CHJV Welcomes new science coordinator

Summer 2009 - The Central Hardwoods Joint Venture welcomes Dr. Todd Jones-Farrand as our new Science Coordinator. Jones-Farrand will work with other scientists to incorporate habitat suitability models and other data layers into a landscape simulation tool that will allow us to predict the outcomes of various agents of habitat and population change separately or in combination within and across the Central Hardwoods BCR.

State of the birds report stresses plight of grassland species

Spring 2009 - A partnership of government wildlife agencies and conservation organizations has released the first comprehensive analysis of the state of the nation’s birds. Drawing on data from a variety of sources, the report examines the conservation status and population trends over the past 40 years for the more than 800 species of birds that occur regularly in the United States.

STATUS ASSESSMENT OF EASTERN BEWICK'S WREN RELEASED

Spring 2009 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Arkansas released "A Status Assessment of the Eastern Subspecies of Bewick's Wren." The report is "a compilation of biological data and a description of past, present and likely future threats to the easternmost two subspecies of Bewick's Wren, Thryomanes bewickii bewickii and Thryomanes bewickii altus."

Cerulean Warbler Habitat Protected in Missouri Ozarks

Fall 2008 - Three Central HardwoodsJoint Venture partners have teamed up with the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation to preserve 80 acres, including prime Cerulean Warbler habitat, in the Missouri Ozarks.

The Nature Conservancy, the American Bird Conservancy and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation worked together to purchase the property from a private landowner.

Grassland SURVEY COMPLETES FIRST FIELD SEASON

Summer 2008 - Field crews in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee completed the first field season of a project designed to assess the distribution and abundance of priority grassland birds. More than 7000 birds were recorded during 3500 point counts conducted in 25 counties across the 4 states.

The project is designed not only to assess the current population levels of and habitat use by priority grassland species, but also to develop a monitoring protocol that can be used by state agencies and others to provide valid estimates of population sizes.

CHJV HONORED FOR FOREST BIRD MODELS

Spring 2008 - Innovative modeling work by the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture was recently honored with a Wings Across the Americas Award. The award is presented each year by the US Forest Service to recognize Forest Service employees and their partners for outstanding work on bird, bat and butterfly conservation.

CHJV Implements two Coordinated Bird Monitoring Projects

Winter 2007-08 - The Central Hardwoods Joint Venture is using the principles of Coordinated Bird Monitoring to estimate the population size and distribution of Cerulean Warblers and assess the effects of savanna-woodland restorations on priority bird populations in the Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region. The first field season for both projects was completed in 2007.

CHJV Works with Yucatan Partners

Summer 2007 - The Central Hardwoods Joint Venture is working with the newly formed Yucatan Peninsula Alliance for Birds (AAPY) to identify and protect critical wintering and stopover habitat for migratory bird species.