provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The Sanibel Captiva Audubon Society is excited to announce their third, and last, lecture of the year: The conservation biology of two famously Floridian raptors: Swallow-tailed Kites and Southeastern American Kestrels from Dr. Ken Meyer of the Avian Research Conservation Institute. Dr. Meyer will provide history and updates for the long-term studies by Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) on two raptor species that share a common dependance on Florida’s distinctive native plant and animal biodiversity: the Swallow-tailed Kite, a long-distance neotropical migrant; and the Southeastern American Kestrel, a non-migratory genetically distinct subspecies.
Dr. Meyer’s presentation highlights the importance of native insect species, and the communities that support these species, to the survival and successful reproduction of these charismatic and threatened birds of prey. He also will tell us about ARCI’s strategies for turning careful, timely research into well-crafted management practices that can – and should – be delivered by federal and state natural resource agencies, public conservation and citizen-science organizations, timber companies, and private land owners and managers.
Dr. Meyer, who received his B.S. in Zoology from the University of Maine and his Ph.D in Zoology/Behavioral Ecology from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), has studied the conservation biology of birds in Florida and beyond since the 1980’s, beginning with his research on Swallow-tailed Kites, which continues to this day. After serving as a Post-doctoral Associate and then Research Associate at the University of Florida from 1988 to 1992, he conducted studies of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and the bird communities of south Florida pinelands for the National Park Service in Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park.
In 1997, Ken co-founded ARCI and soon branched out to other research challenges on a broader range of species. He has served on species status-review committees for state agencies and biological review panels for National Wildlife Refuges; and as a graduate student advisor and committee member in his position as an adjunct Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. Ken, who received a Partners in Flight Research Award for his contributions to bird conservation, provides frequent university guest lectures, conducts training workshops for conservation professionals, and presents many programs each year to citizen conservation groups on ARCI’s research and its implications for bird conservation. He feels very fortunate that, in his many roles for ARCI, he seems to have found the best of many professional worlds.
The presentation will be held at the Sanibel Community House on Wednesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. No reservations are required. Seating will begin at 5:30 p.m. A $10 suggested donation is always welcomed. For any questions please contact San-Cap Audubon via email at san.capaudubon@gmail.com. San-Cap Audubon board members are looking forward to Laakkonen’s presentation and mingling with the island’s birding enthusiasts.
Leave a Comment