better strategy to build on the growing CWC rather than to stretch ourselves too thin by expanding the programme to include landbirds. Fortunately OAS supported our position. Again we were markedly oversubscribed and feedback suggests that there is still considerable demand for more CWC training from countries that have not yet received any training as well as new institutions that want to get involved in the CWC. We consider that a third training course in 2012 would be well received. Lesson learned: Consolidate efforts rather than spreading them too thinly. Consider applying for further funds for a CWC workshop for 2012. Inspiration • Participants and facilitators alike were deeply inspired by the workshop. We were impressed at the number of new birders who attended the workshop and evidently got very excited about birding. We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic feedback, and independent reports of attendees returning with newfound enthusiasm for birds and getting involved with the CWC. The participants repeatedly commented on how passionate and inspiring they found the facilitators, while the commented on the positive energy and enthusiasm of the participants, and the feeling that they could make a great difference to conservation in the Caribbean through the workshop. Lesson learned: The workshop is a rewarding and energizing experience for all that are involved. Because conservation work can be lonely and isolated; it is extremely valuable to have opportunities like this workshop (and our biennial SCSCB meetings) to give everyone a chance to learn, network, and become newly‐energized and better able to meet the challenges and uphill battles of our work. FUNDING FOR NEXT STEPS A proposal Promoting Wetland Bird Conservation through the Caribbean Waterbird Census was submitted to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act for funding in November 2009. The proposal included funding to award 10 or more Small Grants of up to $5,000 each for CWC monitoring projects. This project was funded and 11 Small Grants have been awarded. Additional funds have been sought via proposals to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USFWS Wildlife without Borders. We expect to hear whether funding has been received from NFWF in April 2011. If funded this will cover further CWC Small Grants and seabird monitoring training. A CWC workshop is planned for the upcoming SCSCB biennial meeting in July 2011, in Freeport, Grand Bahama. On the final day of the workshop participants were invited to begin to develop proposals to apply for
- 15. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 15 funding from SCSCB or other sources. Detailed guidelines have been developed and circulated to all participants (Appendix 4). DELIVERABLES DEVELOPED UNDER PROJECT The deliverables developed under the project have been/will be sent separately or are included as part of this report. They include the following: • List of project partners and co‐financing ‐ cash and in‐kind contributions (Table 2) • List of participants (Table 4) • Workshop agenda (Appendix 1) • List of international presenters and facilitators (Appendix 2) • Workshop evaluation report (Appendix 3) • List of materials provided in workshop packages (Appendix 5) • Workshop evaluation sheet (Appendix 6) • Reports from bird education‐citizen science break‐out discussion groups (Appendix 9) • Draft Strategy for citizen science for education, awareness and monitoring birds and their habitats in the Caribbean (Appendix 10) • Workshop summary report and photos (Appendix 11) • Revised Caribbean Waterbirds Census Manual (available for download at: http://conserveonline.org/workspaces/cwc) • Workshop powerpoints (27) available for download from: http://conserveonline.org/workspaces/cwc • One progress report (December 2010) • Final project/workshop report • Financial report NEXT STEPS The next steps will include: • Implementing the CWC with our first and second groups of trainees. This started in 2010 with pilot funding from the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act which will run to 2012. It is hoped that additional funds will be received from NFWF to fund new CWC small grants in 2011. We also hope that we will be successful in our bid for funding from USFWS Wildlife Without Borders for the implementation of a citizen science programme that involves developing a new bird education program (BirdSleuth Caribbean) and availability of new and expanded resources on SCSCB’s website. • Identification of further needs for training in bird monitoring techniques in the Caribbean region.
- 16. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 16 • Providing continued skills‐building training workshops and support for our partners (follow‐up workshops on data analysis and statistics, writing reports and publishing results, community outreach and education, and communicating with decision makers). • CWC workshop at SCSCB biennial meeting Freeport, Grand Bahama, July 2011. • Working with the Waterbird Council and Wetlands International to adapt the protocols and approach for use in Central and Southern America. CONCLUSION The workshop was well attended, well supported and enthusiastically received, indicating the demand for such training. Its contribution to conservation will be measured in the long term as SCSCB continues to develop its relationship with the participants and others that join the program and as we work with our partners to help them to develop and sustain their waterbird and wetland monitoring programs.
- 17. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 17 APPENDIX 1: AGENDA FOR WORKSHOP (23‐27 FEBRUARY 2011) Workshop AgendaWorkshop Agenda SCSCB CWC Waterbird & Wetland Monitoring Training WorkshopSCSCB CWC Waterbird & Wetland Monitoring Training Workshop February 23 – 27, 2011, Nassau, Bahamas 07:00 – 08:30 Breakfast 08:30 - 09:00 Registration 09:00 – 09:30 Welcome, Introduction to SCSCB, Caribbean Birdwatch & Caribbean Waterbird Census Program and the Workshop, Plan for the Week, Logistics - Lisa Sorenson & Ann Sutton, Society for the Conservation & Study of Caribbean Birds 09:30 09:35 Welcome from the BNT – Eric Carey, Executive Director, Bahamas National Trust 09:35 – 10:05 Round-robin Introductions – Lisa Sorenson 10:05 – 10:30 Coffee break 10:30 – 12:30 Presentations – Why Monitor? Introduction to the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) 10:30 – 11:05 What is Monitoring? Why Monitor Birds? – Lisa Sorenson 11:05 – 11:50 eBird Caribbean: Types of Monitoring, What these Data Show and How They can be Used for Conservation Planning and Management – Jeff Gerbracht – eBird Project Manager, Cornell Lab. of Ornithology 11:50 – 12:30 Introduction to Caribbean Waterbird Census: Goal, Objectives, Proposed Structure, Why and How to Get Involved, Outline of Steps to Implement Program – Ann Sutton 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch 13:30 – 15:00 Presentations – Designing Your CWC Monitoring Program 13:30 – 14:15 Choosing your Site(s), Asking Questions, Setting Your Objectives, Site Reconnaissance, Preparing for your Counts – Ken Kriese, Wildlife Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service 14:15 – 15:15 General Considerations in Designing your Monitoring Program: Study Design, Bias and Detectability, and Challenges of Counting Waterbirds – Jeff Gerbracht 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 17:30 Presentations –Monitoring Protocols and Count Training Tools DAY 1 – Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
- 18. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 18 15:30 – 16:30 Levels of Monitoring and CWC Protocols: Species Inventories, Area Searches and Point Counts – Lisa Sorenson 16:30 – 17:00 Monitoring Caribbean Wetland Habitats for the CWC – Ann Sutton 17:00 – 17:45 Bird Identification 101 – Lisa Sorenson 17:45 – 18:30 Birding at The Retreat 18:30 – 20:00 Dinner at The Retreat 20:00 – 21:00 Wetland Birds of the Caribbean – Lisa Sorenson Informal Discussion 06:30 – 08:30 Field Trip to Local Wetland (Montagu Foreshore and Lakeview Ponds, Paradise Island) – Bird ID and Point Counts 08:30 – 09:00 Breakfast 09:00 – 10:15 Presentations - Data Entry and Basic Descriptive Statistics 09:00 – 09:40 Data entry (eBird) and Analysis from Field Trip – Jeff Gerbracht 09:40 – 10:15 Examining the Data: Simple Approaches to Data Analysis – Ken Kriese 10:15 – 10:30 Coffee break 10:15 – 12:30 Presentations – Monitoring Data Sample Analyses and Count Training 10:15 – 11:00 Data Analysis (cont) – Ken Kriese 11:00 – 11:45 What can you Learn from Monitoring Data? Sample Analyses from Ongoing Waterbird Monitoring in St. Croix and Antigua – Jeff Gerbracht 11:45 – 12:30 Wildlife COUNT program: Training tool on CD – Ken Kriese 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch 13:30 – 15:00 Presentations – Reporting Monitoring Results and Implementing the CWC 13:30 – 14:30 WIWD Monitoring Data from Antigua and Barbuda 2003-2009 – Lisa Sorenson DAY 2 – Thursday, February 24th, 2011
- 19. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 19 14:30 – 15:15 Junkanoo in the Sky: Bahamas IBA Programme and Opportunities and Challenges of Working with Volunteers to Establish a Monitoring Program – Lynn Gape 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 17:15 Presentations – International Programs for Biodiversity and Wetland Conservation 15:30 – 16:00 Distribution of Migratory Anatidae in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Analysis of Survey Data and Band Recoveries – Ken Kriese 16:00 – 16:45 Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network – About WHSRN and Important Sites to Monitor in the Caribbean – Lisa Sorenson 16:45 – 17:30 IABIN/WHMSI and Caribbean Activities – Richard Huber, Chief, Biodiversity Section, Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States 18:00 – 19:30 Dinner at Arawak Cay (fish fry) 06:30 – 09:00 Field Trip to Harrold & Wilson Ponds National Park – Bird ID and Area Search Counts 9:00 – 9:30 Breakfast 09:30 - 12:30 Data Entry and Analysis, Preparing Reports, Training Observers 09:30 – 10:15 Data entry and analysis from morning birding trip – Jeff Gerbracht 10:15 – 10:30 Coffee Break 10:30 – 11:00 Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) – Jeff Gerbracht 11:00 – 11:30 How to Prepare Reports and Communicate your Results to Decision Makers – Ann Sutton 11:30 – 12:00 Training Observers for the CWC – Lisa Sorenson 12:00 – 12:30 Organizing and Promoting the CWC in Each Country in the Caribbean – Lisa Sorenson 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch 13.30 – 15:15 Planning your Monitoring Program and Preparing Grant Proposals 13:30 - 14:00 How to Prepare and Write Grant Proposals – Ken Kriese 14:00 – 15:15 CWC Small Grants Program Guidelines – Ann Sutton DAY 3 – Friday, February 25th, 2011
- 20. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 20 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 17:30 Participants Discuss Ideas for Implementing Local Monitoring, Work on Writing Small Grant Proposals for the CWC with Assistance from Facilitators 18:00 – 19:30 Catered Dinner at The Retreat 06:30 – 18:30 All Day Field Trip to Various Wetlands in New Providence to Practice Counting Techniques, Site Description, Habitat Measurements and IBA Monitoring 06:45 Depart from hotel with packed breakfast 07:15 Stops at Arawak Cay, South Beach Tidal Flats IBA, Bonefish Ponds National Park, Lake Killarney 12:30 Picnic-barbecue lunch at Maillis beach (Adelaide) and swim 15:00 Walk through Primeval Forest, free time in downtown Nassau 19:30 Dinner at hotel 8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast 08:30 - 12:30 Presentations – Increasing Awareness and Engaging More People in Birds, Monitoring and Conservation Activities: Developing a Citizen Scientist Strategy for SCSCB 09:00 – 10:15 Overview of SCSCB Education Programs – WIWD and Wetlands Conservation Project, Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and International Migratory Bird Day – Lisa Sorenson and Sheylda Diaz- Mendez 10:15 – 10:30 Coffee Break 10:30 – 11:30 How Cornell Engages the Public in Birds: eBird, Bird Sleuth, Urban Birds, and other Citizen Science education programs at Cornell – Jennifer Fee 11:30 – 12:30 Round-robin sharing & questions, divide into 4 breakout groups for discussion 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch DAY 5 – Sunday, February 27th, 2011 DAY 4 – Saturday, February 26th, 2011
- 21. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 21 13.30 – 15:15 Discussion (break-out groups) to develop a strategy to expand SCSCB’s education programs and engage people in birds and bird conservation (via monitoring and other education programs) 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 16:30 Four break-out groups report back to the general session about the results of their discussions 17:00 – 17:30 Name that Bird!!! CWC Bird ID Team Competition, Wrap-up Session, Workshop Evaluation 19:00 – 21:00 Farewell Dinner at East Villa Chinese Restaurant – Workshop Trivia Quiz, Presentation of Awards & Certificates DAY 6 – Monday, February 28th, 2011 – Participants depart
- 22. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 22 APPENDIX 2: INTERNATIONAL PRESENTERS AND FACILITATORS INTERNATIONAL PRESENTERS AND FACILITATORS SCSCB WATERBIRD & WETLAND MONITORING TRAINING WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 23 – 27, 2011, NASSAU, BAHAMAS Lisa G. Sorenson, Ph.D. President, Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), Project Coordinator of the West Indian Whistling-Duck (WIWD) and Wetlands Conservation Project, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Boston University. Twenty-six years experience working in the Caribbean, including four years of field research on the breeding ecology of White-cheeked Pintails in the Bahamas, field research on West Indian Whistling-Ducks (WIWD) on Long Island, Bahamas, environmental impact assessment work, project planning, and conservation education and training. She has also conducted research assessing the potential consequences of global warming on wetlands and waterfowl in both breeding and wintering areas of North America. Currently Dr. Sorenson is leading/coordinating a region-wide outreach and environmental education program, SCSCB’s bird monitoring programs, and delivering training workshops on monitoring, the importance and value of local wetlands, and birds. (Email: LSoren@bu.edu, URL: www.scscb.org; www.whistlingduck.org). Ann Haynes-Sutton, Ph.D., is a Conservation Ecologist who has lived and worked in central Jamaica for 30 years. Her main focal areas are wetlands, birds, conservation education, and management of protected areas. For her Ph.D. she studied and applied conservation of Jamaican seabirds on offshore cays. A member of the executive of the Society for Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds for many years, she is Co-chair of the Monitoring and Seabirds Working Groups. She is currently consulting/volunteering with several NGOs, including working on a project to manage, interpret and develop ecotourism in a wetland in the Portland Bight Protected Area in southern Jamaica. In her spare time Ann manages a private nature reserve and leads bird tours. She recently published A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica. (Email: asutton@cwjamaica.com, URL: www.scscb.org). Jeff Gerbracht, eBird Project Manager, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Jeff’s professional career has focused on project management and computer programming. His lifelong interest in ornithology and conservation led him to leave American Airlines and join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as an application developer in 2001. Jeff has developed several interactive GIS, data entry and analysis applications for the Lab, including eBird, the Land Bird Monitoring Program and a Breeding Bird Atlas application. Jeff currently manages the continued development of eBird and Trail Tracker and is developing Neotropical Birds, a project creating online species accounts for all Neotropical bird species not presently covered by the Birds of North America. (Email: jag73@cornell.edu, URL: www.ebird.org, www.neotropical.birds.cornell.edu) Ken Kriese, Ph.D. is a Wildlife Biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Ken has 15+ years of experience working on waterbird and wetland conservation issues in the Western Hemisphere. For the USFWS, he is currently the national coordinator for the U.S. Joint Venture System, a group of conservation entities that consist of private- and public-sector partners working together to conserve North American migratory birds and their essential habitats. Previous work has included managing the Small Grants program of the USFWS North American Wetland Conservation Act, and as a Regional Biologist with Ducks Unlimited, Inc’s Latin America and Caribbean Program where he coordinated waterbird survey efforts in 10 countries and worked on wetland conservation projects in Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic. His doctoral work focused on the breeding ecology and conservation of the Orinoco Goose in the Venezuelan llanos. Ken continues to work on
- 23. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 23 wetland conservation issues throughout North America and other conservation efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Email: ken_kriese@fws.gov or neochen@yahoo.com, URL: www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/JointVentures/index.shtm) Jennifer Fee, Manager of K-12 Education Programs, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Cornell Lab’s Education Program brings the Lab’s exciting research, conservation and citizen science programs to educators. Jennifer joined the Education Program at the Cornell Lab in 2004 to develop and field test the BirdSleuth middle school curriculum, so she’s been with BirdSleuth since its beginning. Originally developed for North American middle school teachers, BirdSleuth has grown to include resources for K-12 schools, afterschool programs, homeschools, and Latin American programs. Prior to joining the Lab, she worked at the Missouri Botanical Garden leading the “Partners for Growing Discovery Units” curriculum. She’s a graduate from the Biology programs at Truman State University and Illinois State University. Email: jms327@cornell.edu, URL: www.birdsleuth.net). Sheylda Diaz-Mendez, Regional Coordinator, Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, Lecturer and doctoral student at Universidad del Turabo. She has worked as a coordinator and environmental educator for the West Indian Whistling-Duck (WIWD) and Wetlands Conservation Project Puerto Rico. She served as representative of her state for the National Wildlife Federation, and has been involved in the writing of laws to protect wetlands and critical habitat for the Puerto Rican Nightjar and mitigation of the effects of global warming in Puerto Rico. Sheylda’s doctoral work will focus on the behavior and conservation of the West Indian Whistling-duck (WIWD) in Caño Tiburones and for this is collaborating with the Center for the Study of Tropical Birds. (Email: SDIAZ64@suagm.edu) Richard Huber is the Chief of the Biodiversity Section for the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States. For the GS/OAS he is coordinating the “Building the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN)”, and the “Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative” (WHMSI). He has 10 years with the World Bank where he worked in the environmental social impact of loans and task managed several Environmental Management and Protected Areas projects and 17 years with the OAS where he has worked in sustainable development of the Americas Hemisphere. He will talk on several OAS Caribbean initiatives highlighting win-win institutional, legislative, policy, and participatory frameworks for sustainable development. Best practice case studies will be presented on biodiversity informatics and payments for environmental services programs throughout the Americas. (Email: Rhuber@oas.org, URL: www.oas.org/dsd/Working%20Documents/Bioandpay.htm N. Lynn Gape, Deputy Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust. Formerly the Director of Education for the BNT with over 34 years of experience working in education in The Bahamas. Joining the Trust in 1991 allowed Mrs. Gape to work with the Bahamas Ministry of Education and the West Indian Whistling Duck and Wetlands Conservation Project to develop the widely-used environmental resource Wondrous West Indian Wetlands. She also collaborated in 2007 with the American Museum of Natural History to produce another teacher’s resource Treasures in the Sea, adopted by the Ministry of the Education as the approved resource for teaching about marine life. Working with Birdlife International she developed the Important Bird Areas Programme in the Bahamas and with Dr. Sorenson developed the beginning courses used to teach local IBA Site Support Groups about monitoring their sites for environmental concerns as well as bird populations. (Email: lgape@bnt.bs) (URL: http://www.bnt.bs/)
- 24. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 24 APPENDIX 3: WORKSHOP EVALUATION REPORT AND LETTERS OF APPRECIATION FROM PARTICIPANTS SCSCB CWC WATERBIRD & WETLAND MONITORING TRAINING WORKSHOP NASSAU, BAHAMAS, FEBRUARY 23‐27, 2011 Workshop Evaluation Report Methodology of the Evaluation Evaluation forms were completed at the end of the workshop by each of the 22 participants. Participants were asked to assess how well the workshop objectives were met and to rate the quality of the workshop activities, their personal outcomes, and the facilitators. They assessed the various areas in each category on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest score and 5 the highest (1 ~ poor, 2 ~ satisfactory, 3 ~ good, 4 ~ very good, 5 ~ excellent). If participants did not attend a particular presentation or activity, they were asked to leave the question blank. Several open‐response questions were also on the form. Evaluation Form Questions and Results 1. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with the following aspects of workshop organization and design: a. Workshop venue (BNT Retreat)? b. Hotel accommodation? c. Meals and coffee breaks? d. Transportation? e. Pre‐workshop information? f. Equipment and materials received? g. Amount of time allotted to PowerPoint presentation, time in the field, and discussion?
- 25. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 25 The data shows that the participants were well satisfied with most aspects of the workshop organization and design. More than three quarters of the participants rated the equipment and materials received as excellent. More than half of the participants rated the pre‐workshop information, time spent on activities, and workshop venue as excellent. In questions where most participants did not rate the item as excellent, most participants rated the item as very good. Hotel accommodation was the only item that did not fit this pattern, however, the majority of participants rated this item as good. Additional comments by participants on this section: • Workshop venue (BNT Retreat)? o Mosquitoes. o Very “natural atmosphere.” o Toilets could have been cleaner. o I liked that it was outside and that we could do some birding on breaks. • Hotel accommodation? o Infested with roaches. o Cold water, roaches. o Roach in room, not hot water, no water to drink. • Meals and coffee breaks? o Logistics for breakfast could have been better organized. Hot drinks would have been good. • Pre‐workshop information? 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Workshop venue (BNT Retreat) Hotel accomodation Meals and coffee breaks Transportation Pre‐workshop information Equipment and materials received Amount of time allotted to PowerPoint presentations, time in the ]ield, and discussion Workshop Organization and Design Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent
- 26. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 26 o Did a great job in organizing. o What to bring… (very good). • Equipment and materials received? o Provide (if possible) pocket weather station. • Amount of time allotted to PowerPoint presentations, time in the field, and discussions? o Some presentations went longer than scheduled. o (Participant answered “excellent” to this question) However, too many PowerPoint presentations during one day. 2. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with the following aspects of the facilitation team: The data shows that the all participants were very satisfied with all aspects of the facilitation team – all were rated as very good or excellent. The largest number of excellent ratings was for ‘provide good background information and were knowledgeable of the issue’ and ‘give adequate answers to questions.’ Additional comments by participants on this section: • Excellent workshop! • Facilitators talked through experience(s). 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Provide good background information and were they knowledgeable of the issue? Give adequate answers to questions? Use interactive methods? Use suf]icient supporting materials? Do a good job facilitating discussion of the issues? Motivate participants to use what was learned in sessions? Facilitation Team Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent
- 27. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 27 • Thank you for everything and being so passionate about all that you do. • More interactive methods could have been employed in the presentations. Would have been good to have some activities for the statistics presentations. Perhaps could have used data someone brought from their country. Could have used more visuals in presentations. Also, some presentations were repetitive. Don’t think so much repetition was necessary as some concepts were not new to us. • Knowledge is power. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. • Facilitators were full of energy and it was contagious. Thank you for giving me this great experience. 3. The primary objectives of the workshop were to provide participants with equipment, materials, training and skills in waterbird monitoring protocols, so that they can design and implement a long‐ term bird monitoring program in their country (or improve protocols/programs in place), participate in the Caribbean Waterbird Census, train and mentor others, and form the basis of a regional monitoring network. Participants were asked to indicate to what extent the objectives of the training workshop was met: All participants rated the extent to which the primary objectives of the workshop met as either very good or excellent. More than half of the participants felt that the objectives of the workshop were met at an excellent level. Additional comments by participants on this section: • After workshop support is critical and that has been promised. 4. The participants were asked to rank all bird monitoring protocol/ background sessions and check the ones they found most valuable: 0 5 10 15 Extent to Which Primary Objectives Were Met Primary Objectives of the Workshop Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
- 28. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 28 More than half of the participants rated “Introduction to SCSCB,” “What is monitoring…” “eBird,” “Introduction to CWC…,” “Choosing your site…,” and “General considerations…” as excellent sessions. At least three participants noted that each session of this section was most valuable to them. Introduction to SCSCB, Caribbean Birdwatch program and the workshop? What is monitoring? Why monitor birds? eBird: Levels A‐C Monitoring. What these data show and how it can be used for conservation planning and management? Introduction to Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC): Goals, objectives, proposed structure, why and how to get involved, outline of steps to implement program? Choosing your site, asking questions, setting your objectives, site reconnaissance? General considerations in designing your monitoring program: challenges of counting waterbirds (bias and detectability)? Poor 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fair 0 0 0 0 0 0 Good 0 0 0 1 0 1 Very Good 6 4 7 7 9 6 Excellent 14 14 13 12 11 13 Most Valuable 3 4 3 3 4 4 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Ranking of All Bird Monitoring Protocol/Background Sessions Q.'s 16
- 29. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 29 In this section, the majority of participants rated the sessions as excellent, if not equal to the number of very good responses from participants. All the sessions were rated as good, very good, or excellent by participants, except one session which was rated fair by one participant. The highest number of excellent ratings was for the “Bird Identification 101 & Waterbirds of the Caribbean” session in this section. Levels of monitoring and CWC protocols? Bird Identi]ication 101 & Waterbirds of the Caribbean? Examining the data: Simple approaches to data analysis? IABIN/WHMSI and Caribbean activities? Distribution of migratory waterfowl in LA and the Caribbean: an analysis of survey data and band recoveries? What can you learn from monitoring data? Sample analyses from ongoing waterbird monitoring in St. Croix? Poor 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fair 0 0 0 1 0 0 Good 0 0 4 3 2 2 Very Good 5 4 6 6 9 8 Excellent 15 16 10 10 9 10 Most Valuable 3 4 3 4 2 4 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Ranking of All Bird Monitoring Protocol/Background Sessions Q.'s 712
- 31. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 31 Participants rated the ”Field trips to practice bird identification and monitoring protocols” as well as “How Cornell engages the public in birds sessions…” with the highest number of excellent ratings. In this section of questions, the largest proportion of participants rated each session as excellent. Overall, in examining the participant response from questions 1‐24, participants rated the field trips to practice bird identification and monitoring protocols session with the largest number of excellent ratings. This session was also rated as most valuable of all the bird monitoring protocol/ background sessions by the highest number of participants. Training observers fro the CWC? Guidance on writing grant proposals for monitoring projects? SCSCB Education Programs‐ WIWD/ Wetlands Project, CEBF & IMBD? How Cornell Engages the Public in Birds: eBird, Bird Sleuth, Urban Birds, and other Citizen Science education programs at Cornell? Field trips to practice bird ID and monitoring protocols? Discussion to develop a strategy to expand SCSCB's education program and engage people in birds and bird conservation? Poor 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fair 0 0 0 0 0 0 Good 0 1 1 1 2 1 Very Good 7 7 5 4 1 6 Excellent 13 12 14 15 17 13 Most Valuable 4 4 2 4 5 3 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Ranking of All Bird Monitoring Protocol/Background Sessions Q.'s 1924
- 32. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 32 Additional comments by participants on this section: • eBird: Levels A‐C Monitoring: What these data show and how it can be used for conservation planning and management? o It can show much for the benefit of migrated bird to our shore. • Introduction to Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC): Goals, objectives, proposed structure, why and how to get involved, outline of steps to implement program? o Involved in SCSCB. o Much can be. • Levels of Monitoring and CWC Protocols? o Need nocturnal species protocol please • IABIN/WHMSI and Caribbean activities? o More on valuation necessary, very interesting and useful. • What can you learn from monitoring data? Sample analyses from ongoing waterbird monitoring in St. Croix? o It takes us from just collecting data, to analyzing why we got the results collected. • WIWD monitoring data from Antigua and Barbuda 2003‐2009? o Success story from another Caribbean island was excellent. • Waterbird COUNT program? o Loved the program! • Guidance on writing grant proposals for monitoring projects? o Could use an example or sample application on PDF. • SCSCB Education Programs‐ WIWD/Wetlands Project, CEBF & IMBD? o Shana’s great, I adore her. • How Cornell Engages the Public in Birds: eBird, Bird Sleuth, Urban Birds, and other Citizen Science education programs at Cornell? o Jenn was excellent! I will work with her from now on. o The presentation encouraged me to implement activities done with Bird Sleuth. o Thankful for availability of resources. o Very good and informative • Field trips to practice bird ID and monitoring protocols? • Very good way of learning bird ID, also very exciting. • Needed more scopes. • Greatly benefited from expertise in group. Loved practical application. • Bathroom breaks would be cool. 5. Participants were asked to list 3 aspects of the workshop that they value the most? (e.g., background presentations, sessions on CWC methodology, statistics, data entry and analysis, opportunity to get guidance and advice from facilitators, networking opportunities, field trips to practice bird ID and monitoring protocols, proposal writing session, etc.). • Fieldtrips (8) • CWC methodology (8)
- 33. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 33 • Networking opportunities (7) • Data entry and analysis (6) • Statistics (6) • Background presentations (4) • Field trips to practice bird ID (4) • Proposal writing session (3) • Presentations: Why are we doing this; What has been achieved; How can data collected be useful to everyone (3) • Bird ID and monitoring protocols (2) • Opportunity to get guidance and advice from facilitators (2) • Guidance and advice from facilitators (2) • Fieldtrip for monitoring protocols • Bird identification with in‐the‐field practice • All CWC related training including data collection, outreach and bird ID. • Grant writing guidance • Sessions of methodology, etc. • Bird ID • Opportunity to network and learn from others’ experience • Equipment donated for surveys and resource materials and after workshop assistance provided by facilitators. • The “vibes” in the group. It was a team. Thanks for setting the tone. Everyone was helpful and positive. 6. Participants were asked to please list 2 or 3 most important things (key points or concepts) they learned this week? • Bird ID (3) • Citizens science (2) • The importance of monitoring birds with perceiving their habitats and how our record‐keeping can be beneficial to others and vice versa. • Appreciation (awareness) is key to conservation. • Knowledge is power (bird ID skill is way important in bird monitoring activity) • Knowing how to identify species of migratory birds coming to our shores. • Conduct thorough search of wetlands. • Understanding birds and their relationship to the environment. • How to identify and monitor wetland birds. • The importance of bird monitoring and also how we can effectively work together to compare data and maximize results. • Availability of databases with worldwide availability. • Waterfowl ID • Key things to maintain a good volunteer program. • Networking opportunities • Exchange of ideas among countries.
- 34. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 34 • Importance of CWC to larger conservation picture. Importance of good coordination of CWC, and good results reports. • Presentations • Data entry and analysis • Monitoring protocols for CWC • Survey methods • How to set up a monitoring program. • CWC methodology and better ways of ID and monitoring protocols. • The importance of regular monitoring of bird species within protected area. • The value of data collection and analysis. • Bird identification and monitoring techniques. • eBird • Detectability • Methodology • Opportunities to serve. • Techniques to be used in bird identification. • That there are many resources available via internet to assist with CWC monitoring. 7. Participants were asked to comment on how they will use what they learned from the week‐long workshop? • I will assist the CWC coordinator in Antigua ‐ write more columns in the paper, assist with training others in Antigua, report monitoring data on eBird, and much more. • Integrate CWC in my annual work‐plan. Discuss with supervisor. • Revisit monitoring plan and make/revise plan to them implement. • To educate the community about migratory birds coming to our shore. • Monitoring shorebirds and implementing protocols to monitoring. • Educate fellow coworkers of bird monitoring and CWC. Initiate regular monitoring of wetland and data entry (eBird); Create more RAMSAR sites and IBAs. • I plan to strengthen our monitoring program and educate others on the importance of monitoring. • I plan to work with fellow SCSCB members on St. Croix to implement CWCs in our IBAs and to increase community interest, education and involvement. • I will train technicians and people working in protected areas in CWC waterbirds’ monitoring. • Lead the training of local CWC monitors and other P.R. activities. • I will try to get more involved and enforce what I learned. • Implement and improve bird monitoring activities. • Train others in bird identification and monitoring. • Begin a monitoring program. • Assist in training other persons/colleagues and implementing CWC methodologies. • I will improve my bird ID skills for efficient monitoring of waterbirds within our parks and IBAs. • Designing bird conservation events.
- 35. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 35 • To assist in creating a monitoring program on Grand Bahama. • Do the CWC monitoring at Laguna Cartagena at least 4 times a year. I will start reconnaissance trip in March to implement full program by fall 2011. • Assist with monitoring program. • Develop better monitoring techniques so I can better assist the national coordinator in my country with training and implementing the CWC program. I have also been inspired to go a step further and do WIWD monitoring as well. I will persuade my agency to include the CWC in the office’s work‐plan as part of agency’s overall management strategy. 8. Participants were asked to please list things they felt were missing of could be improved in future workshops? • I think the workshop was excellent. • Participants to make a report (oral or poster) of their experiences (lessons learned, problems encountered). • To my knowledge, it was best as regard to know your birds on the island that we lived. • I think the program is great as is. • Bathroom breaks for the long field trip day and clear communication about meals. Sometimes I felt lost about how we were getting breakfast or dinner. • I think it could have been beneficial towards the end of the week to have had a session where key common problems faced by islands (identified throughout the week) were addressed in an open forum to learn more about what is working/not‐working in other islands. Maybe establish collaborative efforts? • Overall, it was a good mix of topics. I have no complaints. • I do not think anything was missing. • More hands‐on practical activities. • More actual work in the field‐ practice protocols and data entry. • More funding sources information. • More interactive sessions, especially during statistics, data entry and analysis. • Include a session on raising funds in our own countries, do not want to perpetuate the “welfare” state. • Presentations were very good, but need to be broken up with activities, even if it is just an ice‐ breaker type of activity. Remember attention span not long and need a variety. 9. Participants were ask what 2 most important topics/questions related to monitoring that they would like to see addressed in future training workshops or in the development of SCSCB’s monitoring programs? • Data analysis (2) • Importance of wetland conservation • Birds as environmental indicators • Standardized methodology.
- 36. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 36 • Reports to be supported by clear pictures • Networking • Sustainability • Education • Possible appropriate funding sources (beyond USFWS), or how to find them on our own • Presentations of reports • How data is used by planners and policy makers. • Data entry • Statistics and analysis • Banding procedures for migratory birds • Keep focusing on present topic. • How to design methods according to species • Take data analysis to next level; show “how to” use statistics programs free from the web maybe • Is funding available to a “private citizen?” • Is private monitoring encouraged or should it be through an established NGO, etc? • How to motivate communities and volunteers to get involved and sustain this as lack of human resources is a problem • Grant programs available for funding 10. Participants were asked upon their return to their island, what specific questions would they like to use bird monitoring to answer: • What exists in our area? How are the habitats being used? What are the changes in the habitat and bird populations during the year? • What level of biodiversity do we have? How have bird populations been increasing or decreasing and why? Will my children be able to enjoy our biodiversity in the future? • Supply of birds on the island, population size, most important habitat for waterbirds • How populations (shorebirds) vary due to habitat disturbance or climate changes in the next 5 years? (population trends) • Species of concern status/presence; Current species composition/ populations; Identify key wetland features/traits influencing species presence/populations; Particularly addressing species of concern • Population trends of waterbirds in 10 years; Relationship among bird communities and their habitats; What habitats are used by populations of different species of waterbirds? How do waterbird communities vary among seasons? • The importance of wetlands and how we can use monitoring results to make long‐term decisions? • Status of wetland and other bird habitats? Status of migratory and resident waterbird popolations? • The peak time of year most birds are present? Frequency and distribution of species? Species status? • Use of habitats by species and which habitats/wetlands used by migrating species?
- 37. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 37 • What is the general health of our visiting migratory waterbirds? Are the populations increasing or decreasing • What sites require protection as important bird areas? What birds require protection status? • Population distribution of WIWD and changes over time. Also data to support RAMSAR designation. • Over the years, would like to have a database of comings and goings of all birds. • How do I run an effective monitoring program and get people involved? • Climate change impacts on resident and migratory waterbirds. Whatever happened to the turtle dove which Tortola is nicknamed after? 11. Participants were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the workshop: All participants rated their overall satisfaction with the workshop as either excellent or very good. More than half of the participants rated their overall satisfaction of the workshop as excellent. Additional Comments provided by participants: • Thank you so much for the opportunity. It was a great program with great people! • Excellent job. I have learnt so much and I am motivated to do more. Great vibes. • Are the BVI wetlands changing? Are there any changes in the species and number of wetland birds? What is the relationship of wetland birds and the BVI wetlands? • I feel that though certain aspects could be been better planned, it was a most informative and enjoyable workshop and I’m so glad I could be a part of it. I met some really great people and learned lots of new things. I think everyone in the environmental field should get the chance to experience this. Great job guys! Thank you! 0 5 10 15 Number of Votes Overall Satisfaction with the Workshop Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
- 38. SCSCB/WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census Project Page 38 • I always appreciate the opportunity for learning and growing. In the last 6 years working closely to the SCSCB has made me a better educator, better biologist and better person. Just meeting people with the human quality like Jennifer Fee, Laura Perdomo, Ernesto & Anay you can’t help but grow. Dr. Sorenson treating everyone like a colleague is so wonderful, it’s inspiring! • I thoroughly enjoyed ALL aspects of the workshop. It was a wonderful learning experience and networking with regional colleagues was the best part of the program. • Thank you very much for the opportunity. I learnt a lot and now feel much better prepared to get involved in and lead the CWC process at home. • I am very thankful to have been given this opportunity. I hope to be a key part in great successes in my country and region. Thank you!!! • I am very grateful for the network in the Caribbean and the support system provided by the facilitators. I am very happy that not only have you given us the knowledge, but also the tools in terms of skills and equipment. Thank you for being so open‐minded and facilitating our comments and queries. I also like the opportunity we had to share “best lessons learned.” I will also assist the Public Education Branch to incorporate activities on birds in educational programs. • Thank you so sincerely for this great opportunity! • For future meetings/workshops, please consider if: • How can you put a “quality control mechanisms” in eBird (e.g. wrong ID?) • Explore the use of satellite images to track down bird migration (inter‐continental) • Longer period on data analysis and report writing. Participants to bring their data sets. • Provide bird audio records to help bird ID even if we can’t see the bird, but bird making sounds (singing, etc.) • Add a session on “digital bird photography techniques” • Case studies (good & not so good) on CWC should be presented. • Many thanks for a great opportunity to learn and share with such a wonderful group of scientists and enthusiasts. Additional comments provided by participants in messages to the facilitators after the workshop: It was a wonderful workshop. Although we had very long days, from as early as 6:30 a.m. I came back feeling energized because of the passion and enthusiasm of the facilitators and participants for the conservation of our wetlands and waterbirds. It was contagious and I loved it, and I have not put down my bird guide since I returned. Great workshop Lisa! We want to thank you for a great weak and an excellent CWC training workshop. We are extremely grateful for all the efforts made to ensure our participation was possible. We learned alot and want to assure you that we'll assist with CWC monitoring in Dominica.