Posts by Rosalind Renfrew 
Globetrotting for Grassland Birds
Rosalind Renfrew reports on her two-month journey to South America, where she worked with VCE’s conservation partners to reverse the disturbing population decline among Bobolinks.
Where the Bobolink Meets the Booby
The Galapagos islands. Fodder for Darwin’s theory of natural selection, home to sea lions and iguanas so “tame” you can nearly shake hands, and the dream destination for wildlife-watchers who seek its famous specialized finches and the Blue-footed Booby. Add to the list: Bobolink.
Nightlife With Upland Sandpipers
VCE’s research into the migratory routes, timing, and wintering grounds of grassland birds took us first to the prairies of Kansas, where we fitted Upland Sandpipers with tracking devices called “geolocators.”
Grassland Bird “Ambassadors” Talk Future and Outreach
A cool rainy day was well-spent indoors this weekend at the Grafton County UNH Cooperative Extension office for a discussion on grassland-nesting birds, hosted by myself and other experts on…
White Nose Syndrome Continues to Spread
Wisconsin now joins 23 other states in documenting the presence of the bat disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), “On March 28th the…
Conservation Action in New England Grasslands
Inextricably tied to our open lands, grassland birds thrive or perish with actions of private landowners. Therein lies both the complexity and the opportunity of grassland bird conservation. Plymouth graduate…
Connecting with Farmers to Bridge the Gap
The hallways of the Lake Morey Resort were abuzz last weekend during the annual Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference in Fairlee, Vermont. I was there to share a dialogue with…
Access matters: closed fields?
From the Birding Community E-bulletin: opportunities for those who enjoy grasslands – from birders to hunters – are vanishing. Across large segments of our Great Plains there are state-based efforts…
An Update from the Grasslands
Amidst steep, continental declines in grassland bird populations, core habitat in the Great Plains and Midwest is now under siege. Millions of acres of bird habitat have been destroyed in…
Grasshopper Sparrow Listed in Eastern Canada
Owing to population declines that have been taking place over the past four decades in eastern Canada, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed the eastern…
Grassland bird experts seek solutions at national gathering
This week leading grassland bird conservationists in the U.S. are wrangling with the drastic challenges faced by declining grassland bird populations. In a symposium at The Wildlife Society’s national annual…
Studies report leading causes of bird deaths in Canada
From cats to communications towers, the current issue of Avian Conservation and Ecology lays out the 9 leading sources of bird mortality associated with human activities. The editors caution readers…
