Program: Jeff Wells, The Biggest Bird Conservation Story You’ve Never Heard – the Boreal Forest of North America

Please note this program will be offered in ZOOM.

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The Boreal Forest of North America is one of the world’s last, large intact forest regions is the Boreal Forest of North America, stretching from Alaska east to Newfoundland. Supporting between one and three billion birds, the Boreal Forest is aptly named North America’s “Bird Nursery”. Few people know that some of the world’s largest land conservation actions, to protect birds and their habitats, are underway in the Boreal. Led by Indigenous governments and communities, they are forging new, exciting partnership and stewardship models. Much of the migratory and winter bird life of Maine comes from the Boreal Forest. National Audubon’s Boreal Conservation program is working to conserve the Boreal Forest through some innovative, collaborative models with Indigenous peoples, and through modern research with partners like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Jeffrey V. Wells , Ph.D., is the Vice-president of Boreal Conservation for the National Audubon Society. His career can only be described as prolific and prestigious. In 1998, Jeff published “Important Bird Areas in New York State”, a highly acclaimed handbook to determine the highest-priority bird conservation areas, for use by state and federal agencies, land trusts, and others.

Jeff spent the subsequent decades accruing extensive experiences with Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (where he continues as an Associate of the Lab), the International Boreal Conservation Campaign and Boreal Song Initiative. He is an active birder, and for 12 years was a member of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Sapsuckers birding team, which won the prestigious World Series of Birding in 2001 and 2002. His birding expertise comprises much of North America (Northwest Territories to Mexico), the Lesser Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. He and his wife, Allison Childs Wells, have created the websites www.arubabirds.com and www.bonairebirds.com, additionally co-authoring several, significant books on birds and conservation issues.