By: Chris Soriano, Middle East Program, International Programs, U.S. Forest Service
Tour participants visited with Forest Service staff and their partners who jointly address bird conservation within the National Forest System and other areas of critical habitat in the U.S. including a visit to the Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science in Bolinas, California.
June 24, 2009 - The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) actively collaborates with government and non-government partners across the Middle East to address natural resource management challenges. As Forest Service supported activities take root at the local level, this network of partners fosters the expansion and implementation of activities into multi-lateral initiatives across the Middle East. The USFS is focused on strengthening this network and building the capacity of non-governmental organizations, communities, and land managers to take part and engage in migratory bird conservation and environmental education activities.
Across the Americas, the U.S. Forest Service has a long history of promoting innovative and effective approaches to conserving migratory bird habitat by fostering partnerships between stakeholders across migration routes. These partners utilize a flyway conservation strategy that links government agencies, non-governmental organizations and local communities along migratory pathways. The Middle East Program at the USFS International Programs recently began working with partners in the Middle East to apply similar conservation strategies.
During the past two years, the Forest Service has focused efforts on building the capacity of partners in bird monitoring and implementing conservation programs. The USFS has worked with U.S. partners to host Middle Eastern biologists in the U.S. and develop their capacity in mist netting, banding, surveying, data collection, and interpretive outreach. As the next phase, the Forest Service is collaborating with partners to build regional networks that share data and jointly address conservation issues across the region.
In an effort to further develop partnerships in the region, the Forest Service's Middle East and Migratory Bird programs recently hosted a two-week partnership development study tour for nine individuals who work on bird conservation issues along the Great Rift Valley (GRV). The GRV stretches from northern Syria to Mozambique and connects the breeding grounds of migratory birds in Europe and Asia to their wintering grounds in Africa. Over 500 million birds travel this route during their annual migrations. Consequently, the conservation of bird habitat along the GRV is critical and of global importance. Participants represented seven countries along the GRV, including: Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, and the West Bank.
This study tour strived to facilitate a better understanding of the conservation priorities for migratory birds along the GRV; explore U.S. models for conservation; and promote dialogue and cross-border relationships. Participants visited with Forest Service staff and their partners who jointly address bird conservation within the National Forest System and other areas of critical habitat in the U.S. Visits included the Sonoran Joint venture in Arizona; PRBO Conservation Science in California; the Klamath Bird Observatory in Oregon; the City of Chicago; and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie; and provided participants an opportunity to strengthen their cooperative ties with the Forest Service and its U.S. partners.
Through a mix of field visits and workshop sessions, participants critically examined various models for partnership development, capacity building of young biologists, conservation in urban areas and degraded landscapes, and ecotourism opportunities. In the coming months, the Forest Service will build on the study tour and conduct workshops in the region that address some of the critical issues identified during the study tour.
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