Birds Without Borders

Birds Without Birders home BWB-ASF is a research, education and conservation project sponsored by the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc. (FWC) and the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) in cooperation with private landowners in both Wisconsin and Belize. The birds are the link between Belize and Wisconsin.  More than 114 species of migratory birds spend part of their lives in both Belize and Wisconsin. That’s at least 1,700 miles apart! Unfortunately, the numbers of some migratory bird species have been decreasing, most likely due to dramatic changes in the habitats of both their wintering grounds (south of our borders) and their migration and breeding grounds (in North America).

We want to change this. So, BWB-ASF began in both Belize and Wisconsin in 1997 with four goals:

  1. To conduct research on both migratory and resident bird species;
  2. To apply the research results to conservation by compiling the data into recommendations for landowners on how land can be managed to benefit birds;
  3. To educate children and adults about birds;
  4. To train Belizeans so that they could design and conduct the research independently.

Combined, these four goals equal the major goal: Protect birds by conserving the habitats they require to survive.

In Belize, BWB-ASF hired Belizeans to work on the project. Since 1997, 19 Belizeans have been trained while working with BWB-ASF. Now, a year-round, full-time staff of three Belizeans manages the project and conducts research and conservation education in Belize. All BWB-ASF research is conducted on privately owned lands and more than 50 private landowners allowed the use of their lands as study sites. BWB-ASF has also established many collaborations in the U.S., Belize and Central America.

As a result of BWB-ASF research, the staff has made 14 presentations at scientific meetings, had seven articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and submitted two additional articles for publication.
(See http://www.zoosociety.org/Conservation/BWB-ASF/list.php for downloadable PDFs of the abstracts or publications.)

The Birds Without Borders – Aves Sin Fronteras®  Recommendations for Landowners: How to Manage Your Land to Help Birds (Belize and Mesoamerica edition) is in production and 3,500 copies will be distributed free-of-charge to schools, landowners, farmers, non-governmental organizations, government departments, businesses and tour guides throughout Belize in 2007. To ensure that farmers and landowners in all districts receive the manual, BWB-ASF has arranged to have the District Agriculture Coordinators and their extension officers help with distribution. The manual will be a valuable resource for those wishing to protect and enhance bird populations in this region.

A similar manual is planned for United States landowners. When published, we will distribute more than 5,000 copies to landowners, decision-makers and the general public in Wisconsin, the Midwest and the eastern United States.

For more information about Birds Without Borders-Aves Sin Fronteras® visit: http://www.zoosociety.org/Conservation/BWB-ASF.

Our vital work needs the help of many friends. Join our conservation efforts by making a donation. You can make a donation online at the above Web site or send a check (payable to the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc.) to:

Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc.                                                       
1421 N. Water Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

For more information, contact

Vicki Piaskowski
Foundation for Wildlife Conservation &
Zoological Society of Milwaukee
(414) 276.0339 / vickip@zoosociety.org