Madagascar Conservation Through Community
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 7:00 PM at the Cold Spring Harbor Library Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot characterized by 80 – 100% endemic species and rapid habitat loss. Approximately 10% of the island still has natural forest, and of that, only 3% has formal protected status. The endemic primates of Madagascar, lemurs, are unique and diverse; there are 100 species, making up 25% of the world’s primates. Tragically, more than 90% of lemurs are threatened with extinction, largely due to habitat loss. Many protected areas, especially national parks, have been safe havens for endangered lemurs. The corridors connecting parks, however, are frequently fragmented and unprotected. Tonight's discussion will focus on the corridor in the southeast that connects three national parks, which is a priority site for protecting endangered lemurs. We will learn about a community-management focused conservation, research and development project, partnering with people from the communities bordering the forest and landowners. We will learn how the project is using biodiversity education, training in sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, reforestation, and public health projects to improve the standard of living of local impoverished populations that rely on the forest for their livelihoods. Through community empowerment and capacity building, the goal is to encourage a new sense of stewardship at the local-level so that the people that truly interact with the forest manage it and benefit from it. About the speaker: James Herrera is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at Stony Brook University, NY. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from University of Miami (2009) and Masters at Stony Brook. He has been conducting research and training in Madagascar since 2007, and most recently has been studying endangered primates outside of protected areas to determine how biodiversity might be affected when the habitats in which they live are actively exploited. His Ph.D. research focuses on primates, but he has also conducted botanical surveys to determine the effects of habitat disturbance on forest composition and structure and the interrelation- ships between habitat disturbance, forest quality and primate abundance. He has also collaborated with experts in birds, amphibians and reptiles, rodents and insects. Thus with data across taxonomic levels he can compare if the results he finds for primates generalize to other vulnerable groups of organisms. James hopes to use this information to encourage sustainable use of forests outside protected areas, reforestation of degraded lands, and recreating connections in the fragmented landscape. HELP WANTED! Preserve Plum Island Coalition is Hiring a Part Time Outreach Associate! In other news, the Preserve Plum Island Coalition is seeking a part time Outreach Associate for an 8 month assignment. Salary is competitive and includes benefits. Check out our website or the Preserve Plum Island website for the job description and details on how to apply. Please note that you must submit an attached cover letter, resume and writing sample to be considered. These items can be emailed to me directly or via the PPC email address. The position will be based out of Southold. The mission of the Preserve Island Coalition (consisting of over 50 organizations) is to secure the permanent protection of the significant natural and cultural resources of Plum Island. The PPIC advocates for comprehensive solutions that safeguard this national treasure; this includes dedicating Plum Island's undeveloped acreage, approximately 80% of the island, as a National Wildlife Refuge, or creating a preserve providing equivalent protection in perpetuity. The PPIC recognizes the existence of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) and the jobs supported by this facility. If the Center is closed, and no adaptive reuse occurs, the PPIC supports the removal of non-historic buildings and surplus infrastructure, the clean-up and restoration of any impacted resources and the dedication of the PIADC property as conservation lands. Please note that to date, over 200 species of birds have been documented as utilizing the island for either breeding or migratory purposes. In exciting news, the NYS DEC has allocated funding for NY Natural Heritage to conduct extensive field inventory on Plum Island in 2015. The intent is to document the at-risk animal and plant species, and significant natural communities, of the island and its nearshore environment. To that end, surveys are planned for bats, small mammals, certain birds (there have been comprehensive bird surveys being done for years now), freshwater reptiles and amphibians, sea turtles, butterflies, moths, beetles, and rare plants, with an emphasis on state and federally listed species, although the scope of work is still being drafted. The Coalition has been working its tail off to protect this ecological gem and we are thrilled to be in a position where we can hire someone to further our efforts!!! Stella Miller President Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Communications Manager - Preserve Plum Island Coalition "Conservation is sometimes perceived as stopping everything cold, as holding whooping cranes in higher esteem than people. It is up to science to spread the understanding that the choice is not between wild places or people, it is between a rich or an impoverished existence for Man." Thomas Lovejoy -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
