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Wetland Managers


International Affairs, Office of U.S Fish & Wildlife Service

U.S. National Ramsar Committee

News from the Canadian Wildlife Service
Available now on the web: The National Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, Committee on Fisheries meeting in Rome. Click here. In French as well. [thanks to Garry Donaldson]

News from Ducks Unlimited's Latin America, Caribbean Program - Trinidad & Tobago
The Nariva Swamp Restoration Initiative Map is now on-line. Comments and suggestions for improving it are welcome as data is still being added.[Email: lac@ducks.org] The goal is to provide the Government of Trinidad and Tobago with management tools (hydrology information, land cover changes, fire prevention, and engineering options) for the successful restoration of the Nariva Swamp.

News from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
May is American Wetlands Month
EPA intends to post information on events and activities occurring during American Wetlands Month on its web site and encourages groups that are planning local, regional, or national events to provide EPA with information about your event. To post your event or discuss ways to participate contact Kathleen Kutschenreuter: kutschenreuter.kathleen@epa.gov or Gregg Serenbetz: serenbetz.gregg@epa.gov in EPA’s Wetlands Division. Click here for the web site.

News from India: A Blog on the Mangroves of Mumbai
These wetlands are threatened - please help. Click here

News from International Water Management Institute
E-forum to be held 2 - 18 April - Lessons in linking wetlands conservation with poverty reduction
To sign-up send an email to n.manning@cgiar.org with your name, email address, and institution. ou will then be sent a username and password and link to the site. It will be possible to post messages directly to the site as well as send emails to the group, as well as to the facilitator, and receive replies. Unsubscribe at any time.

Migration News on the Bar-tailed Godwit
Nial Moores brings to our attention the astonishing migration of the Bar-tailed Godwit. From satellite tracking, the U.S. Geological Survey website shows its routes from the air. Click here

News from Ramsar:
- Ramsar's Centre based in Panama, "CREHO" (the Regional Ramsar Centre for Training and Research on Wetlands in the Western Hemisphere) has recently posted a quarterly newsletter in English and Spanish. Click here http://ramsar.org/creho/creho_info2-1_e.pdf

- Italy has added 4 more sites.

- On World Wetland Day: Zambia named 4 new sites and 2 significant extensions of existing sites; - Bosnia and Herzegovina added its 2nd Wetland of International Importance to the Ramsar List, "Bardaca Wetland" (Bardaca-mocvarni kompleks).

For all Ramsar news click here.

Birds Return to Kashmir Valley as Violence Ebbs [India]
26 March 2007, Reuters UK, by Sheikh Mushtaq, Hokersar Lake - The honking of wild geese and the cackle of mallards have returned to Kashmir, with migratory birds back in the Himalayan region after a fall in separatist violence. Wildlife officials say more than 1.5 million migratory birds, and at least 19 different species, flew down to Kashmir's renewed wetlands and swamps this winter from Siberia, Central Asia and northern Europe. Click here

Improved Tracking for Migratory Birds [Audio, from Austin, Texas, USA]
Earth & Sky, Program #5153 of the Earth & Sky Radio Series with hosts Deborah Byrd and Joel Block. Click here

Migratory Birds are Not to Blame for Bird Flu
23 March 2007, Stackyard - A review to be published shortly in the British Ornithologists' Union's journal, Ibis, critically examines the arguments concerning the role of migratory birds in the global dispersal of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. Click here

Skyscrapers go Dark at Night for Migratory Birds [Minnesota, USA]
22 March 2007, Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul - Two downtown Minneapolis skyscrapers are the initial participants in a new project that will turn off lights to prevent birds attracted by the night time glow from crashing into tall buildings or circling them in a daze until falling. "The Lights Out program costs building owners or managers little or nothing to implement and will save energy and money at the same time it saves birds," Martell said. Click here

WWF lists 10 Most Endangered Rivers Globally
21 March 2007, MSNBC, Geneva - Hoping to raise awareness about the state of the world's great rivers, the World Wide Fund for Nature on Tuesday released a report on what it called the 10 most endangered rivers — five of which are in Asia. Click here

World's Greatest Rivers in Danger [China]
20 March 2007, CNN.com, Geneva, Switzerland - The Yangtze River gets more than half of China's industrial waste and sewage. Europe's Danube has lost most of its surrounding wetlands. And the Rio Grande has become so shallow that salt water is seeping in, bringing ocean fish that threaten freshwater species. Click here

Jamaica to Formulate Wetlands Policy: Future Developments to be Impacted
19 March 2007, The Jamaica Observer, by Petre Williams - In a move to protect its wetlands and the vast biological diversity they support, Jamaica is to formulate a wetlands policy that is, among other things, to determine how such sites are managed. Click here

Stretch in Upper Ganga Basin Declared ‘Wetlands of International Importance’
19 March 2007, Express News Service, Lucknow, - The Ramsar Convention of Wetlands Secretariat and the state department of Forests have declared the region between Narora in Bulandshahr to Brajghat in the Upper Ganga region as wetlands of international importance. Giving details about this, the principal secretary, Forests, VN Garg, said that this particular region in the Upper Ganga wetlands is said to be a favourite spot for the Indo-Gangetic dolphins, and hence, the chances of creating a breeding centre for them are quite high. Click here

Evidence of Global Climate Change Carried on Wings of Migratory Birds [Kansas, Missouri, USA]
15 March 2007, Lawrence Journal World, by Steve Vockrodt "We’re experiencing climate change all over the world,” Roth said. “Whether they call it global warming is a whole other issue, but the change in climate is being expressed in delayed migration in the autumn and earlier migration in the springtime.” Busby said earlier migration in some species of birds has been a gradual pattern during the past five to 10 years. Click here

Maui Man, 74, Saves Seabird Colony [Hawaii, USA]
14 March 2007, Honolulu Advertiser, by Christie Wilson, Kapalua, Maui - For most of his 74 years, Isao Nakagawa considered Hawea Point in Kapalua as simply a good place to catch bait fish, not as nesting habitat for wedge-tailed shearwaters. Then, about seven years ago, he discovered the aftermath of a massacre at the dwindling seabird colony. Click here

Rare China Bird Under Threat
13 March 2007, BBC - The Black-necked Crane has become an endangered bird because its wetland habitat is being eroded. Click here for the video.

Waterbirds Need Better 'Flyways'[Global]
13 March 2007, The Australian - Many species of waterbird are in decline because of a loss of wetland habitats and governments need to do more to protect "flyway" migration routes, an international study said today. The report was presented by the Dutch and British governments and Wetlands International and was backed by UN agencies and more than a dozen governments, including the US. Click here

Associated Article from BirdLife International: World's Waterbirds Find Themselves in a Bind
Efforts to save the world’s declining waterbirds have been brought into sharp focus today with the release of Waterbirds around the world, a global publication bringing together reports from a number of top scientists working on their conservation worldwide. Click here

Waterbirds Losing to Development, Experts Say
"Shocking example" of South Korea destroying 155 square miles of habitat
12 March 2007, MSNBC, Hague, Netherlands - Worldwide efforts to protect endangered waterbirds are falling short as industrial and urban development eat away at their habitats, and hunting and pollution take their toll, according to a report released Monday. Click here

Anarchy in Zimbabwe’s Wetlands: Any Way Out?
12 March 2007, id21, Should farming be allowed in Zimbabwe’s wetlands? The wetlands, or vleis, are used by smallholders for dry season vegetable production and economic returns are high. Colonial administrators cited the risk of environmental degradation to prevent farmers from using the vleis. Click here

700 Acres of Puerto Rico Wetlands Will Be Preserved Forever, Thanks to EPA [USA]
12 March 2007, News Blaze - A series of agreements announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mark a victory for the people and environment of Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Land Authority and the Puerto Rico Office of Special Communities have agreed to protect and preserve nearly 700 acres of wetlands... Click here

Indian Warbler “Lost” for 139 Years Makes Spectacular Return - in Thailand and the UK
7 March 2007, —Ornithologists across the world are celebrating with the news that a wetland bird that has eluded scientists ever since its discovery in India in 1867 has been refound. Twice. Click here

Ecological Boost for Wetlands [South Africa]
5 March 2007, News24.com, Johannesburg - Large numbers of fish, prawn and crab larvae are likely to enter Lake St Lucia with some movement of fish out to sea after the first opening of the lake in five years, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park Authority said on Sunday. Click here

War in Iraq Destroying the wetlands of Mesopotamia
5 March 2007, Politicalaffairs.net, by Ricardo Bruno Ojeda - Defenders of the environment throughout the world are full of concern because the expansion of the war in Iraq is destroying the little that remains of the wetlands of Mesopotamia, where it is believed that the biblical Garden of Eden was situated. Click here

Birds Migrate for a Simple Reason
4 March 2007, CaribJournal by Lou Weinstein - But why do some of them migrate between breeding and non-breeding areas every year, when others don’t? A new study by a pair of ecologists from The University of Arizona in Tucson says the simple answer is seasonal food scarcity. Click here

Ornithologists “Hit Jackpot” on Sightings of Critically Endangered Bird [Syria]
2 March 2007, BirdLife International, Damascus - A small expedition team travelling across Syria today announced the discovery of the largest wintering population of one of Eurasia’s most endangered birds, the Sociable Lapwing. Click here

Noisy Boats, Poachers Turn Migratory Birds Away [Bangladesh]
26 February 2007, The Daily Star, Iqbal Siddiquee - The number of migratory birds in Hakaluki Haor fell by about 50 per cent this year compared to that of last year. However the total number of birds, mainly comprising local ones, went up. Click here

Drought-ridden Indian Bird Park Loses its Birds [India]
27 February 2007, Daily News - Years of poor monsoon rains have left most of this World Heritage site near Bharatpur in the desert state of Rajasthan dry and cracked, while local farmers insist on getting most of what little rain water is dammed to irrigate their fields. This has forced most of the thousands of migratory birds that would once spectacularly descend on Keoladeo every year for the winter to make alternative arrangements elsewhere. Click here

Rivers, Wetlands Vanishing: Fish Production Declining Fast
24 February 2007, The New Nation by Shahidul Islam - The fish population is declining fast as rivers and wetlands are vanishing, experts said yesterday. According to experts, the wetlands declined by 70 per cent in the last 50 years. Click here

Uganda: Country Gets Accolades for Wetland Conservation
26 February 2007, New Vision, Gerald Tenywa, Kampala - Uganda has been rewarded for her conservation initiatives after nine wetlands were included on the Ramsar Convention list of wetlands of international importance. Click here

Uganda: NEMA Warns Kabale On Wetlands
26 February 2007, New Vision, Sandra Lucky, Kampala - The National Environment Management Authority has ordered people occupying the Kashambya and Rukiga wetlands in Kabale district, to comply with the 15-meter riverbank restoration action plan. Click here http://allafrica.com/stories/200702260990.html

President Calderón at “Commitments to Conservation” Event [Mexico]
24 February 2007, Presidency of the Republic, Mexico - In order to deal with Mexico's current environmental problems, the president announced the launching of the 2007-2012 Conservation for Development Strategy... Click here

Number of Migratory Birds Dwindle in China's Largest Lake
18 February 2007, The Hindu, Beijing - The number of migratory birds visiting China's largest freshwater lake, Poyang has dropped by a whopping 40 per cent due to dwindling size of the lake which is facing a severe water shortage. According to survey by the Jiangxi Bureau of Wildlife Protection, the current number of birds staying by Poyang lake over winter is about 460,000, down from 730,000 last year. Click here

A Lesson in Survival:
The Great Lakes Wetlands Centre, set to open in 2008, will offer a frog's eye view [Canada]
19 February 2007, Toronto Star, by Carola Vyhnak - Frogs are probably the last thing that leap to mind when you turn on the tap. But they share a close connection: when their habitat is threatened, so is that stream of water. The natural heritage site along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Oshawa will be the location of a planned research and educational facility that will give visitors both a bird's-eye view and front-row seat to nature. Click here

Civil Movement Needed to Stop Encroaching on Wetlands [Bangladesh]
18 February 2007, The Daily Star - Urban development experts, environmentalists and eminent citizens yesterday demanded immediate reform in Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and a civic movement to stop illegal real estate companies from destroying the wetlands and flood plains... Click here

Wetlands Important to Climate Change Solution
Leading expert says the role of wetlands becoming clearer
15 February 2007, Ducks Unlimited Canada Update - One of Canada’s foremost experts on the role of wetlands in carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas cycling is urging Canadian governments and policy makers to not overlook the natural abilities of wetlands when seeking to solve the climate change puzzle. Click here

Plan to Ease Gulf Wetlands Rules Scaled Back [Mississippi, USA]
14 February 2007, MSNBC - Responding to an outpouring of complaints, federal officials have dramatically scaled back a proposal to speed up development in wetland areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Click here

Smoking Out the World's Lungs [Indonesia]
12 February 2007, BBC News, by Lucy Williamson, Kalimantan - Marcel Silvius, a senior programme manager for Wetlands International, believes we are looking at one of the biggest environmental disasters of our age. "From the drainage of its peatlands alone," he told me, "Indonesia is producing 632 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. "But from its annual forest fires, it produces another 1,400 million tonnes. That's a total of 2,000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The Netherlands emits 80 million." Click here

China's Wetlands Area Tops Asia
6 February 2007, China Daily - China's 38 million hectares of wetlands are the largest in Asia and the fourth biggest in the world, thanks to its protection and recovery campaign. Click here

Caribbean Birds Now Available On-line
Capturing Bird Observations Across the Region
This on-line resource collects data from both local observers and visiting tourists, with an emphasis on empowering citizen scientists and community monitoring groups. It is also collecting data for conservation work. This new initiative enables users (in Spanish, French, English or Dutch) to store and manage their own observations, extract reports and view, print or download maps. Click here to log on.

Valoración Socioeconómica de los Humedales en América Latina y el Caribe
(The Socio-economics of wetlands valuation in Latin America and the Caribbean)
This publication explains the fundamentals of the socioeconomic valuation of wetlands and associated decision making processes. It highlights five case studies from Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina and Guatemala. Click here to locate the free PDF download.

Publications Atlas of Bird Migration Edited by Jonathan Elphick. Originally published in 1995 and out of print since 2000, this new edition has been completely revised and updated, with new photographs and re-drawn maps. Hardcover. 180 pages, £19.99 or approx. $40/€30. 2007 Birds of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands By Bruce Hallett. A comprehensive ornithological guide introducing both visitors and residents to the bird life of the Bahamas Archipelago and the neighboring Turks and Caicos Islands. Caribbean Pocket Natural History Series. 256 pp. $15.95USD Indigenous Management of Wetlands: Experiences in Ethiopia by Alan B. Dixon. This book identifies and discusses the importance of wetlands to local communities in south-west Ethiopia, and in particular, how indigenous wetland management practices contribute to sustainable wetland use. Series: King's SOAS Studies in Development Geography. 260 pages. $109.95/£57.50

Contents   News from Friends Migratory Bird & Wetland News On the Web Publications Jobs & Opportunities International Calendar for 2006 & Beyond

Waterbirds Around The World
This book covers a range of contemporary challenges to aquatic bird conservation and their sustainability. A conference by the same name was held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2004 which started a dialogue on the protection, management and study of the world's most important waterbird migration routes. The conclusion was that urgent action was necessary to halt and reverse wetland loss and degradation, and to strengthen networks of key sites for waterbirds. The book contains contributions from 453 authors from 59 countries; has 264 papers and reviews relating to 614 waterbird species from 162 countries; and presents new data on 170 Globally and Near Threatened species. Click here for key findings. Hardcover; £50.00 or approx. $99/€75. 2007.

New
15 - 17 May
14th Annual International Conference on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River Ecosystem: Making the Connection—Tributaries & Wetlands
NAV Canada Training Institute & Conference Centre Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Click here

New
21 - 26 May
Sixth International Conference of the Science and Management of Protected Areas Association (SAMPAA VI): Ecosystem Based Management: Beyond Boundaries
Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Click here

30 May - 3 June 2007
2nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists-Europe: Linking Wetland Science and Scientists from Eastern and Western Europe
Trebon, Czech Republic. Click here

June

3 June
Western State Workshop: Strengthening the Roles of Land Trusts and Local Governments in Protecting and Restoring Wetlands and Riparian Areas
Park city, Utah, USA. Treasure Mountain Inn. Hosted by The Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc. Click here

10 - 15 June
2007 Society of Wetland Scientist International Conference: Water, Wetlands and Wildlife - Resolving Conflicts and Restoring Habitats
Sacramento, California. Click here

19 - 23 June
The Cooper Ornithological Society: Endangered ecosystems and the species therein
Moscow, Idaho, USA. Click here

New
24 - 30 June
7th Bi-annual Wetlands Institute (of the British Colombia Wildlife Federation) offers a one week course on wetland mapping, inventory, and restoration techniques.
Canal Flats, British Columbia. Click here

26-29 June
International Conference on Multi Functions of Wetland Systems
Legnaro (Padova), Italy. Organized by the Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Production University of Padova. Click here

July

1 - 7 July
21st Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The conference will be hosted by the Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit (TERU) of the NMMU. Click here

2 - 6 July
6th International Convention on Environment and Development: For a Sustainable Future: Caring and Humanist Integration
Havana, Cuba. Havana International Conference Center. Organized by The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of the Republic of Cuba and other. Click here

August

5 –- 10 August
92nd Annual Meeting of The Ecological Society of America
San Jose, California, USA. San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

8 - 11 August
The American Ornithologists' Union Meeting
Laramoie, Wyoming, USA. University of Wyoming. Click here

New
9 - 14 August
12th Congress of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Click here

15 - 23 August
International Ethological Conference, IEC 2007
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Click here

26 - 30 August
2nd International Field Symposium West Siberian Peatlands and carbon Cycle: Past and Present
Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Click here

28 - 30 August
Association of State Wetland Managers 2007 Conference: "Watershed Strategies to Protect and Restore Wetland Ecological and Social Services."
Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. Click here


September

3 - 6 September
International Conference on Environmental Flows
Brisbane, Australia. The Nature Conservancy and the River Symposium are co-conveners. Click here

12 - 16 September
2007 Joint Meeting of the Raptor Research Foundation and the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA)
Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, USA. Click here

16 - 20 September
WETPOL 2007 - 2nd International Symposium on Wetland Pollutant Dynamics and Control
Tartu, Estonia. Click here

22 - 26 September
The 14th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society
Tucson, Arizona, USA. Click here

27 - 29 September
26th Annual Meeting of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists
Lake Opinicon, Ontario at the Queen's University Biological Station. Click here


October

New
1 - 17 October
International Course on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment for Wetland Management
Panama City, Panama. Aims to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to use and apply impact assessment tools in the conservation and wise use of wetlands. [in Spanish] Click here

5 - 6 October
Peatland Management and Climate Change
Freising, Germany. Click here

28 October - 2 November
12th World Lakes Conference
Jaipur (Rajasthan), India. Organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi, and co-hosted by the Government of Rajasthan. The Conference will be held at Jaipur (Rajasthan) the Pink City, 260 km from New Delhi. Click here

31 October - 4 November
World Owl Conference: Owls, Ambassadors for the Protection of Nature in their Changing Landscape
Groningen, The Netherlands. Hosted by Birdlife International in The Netherlands, the Global Owl Project and the World Owl Trust. Click here

December

2 - 5 December
Australasian Ornithological Conference
Perth, Western Australia, held jointly between Birds Australia and the Ornithological Society of New Zealand at the University of Western Australia. Click here

2008

Date-to-be-determined
10th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention
Changwon, Republic of Korea. Click here


February 2008

13 - 16 February 2008
4th International Partners in Flight Conference: Tundra to Tropics
McAllen, Texas. McAllen Convention Center. Contact Terry rich for more information: terry_rich@fws.gov.

April 2008

17 - 20 April 2008
The Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists Annual Meetings
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA, at the University of Southern Mississippi. Click here

May 2008

12 - 16 May
10th International Conference on Salt Lake Research
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Hosted by The International Society of Salt Lake Research (ISSLR). Co-sponsors include FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake, Utah State University, The University of Utah, and U.S. Geological Survey. Click here

June 2008

9 – 15 June 2008
13th International Peat Congress After Wise Use: The Future of Peatlands
Tullamore, Ireland. Click here

14 June - 14 September 2008
Expo Zaragoza 2008: Water and Sustainable Development
Zaragoza, Spain. For more informat about this three-month public event, featuring a specially-constructed “Water Tower” click here

July 2008

13 - 18 July 2008
22nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. To be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center. More information to come.

The End
1 April 2007