Woodpeckers have fascinated me for two decades. I have coordinated bird surveys for various agencies and organizations, including research on the Black-backed woodpecker with the Institute for Bird Populations. I also worked with the Cavity Conservation Initiative and taught workshops for the Mono Lake Committee.
I was brought up with profound love and admiration for the natural world. I was a tour guide for birding trips to popular locations in western North America and other countries around the world.
My “message” on birding has always included a strong emphasis on conservation. In a world where the demands of the human population continue to rise, the maintenance of healthy ecological systems necessitates the conservation of resources. On the other hand, the cascading damage that results from poor ecosystems will ultimately affect all of the species that live within those systems, including humans. I think it’s important to bring attention to healthy ecosystems, but in order for these locations to be there for future generations, we need to make sure they are maintained. Birding conservation organizations I support include Birds Caribbean, American Birding Conservancy, Italian League for Bird Protection, and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter.
In forests and woods all around the globe, woodpeckers are keystone species, which are essential components of an ecological community.
There are a great number of species of woodpeckers that are in danger of becoming extinct over the whole planet, from Africa and Saudi Arabia to South America and Borneo. Even the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which is native to North America, is in danger. My dedication to assisting in the preservation of vulnerable and endangered species has led me to organize unique woodpecker tours that raise funds for conservation initiatives in regions that are home to rare and threatened species of woodpeckers.
We recommend the following Internet sites as our favorite business partners and non-profit organizations. Got a favorite site? Contact us and we’ll check it out. Thanks!
- Oregon Field Ornithologists
- Oregon Birders On Line
- Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas
- The Bird Guide Pelagics
- John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival (Malheur)
- San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
- Point Reyes Bird Observatory
- American Birding Association
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
- Metolius Recreation Association
- Paradise Birding
- US Forest Service, Sisters Ranger District
- The Metolian