Birds and the Changing Climate: Lessons From Across the Western Hemisphere

Birds and the Changing Climate: Lessons From Across the Western Hemisphere

Sat, Jan 27, 10–11 am
Larson Hall at American Swedish Institute
Part of the Climate Solutions Series
Tickets: Free

What can we learn about climate change from migratory birds? Join us as representatives from the National Audubon Society who work in the boreal forests of Canada, the tropics of Central and South America, and right here in Minnesota share how the migratory patterns of the Black-poll Warbler, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Osprey can shed light on how climate change is affecting their well-being–and ours. This session will explore how both individual and collective efforts can respond to these changes.

In partnership with National Audubon Society.

About the Panelists

Marci Eggers is Vice President of Conservation for Americas at National Audubon Society. She leads the development and implementation of conservation strategies across Latin America and the Caribbean. Marci comes to Audubon with years of relevant experience and knowledge. Until recently, she was working with the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) as the Director of Migratory Bird Habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously, she also worked for The Nature Conservancy leading conservation and communications programs across Latin America and the Caribbean. During this time, she supported corporate and humanitarian partnerships to advance collaborative initiatives to achieve the protection and restoration of important habitats for the benefit of both nature and local communities, especially given the adverse impacts of climate change in the region. Marci has an International MBA from the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business and during her business school studies she worked with educational non-profits in Santiago, Chile, to strengthen their operations. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Emory University.

Dale Gentry is the Director of Conservation for Audubon’s Upper Mississippi River regional office. Before joining Audubon, Dale was a professor at the University of Northwestern–Saint Paul, where he studied the reuse of natural and woodpecker cavities and the role of woodpeckers as biological control for the invasive emerald ash borer. He also chaired the department of biology and taught courses in ecology, conservation, and ornithology. Before moving to Minnesota Dale was field science faculty at the graduate program of the Teton Science Schools in Grand Teton National Park. He supervised research, taught graduate courses in conservation, community, and winter ecology, and partnered with the National Park Service and National Forest service on land management in Jackson Hole. Dale has a B.S. in Zoology from Idaho State University, an M.S. in Biology from the University of South Dakota, and a Ph.D. in Atmosphere, Environment and Water Resources from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. His graduate work compared the breeding biology of cup nesting songbirds in natural river corridors and anthropogenic woodlots (M.S.) and the keystone species concept in cavity nesting communities in old burns in the Black Hills in South Dakota (Ph.D.).

Jeff Wells is Vice President for Boreal Conservation, where he leads National Audubon's work to protect the Boreal Forest, a biome comprising of more than 1 billion acres of northern forests, wetlands, lakes, and rivers that spans from the interior of Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland. His subject-area expertise and experience include Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and Indigenous Guardians programs, biodiversity, conservation science, carbon storage, and links between Western Science and Indigenous Science/Traditional Knowledge. He guides Audubon’s team efforts on Boreal-focused applied science and strategic communications to leverage public support for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and Indigenous Guardians programs across the Boreal Forest biome. Jeff also builds and maintains strategic partnerships with Indigenous organizations and governments and with other conservation organizations that advance Boreal conservation goals. His work includes engaging fellow researchers, conservationists, and policy experts at universities, other organizations, and government entities on science-based issues and the importance of conservation of the Boreal Forest.

Jeff received his PhD as well as his Master's in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine, Farmington. He is co-author of the award-winning book, Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao: A Site and Field Guide, (Cornell University Press, 2017); co-author of Maine's Favorite Birds (Tilbury House, 2012); editor, Boreal Birds of North America, (California University Press, 2011); author, Birder’s Conservation Handbook, (Princeton University Press, 2007); and author, Important Bird Areas in New York State, (National Audubon, 1998). Most recently he co-authored the monumental new book Birds of Maine, (Princeton University Press, 2020).

Marshall Johnson (moderator) serves as Audubon’s Chief Conservation Officer, overseeing its Science, Policy, Conservation strategies and field offices, Network and hemispheric programs. Marshall leads strategic direction for hemispheric-wide conservation work at Audubon to address the unprecedented climate change and biodiversity crises facing birds.

He previously served as Vice President for Audubon Dakotas where he spearheaded the development and launch of the Northern Great Plains Grasslands project, which has conserved nearly 500,000 acres across the Dakotas, partnering with more than 300 farmers, ranchers, and communities. Marshall also served as Vice President of Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Initiative, now America’s largest regenerative, bird-friendly land certification, spanning more than 3.5 million acres across 16 states.

In addition to overseeing key Audubon partnerships throughout the US, Canada, Latin America, and in the Caribbean, Marshall serves on the North American Wetlands Conservation Coalition and the Neotropical Bird Conservation Advisory Group, supporting the Migratory Bird Act and the Neotropical Bird Act, laws instituted to protect migratory birds across the Western Hemisphere. An avid outdoor sportsman, he is also a member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council. Marshall resides in Fargo, ND.

The Climate Solutions Series is made possible through the generous support of The McKnight Foundation.