“Willet, or won’t it? Evaluating the potential impacts of offshore wind on migratory shorebirds.”

Mario Balitbit, Migratory Bird Specialist at The Nature Conservancy in Virginia (and YAMS alum) will Zoom in as our guest speaker on October 8.

Mario will share his ongoing work with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) at the Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve with a focus on the study of migratory shorebird routes in the context of offshore wind. His team, deploying advanced tracking technology, is focusing on Whimbrel, Eastern Willets, and Black-bellied Plovers to evaluate the potential exposure risk these species may face with the development of offshore wind adjacent to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Because the project is ongoing, many “results" are still pending. His presentation might touch on other aspects of his position, such as managing about 70 miles of pristine barrier islands for shorebird conservation; managing shorebirds with people, climate change, and other local factors; education and outreach in rural areas; what it’s like working for TNC; or he might even talk about birding along the Eastern Shore! So many more things he could discuss! Come prepared to be engaged and entertained.

Note: Because Mario is coming to us from the East Coast, he will be presenting via Zoom. Members will receive Zoom log-in information before the presentation date.