The Shorebird, Waterbird, and Waterfowl Conservation and Habitat Management Workshop will focus on shorebird, waterbird, and waterfowl ecology, conservation, and management with a particular focus on the managed freshwater wetlands and agricultural lands in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and Gulf Coast that support these bird guilds. The content of this workshop is intended for land managers and biologists.

The workshop will include specific management practices that can be adopted in current land management regimes and are compatible with shorebird, waterbird, and waterfowl management. In addition, this is an opportunity to learn about and discuss the decision-making process for managing wetlands with multiple priorities.

Classroom sessions are designed to bring you the most up-to-date knowledge on ecology, conservation, and land management for these guilds. The workshop will provide you with the foundation to play a critical role in shorebird, waterbird, and waterfowl conservation at your site and foster discussion among local land managers.

This cumulative workshop includes a virtual classroom portion in early August and an in-person field day in each State at the end of the month.

Online Classroom: August 3-5, 2021

Field Instruction: Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi locations; August 30 – September 2, 2021

There are limited spots for in-person field visits and In-person attendees must attend the virtual session.

Topics

• Shorebird, waterbird, and waterfowl ecology including identification, migration, food resources, and habitat needs
• Wetlands and their management, including wetland types and food resources, drawdown timing, and specifics of vegetation management
• Regional case studies
• Managed wetland decision making with multiple objectives
• Habitat enhancement techniques
• Group discussions of management issues

Workshop Leaders

• Brad Winn, Manomet
• Karis Ritenour, Manomet
• Heath Hagy, USFWS
• Karen Rowe & Buck Jackson, AGFC
• Jason Olszak, LDWF
• Jason Hoeksema, Delta Windbirds
• Keith McKnight & Anne Mini, LMVJV
• Barry Wilson, Joe Lancaster & Bill Vermillion, GCJV