Mesas Redonda

Speakers: Brian Jacob Hofstetter (Cornell University), Lorena Patrício Silva (Cornell University), Elle Heiser (Cornell University), Augusto Potter, Juliana Moraes (Universidade Federal da Bahia)

Abstract: The roundtable “Young Voices in Ornithology” will consist of an interactive discussion on the challenges and opportunities encountered in the academic environment through the lenses of five students from different backgrounds. Because ornithology has become a career path of greater interest worldwide, and the modern environmental crisis has created a demand for jobs in the conservation sector, it is important to discuss how academia can be well-equipped to instruct the new generation of ornithologists. We will address the transition between pre-college and university for young people interested in entering the field of ornithology. In particular, we will focus on strategies mentors can use to provide opportunities conducive to fostering early-career development during this period. We will also provide inspiration/guidance to other young bird-minded individuals who can gain insight into how to begin their own careers from those who have just started themselves. In alignment with the theme of the conference: “A diversity of voices in avian conservation”, this panel will discuss what can be done to improve inclusiveness and engagement of people in their early career who have a passion for birds and conservation.

Topics the five panellists will cover include:
 

• Opportunities unique in ornithology that drove the panellists to choose this field;
• The transition from birding to the ornithological academic environment in both Brazil and the United States;
• What challenges young people encounter in this transition (language, cultural barriers, etc);
• Academic culture in the ornithological communities of Brazil and the United States;
• How ornithology can be more inclusive and diverse;
• Jobs, internships, skills, collaborations - how the teaching and opportunities for young people in ornithology could be improved;
• The importance of having mentors and receiving guidance;
• The importance of connecting with other young birders in the field;
• Final thoughts: a dialogue between early career ornithologists and the scientific community.

 

Speakers: Donald J. Brightsmith (Texas A&M University), Luis Fábio Silveira (Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo)

Summary of objectives and topics to be covered: The objective of the roundtable (and associated symposium) is to facilitate interaction and information exchange among a diversity of academics and practitioners who are involved in the breed and release or rehabilitation and release of wild Psittaciformes. The specific objective of the round table discussion will be to discuss among experts two main questions:

1. How do we document the best parrot release techniques being used by all practitioners including scientists, governments, and NGOs?
2. How do we get this information in the hands of active practitioners and newly emerging projects, so we stop doing “old fashioned” releases and eternally repeating the same mistakes? We will also determine if there is interest in publishing a paper or special issue of a scientific journal on this topic.

Experience of the organizer(s): Donald Brightsmith has over 85 scientific publications, of which 70 are related to parrots and 5 specifically deal with parrot reintroduction. He has two separate ongoing projects involving developing and documenting reintroduction techniques for psittacines. He is accustomed to integrating information from an array of sources, as his research involves a wide diversity of practitioners that address parrot conservation from different perspectives, including academic scientists, nutritionists, geneticists, ecotourism companies, animal trainers, and wildlife rescue facilities.
Luis Fábio Silveira is one of Brazil’s leading ornithologists with 178 articles and over 2,900 citations listed in SCOPUS. He has worked on a wide variety of issues related to parrots including multiple reintroduction projects. He is extremely well respected by his peers and uniquely positioned to generate interest and bring attention to this round table and the problems surrounding parrot release in Brazil and beyond.

 

Speakers: Ivo Tejeda (Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile (ROC)), Fernando Medrano (Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile (ROC)), Agustina Medina (Aves Uruguay), Jenna Curtis (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), Cullen Hanks (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Abstract: As participation in community science or citizen science (CS) projects continue to grow, so does the need to ensure publicly sourced data is of sufficient quality and quantity for research applications. A growing network of partners throughout the Americas are developing novel strategies to address the challenges associated with CS data-from mentorship and community engagement to building data quality capacity and new analytical tools. This roundtable discussion will provide an important opportunity for inter-regional coordination among the many individuals and organizations that gather and/or work with eBird data.

Objective: Develop strategies to enhance the quantity, acessibility, and reliability of eBird data for diverse research and conservation applications.