Brooke Bateman, Ph.D.: “Birds Are Telling Us It’s Time to Act on Climate Change”
This might be the most important presentation you see all year: Dr. Brooke Bateman, lead climate scientist for the National Audubon Society, will explain how Connecticut can protect bird habitat while also making huge strides toward its climate change goals.
Dr. Bateman’s presentation — “Birds Are Telling Us It’s Time to Act on Climate Change” — will expand upon her article in the recent Connecticut State of the Birds Report, “Three Million Birds Are Gone. How Do We Bring Them Back?”
The presentation will also include a discussion of the issue with Connecticut Audubon Executive Director Patrick Comins, and an audience question-and-answer session with Dr. Bateman.
“Birds Are Telling Us It’s Time to Act on Climate Change” was scheduled as the first of the 2022 Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds series on Zoom. The presentation had to be postponed because of illness and will be rescheduled.
Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds presents next-generation leaders in conservation, science and other areas to discuss their research and its conclusions for conservation. The five-part series runs through April.
Tickets are $8 each for Connecticut Audubon members and $10 for non-members. Subscriptions for all five are available for the price of four.
On Wednesday evening, Dr. Bateman will present research showing why climate change is the biggest risk to birds for the future. That research has also shown that quick, well-chosen actions can reduce the harm done to 75% of North America’s birds.
Those actions include targeted land protection and habitat restoration.
She has shown that In Connecticut, there are 1.5 million acres that are a priority to protect, maintain, and restore.
Miuch of that land is encompassed by large forest tracts in northwestern and southeastern Connecticut. But it also includes important areas along the coast, and in the state’s suburbs and cities.
Protecting and restoring it will improve the land’s ability to store carbon, which will help the state reach its carbon reduction goals. It will also improve conditions for wildlife in general and birds in particular.
Proceeds for this hour-long presentation will help support Connecticut Audubon’s bird protection work throughout the state.
Photo of Dr. Bateman by Camilla Cerea.
