Proposed Symposia
National Shorebird Conservation Plans: From Planning to Implementation
Diego Luna Quevedo and Natalia Martinez-Curci
diego.luna@manomet.org; nmartinezcurci@conicet.gov.ar
Over recent years, several countries across the Western Hemisphere have developed national shorebird conservation plans as instruments to prioritize sites and actions, coordinate stakeholders, and advance the implementation of international commitments. These plans are grounded in conceptual frameworks supported by scientific evidence. However, a significant gap persists between planning and the effective implementation of these plans, representing a major challenge for translating knowledge into decision-making, management, and conservation practice. This symposium proposes to examine the current status of national shorebird conservation plans in Latin America, with an emphasis on lessons learned, the role of scientific research, and emerging opportunities to strengthen their impact. Drawing on experiences from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico, the symposium will address critical issues such as multilevel governance, interinstitutional coordination, the integration of science and public policy, as well as the financing and capacity challenges required for implementation. Particular attention will be given to enabling and limiting factors influencing implementation processes. A specific focus will be placed on how national plans can contribute to effective conservation at critical shorebird sites and support the implementation of coordinated flyway-scale strategies. The symposium aims to create a space for exchange among professionals working in government agencies, civil society organizations, scientific institutions, and academia, with the goal of identifying practical solutions to close the gap between planning and action, and thereby ensure the long-term conservation of shorebirds and their habitats.
Working group for the study and conservation of the Wilson's Plover in the Americas
Daniela Michelle Valdez-Gámez
danielamiv_12@alu.uabcs.mx
The Wilson's Plover (Anarhynchus wilsonia) is an emblematic species of coastal and wetland ecosystems in the Americas, whose conservation depends closely on the integrity of beaches, intertidal flats, coastal lagoons, and natural salt flats. Various threats, such as habitat loss, anthropogenic disturbance, and the effects of climate change, along with a lack of information on the plover, highlight the importance of conducting studies on its distribution, population status, and abundance throughout its range. The limited data available on population trends indicate that Wilson's Plover populations are declining due to human-caused disturbances and habitat loss. This symposium aims to bring together researchers and students to share knowledge, scientific advances, and management experiences related to the distribution, reproductive ecology, population trends, habitat use, migratory movements, and conservation of the Wilson's Plover across its range. The symposium will also promote the exchange of monitoring methodologies, population analyses, and conservation tools applied to priority wetlands and coastal areas. It aims to foster collaboration among different countries, contributing to the development of research protocols and strategies, as well as effective communication, that will enable the long-term protection of the species and the ecosystems on which it depends.
Phalarope Research and Conservation
Emm Clark
emily@sagelandcollaborative.org
Please join us for the Phalarope Research and Conservation Symposium. We are seeking presentations regarding Wilson's, Red, and Red-necked Phalaropes at any stage of their life cycle and limiting factors. We are interested in topics like monitoring efforts, tagging and movement studies, and trends, but also social science research and human dimensions campaigns, community science, environmental education, community based leadership, governance, policy, climate change, and habitat studies.
Connecting Communities through Research for Conservation: 15 Years of Data to Action along the Pacific Americas Flyway
Matt Reiter, Eduardo Palacios, Diana Eusse and Catherine Hickey
mreiter@pointblue.org; epalacio@cicese.edu.mx; deusse-CTR@pointblue.org; chickey@pointblue.org
The Migratory Shorebird Project (MSP) is currently the most extensive coordinated network for monitoring, research, and conservation of non-breeding shorebirds along the Pacific Americas Flyway. Since its inception in 2011, the participation of researchers and partners from multiple sectors and across 13 countries has been vital to connecting diverse communities and bringing the data into action. The MSP has focused on three primary goals in support of its vision to guide and measure the success of conservation strategies that will reverse declines and ensure thriving and resilient shorebird populations. (1) Increased knowledge of shorebird population trends and threats inform decision-making and strategic conservation actions. (2) Shorebirds and their habitats are considered indicators of ecosystem services and multiple benefits among local communities, producers, government agencies, and other stakeholders. (3) Strengthened capacity, data use, and networks increase implementation of conservation actions benefiting shorebirds and human communities. Starting in 2024, the MSP+ Science to Action grants program has annually provided essential resources to the MSP partner network to implement the objectives of MSP and the Pacific Americas Shorebird Conservation Initiative. Our proposed symposium will provide talks from the MSP network highlighting the innovative science, capacity building and conservation actions that are realizing conservation benefits for non-breeding shorebirds and connecting communities along the Pacific Americas Flyway.
Capacity-Building for Shorebird Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Building Networks, Knowledge, and Action
Isadora Angarita-Martinez, Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta and Jeisson Zamudio
iangarita@manomet.org; omh28@cornell.edu; jzamudio@manomet.org
Effective shorebird conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean requires more than technical knowledge; it demands diverse leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and innovative approaches to capacity-building. This workshop will bring together representatives from regional training programs, conservation initiatives, and academic and non-academic sectors to explore how current capacity-building efforts are responding to the evolving needs of shorebird conservation across migratory flyways. In addition to a series of presentations on initiatives focused on building capacity for shorebird conservation, the session will promote dialogue among participants to identify existing gaps, opportunities for collaboration, and emerging needs that are often not addressed through formal academic programs. The workshop will highlight how different initiatives complement one another as part of a broader conservation learning pathway, engaging participants from diverse disciplines and professional backgrounds. Collectively, participants will discuss questions such as: What capacities are currently most urgently needed for shorebird conservation? How can initiatives better articulate and coordinate their contributions? How can we measure capacity-building needs and evaluate whether existing programs are effectively responding to them across different countries and contexts? The session aims to foster a collaborative discussion around more inclusive, measurable, and adaptive approaches to capacity-building for shorebird conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean, while simultaneously strengthening connections among existing and emerging initiatives.
Hemispheric Knowledge and Conservation of Shorebirds in Human-Managed Landscapes
Alexis Araujo Quintero
cancerbero.aaq@gmail.com
In the current context of rapid human development, anthropogenic environments have become critically important for the research and conservation of shorebirds, serving as alternative or complementary habitats in the face of changes to natural ecosystems. Among these habitats, grasslands, agricultural lands, and coastal areas stand out, where it has been determined that knowledge of management in these productive systems is essential for the sustenance of both shorebirds and people. Migratory shorebirds are highly vulnerable throughout their annual cycle; therefore, the effective conservation of these species requires an understanding of the interaction between their migratory patterns, resource use, and population trends in the face of anthropogenic modifications and changes to the habitat. This knowledge is fundamental for designing and establishing management strategies and conservation policies applicable in their breeding, refueling, and wintering areas. The symposium aims to: 1) Foster interdisciplinary dialogue, with an emphasis on current research, to analyze the biology of shorebirds in disturbed landscapes in North, Central, and South America; and 2) Present case studies covering diverse species, geographic areas, and habitat types in breeding, migration, and wintering areas. Shorebirds in human-altered environments serve as indicators of environmental health and of how species adapt their habitat use in these settings, enabling scientists to identify and protect non-natural but essential biodiversity “hotspots” along migratory routes.
Building a Community of Practice for the Conservation of Shorebirds in Salt production Landscapes in Latin America
Julia Salazar Perla
jsalazar@manomet.org
Traditional salt farms in Latin America are productive landscapes that support coastal livelihoods and provide habitat for migratory and resident shorebirds. However, these systems face common challenges related to climate change, habitat loss, water management, pollution, and the economic sustainability of the salt industry. This Symposium aims to create a participatory space for exchanging experiences among researchers, conservation organizations, and coastal communities working in artisanal salt-pan landscapes. Drawing on six years of experience in the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras, we will discuss how local knowledge, community participation, and collaborative work can simultaneously strengthen shorebird conservation and the resilience of salt farming communities. The workshop will include short presentations, participatory discussions, and collective identification of shared challenges among Latin American countries. We will also explore topics such as participatory monitoring, the inclusion of women producers, climate resilience, habitat management, and the development of shorebird conservation projects tailored to the needs of the salt production sector. As a result, we aim to lay the groundwork for a regional Community of Practice rooted in the local realities of producers, promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective solutions to strengthen the conservation of shorebirds and coastal wetlands in artisanal salt production landscapes.
Shorebird conservation in productive landscapes of the Western Hemisphere
Juanita Fonseca, Salvadora Morales and Joaquin Aldabe jfonseca@manomet.org; smorales@manomet.org; jaldabe@manomet.org
As natural wetlands are transformed and degraded, artificial wetlands have become increasingly important for birds. In this context, various production systems serve as alternative habitats for numerous shorebird species along their migration routes and breeding areas. In different regions of the Western Hemisphere, anthropogenic environments such as shrimp farms, salinas, rice fields, and pastures support significant concentrations of shorebirds during different stages of their life cycle. This symposium will bring together research, monitoring, and management experiences of shorebirds in production systems, aiming to create a space for exchange among researchers, managers, and conservation organizations on the role of these environments as complementary habitats for shorebirds. Through case studies and management experiences, the symposium will address habitat use, reproductive ecology, production practices compatible with birds, and opportunities for collaboration with productive sectors. It will also discuss challenges associated with intensified production, climate change, and habitat loss, as well as strategies to integrate shorebird conservation into more sustainable and resilient production models.
From citizen science to conservation action: applications of participatory monitoring for shorebirds of the Americas
Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta, Jorge Enrique Parra-Bastos, Richard Johnston-González and Natalia S. Martinez-Curci
omh28@cornell.edu; jparra@wcs.org; richard.johnston@audubon.org; nmartinezcurci@conicet.gov.ar
Citizen science databases and participatory monitoring programs have become essential tools for understanding bird distribution, abundance, migratory phenology, and population trends at large spatial scales. For shorebirds, whose annual cycles connect different countries and regions, these data offer a valuable opportunity to complement systematic monitoring and guide conservation actions. Platforms such as eBird, and derived products such as Status and Trends, currently provide large-scale information on weekly abundance, seasonal movements, population trends, and the proportion of hemispheric populations using specific areas. Likewise, long-term initiatives such as Christmas Bird Counts provide historical and standardized information to assess changes in bird distribution and abundance. At the same time, several continental, regional, and local efforts collect standardized shorebird data with the participation of hundreds of volunteers. This symposium will showcase current applications of citizen science, participatory monitoring, and other collaborative shorebird programs across the Americas to identify key sites, assess population trends, understand migration and seasonal habitat use, evaluate reproductive success, support conservation planning, and connect data products with local management actions. In particular, it aims to encourage broader use of these tools in Latin America, where the recent growth of public participation offers an opportunity to strengthen scientific studies, conservation plans, and decision-making processes.
Hudsonian Godwit ecology and conservation: towards revisiting the conservation plan
Juan G. Navedo, Nathan Senner, Natalia Martínez-Curci and Rob Clay
jgnavedo@uach.cl
Species conservation plans are essential tools for guiding coordinated actions, especially for migratory species. However, to remain effective, they must be periodically reviewed in light of new ecological knowledge, changes in the species’ conservation status, and emerging challenges to their implementation. This symposium aims to bring together recent advances in the ecology and conservation of Limosa haemastica, a transhemispheric migratory species recently reclassified as Vulnerable at the global level by the IUCN, and included in Annex I of CMS. The species’ Conservation Plan, published in 2010, served as a key framework for guiding research and action priorities. Since then, substantial information has been generated on critical aspects of its annual and life cycles, including migratory connectivity, habitat use, trophic ecology, physiology, genomics, survival, ontogeny, summering, anthropogenic disturbance, and relationships with other species and socio-ecological systems. The objective of the symposium will be to integrate this knowledge to identify updated conservation priorities and discuss, together with government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, researchers, and international networks, the next steps for revising and implementing the Conservation Plan for L. haemastica. Given that the species utilizes a vast network of wetlands, grasslands, and coastal and inland habitats throughout the Americas, actions aimed at improving its conservation status could also benefit other shorebirds that share key habitats. Thus, the symposium will help strengthen hemispheric coordination and assess the potential for developing an initiative for the species under the R2R.
Conserving Shorebird Habitats with Interdisciplinary Approaches
Ballantyne Puin Castaño and Johann Khamil Delgado Gallego
ballantynegc@gmail.com; jkdelgadog@gmail.com
Shorebird conservation requires integrated approaches capable of responding to the ecological, physical, social, and economic challenges facing coastal landscapes and wetlands across the Western Hemisphere. In many critical sites for these species, habitat loss, degradation, and transformation are associated with coastal urbanization, infrastructure development, tourism pressure, erosion, climate change, and local socioeconomic dynamics that affect the ecological functionality of essential areas for feeding, resting, breeding, and migratory connectivity. The objective of this symposium is to create a space for dialogue among researchers, communities, managers, environmental organizations, and professionals from different disciplines to identify opportunities for collaboration, share lessons learned, and strengthen conservation actions with territorial impact. The symposium will highlight experiences related to nature-based solutions, resilient coastal design, wetland and beach restoration, biodiversity-compatible infrastructure, monitoring through emerging technologies, responsible tourism, environmental education, and local governance models. This symposium seeks to demonstrate that effective shorebird conservation depends on broad partnerships, where ecological knowledge is combined with technical, social, and economic solutions that respond to the real challenges faced by coastal landscapes and wetlands across the Western Hemisphere.
Practicalities of site conservation: Lessons from 40 years of WHSRN
Rob Clay
rclay@manomet.org
The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) is a site-based conservation initiative launched in 1985 to protect the most important breeding, stopover, and wintering sites for shorebirds throughout the Americas. To date, WHSRN partners at 126 sites in 20 countries are conserving nearly 16 million hectares of shorebird habitat. The idea for an international “series of protected areas linking key sites” for shorebirds throughout their range was first proposed in 1982, and the first WHSRN site, Delaware Bay in the USA, designated in 1986. Sites qualify to join WHSRN through demonstrated importance for shorebirds and the agreement of the entities responsible for management of the ecosystems at stake. Responsible entities include national and subnational authorities, joint management boards, individual landowners, businesses, indigenous peoples, and local communities. WHSRN designation is more than a priority-setting tool, it represents a commitment by the responsible entities to manage for shorebirds. As such, WHSRN site boundaries are determined by the overlay of land tenure with key habitats for shorebirds, though wherever possible conservation action consider the larger ecological context of each site. In this symposium, WHSRN site partners will share examples of the challenges they’ve faced, and the solutions found to promote the conservation and effective management of critical sites and habitats for shorebirds.
Latin America civil society involved in shorebirds and coastal wetlands conservation
Patricio Guerrero Araya
patricioguerrero@redobservadores.cl
Environmental institutionality in Latin America have grown in recent years, adopting new administrative structures for the implementation, evaluation, and oversight of environmental procedures, as well as incorporating new tools for the protection of species and sites. Despite this, environmental challenges are increasingly significant, requiring an acceleration of mechanisms for implementing territorial solutions that would be insurmountable without broad citizen support. In this context, Latin America offers numerous examples of citizen engagement, brought together by civil society organizations that have led the implementation of national and international policies in local communities. Thus, programs like the Ramsar CECoP and others focused on shorebirds and their habitats implement, at local scales, guidelines from the Action Plan for the Conservation of Coastal Wetlands and Shorebirds on the Arid Coast of the South American Pacific and the Shorebird Conservation Strategy of the Pacific Route of the Americas, sustained primarily by territorial engagement and citizen science components. Today, various efforts exist in Latin America that coordinate the collaborative work of volunteers who monitor shorebirds to inform decision-making and promote their protection in different locations. This symposium invites the promotion of dialogue, learning, and experiences among the diverse actors in Latin American civil society who are leading conservation efforts, highlighting the benefits and challenges and recognizing their potential to support local environmental management of shorebirds and coastal wetlands.
Site-based Shorebird Conservation: Case Studies for Engagement to Implement Conservation
Abby Sterling
asterling@manomet.org
Site-based conservation for shorebirds is a critical component of building a network of protection across flyways and the hemisphere. While many frameworks exist to recognize and connect sites, this session invites presenters to share successes of using techniques and tools, like applied research, spatial analysis, social science, or community engagement to build capacity and achieve goals at specific areas. Depending on the time allotted for symposia, this session will highlight at least 4-6 presenters selected from across the hemisphere and then conclude with a 30-minute interactive break-out component, facilitated by the four symposium organizers. The interactive component will seek input from the broader community where break-out groups will delve deeper to discuss the components of conservation action that hinge on site-specific factors and try to identify innovative approaches to create lasting conservation in these specific sites. This will be a discussion that highlights approaches at all stages of working with partners at a specific site- from site selection, building partnerships, and finding opportunities to integrate sites into existing site-based conservation networks. At the conclusion of this session, the symposium leaders will summarize these discussions and share the results back to the larger community in the conference proceedings.