24th BirdsCaribbean International Conference: Conversations and Celebrations
Last month, two VCE scientists and our Executive Director Emeritus spent over a week in the Dominican Republic for the 24th BirdsCaribbean International conference. While there, they packed their schedules, sharing ideas with colleagues, listening to fascinating discussions, leading workshops, and—in Chris Rimmer’s case—giving a keynote and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Further Adventures in the D.R.: On the Trailless Trail of the Bicknell’s Thrush
Part two of our DR trip brought us north to Reserva Privada Zorzal. This one-of-its-kind preserve hosts an entirely different assemblage of species and provided our crew with opportunities to attach a few more GPS tags.
Field Report: Playing “Tag” with Bicknell’s Thrush in the Dominican Republic
A VCE team recently traveled to the Dominican Republic to tag overwintering Bicknell’s Thrushes in the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, with colleagues from Grupo Jaragua. Executive Director Susan Hindinger recounts the experience, which was her first trip to the Dominican Republic and Director-emeritus Chris Rimmer’s 50th+/-.
VCE Haitian Colleague Receives Prestigious Conservation Award
VCE offers sincere congratulations to our longtime Haitian friend and colleague Anderson Jean, who is the 2022 recipient of Stanford University’s prestigious Bright Award for conservation.
Fir Mast and Winter Weather Drives Survival in a Montane Forest Bird Species
Recently published VCE paper describes unexpected findings in the quest to understand how environmental processes shape the population dynamics of Bicknell’s Thrush throughout their annual cycle.
Chocolate: It’s for the Birds
Help us spread the word about an exciting initiative to conserve Bicknell’s Thrush wintering habitat. And eat more cacao. It’s good for you and the birds!
Success: Crossing Boundaries for Conservation
VCE announces finalization of the Strategic Conservation Plan for Sierra de Bahoruco National Park in the Dominican Republic. The plan, which VCE helped to both fund and facilitate, aims to preserve the park’s unique forested habitats for the benefit of plants, wildlife, and humans alike.
VCE Paper Sheds Light on Little-known Hispaniolan Endemic
VCE’s recent peer-reviewed paper on Western Chat-Tanagers from cloud forests of Hispaniola highlights non-breeding home range ecology and nocturnal roosting patterns of this rare, globally vulnerable endemic.
Farewell and Thanks to a Tireless Caribbean Conservationist
After 5+ years as VCE’s Caribbean Bird Conservation Coordinator, Juan Carlos Martinez-Sanchez is moving on to new adventures. All of us at VCE wish him well and offer him our profound thanks for a job extraordinarily well done. The personal energy and commitment that Juan Carlos poured into every aspect of his work were nothing short of remarkable.
Sierra de Bahoruco: a Crisis in the Making
Sierra de Bahoruco is widely considered to be the Dominican Republic’s crown jewel of protected areas. Harboring an extraordinary array…
