Meanwhile in the Tropics…
By Olivia Bautch

ABAS is providing ongoing funding for American Bird Conservancy’s BirdScape projects, this year providing support in the Central Andes.

Eliana Fierro-Calderón and Andrés Anchondo stand under Colombian canopy, a rich green haven. Late-season sun highlights the details of compound leaves branching over their heads, and casts shadows to the tunnel of growth beckoned by a series of winding stone steps in front of them. Evergreen drip-tips of the understory and tall deciduous cover are a host for local wildlife as well as wintering Swainson’s Thrush, Golden-winged Warbler, American Redstart, and Summer Tanager. Six weeks later, the latter group will be 2,500 miles away, and if Andrés and Eliana’s progress continues, the birds will have this same spot to return to in the winter- or an even better one.

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It didn’t always look this way. As Project Officer and Director of Migratory Bird Habitats in Latin America and Caribbean, respectively, Eliana and Andrés work for American Bird Conservancy (ABC) supporting international projects.

Since the organization’s inception 30 years ago, partnership in Latin America has been a “top priority” for ABC. For almost the entirety of this term, projects have received supplies and staffing support through funding from Amos Butler Audubon Society.

The BirdsPlus initiative strategically targets biodiverse regions that hold great potential for avian population expansions, as well as economic growth in the surrounding communities. These landscapes, coined BirdScapes, are important to sensitive and threatened species wintering throughout the Americas, from Mexico to Ecuador. ABC defines the ideal region as “large enough to increase the numbers of target bird species, but small enough to effectively manage with partners and facilitate the measurement of results” [1] or usually somewhere between 150,000 and 2.5 million acres.

Amos Butler is currently funding work in the Central Andes BirdScape of Colombia. In her September project report, Development Officer at ABC, Justine Hanson, describes this project’s goals as to “support the creation and management of bird reserves and ecological easements, to develop and promote bird tourism opportunities, restore degraded lands, and promote bird-friendly agriculture.” She continues by explaining the integration of local communities, “[the BirdScapes] typically encompass ‘working’ or productive landscapes, where we engage communities, land managers, and landowners in restoring habitat and implementing sustainable land use practices and agriculture that incorporates the cultivation and conservation of trees.”

These “working landscapes” include coffee farms and others in Colombia’s duly-titled “Coffee Axis”, predominately made up of three west-central departments- Caldas, Risaralda, and the small Quindio. Also a part of the BirdScape is the coastal department, Valle de Cauca. Charming towns lined with brightly-colored buildings, rich and longstanding culture, and diverse populations are sustained by coffee and cacao farming, livestock, agriculture, and several other services such as paper production-services that threaten forest health.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies found that “the Colombian Andes have some of the highest rates of deforestation in Latin America. In Colombia, it is estimated that 87% of Neotropical migratory birds occur in agroecosystems and more than 70 species have been found in coffee systems.” [2] Many of these Neotropical migrants are the same birds that we in Indiana turn lights out for during migration, and manage parkland and backyards for during the breeding season. Latin America, then, is the part of a bird’s year most of us never see.

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On the northern end of the Coffee Axis in Caldas, five organizations have formed an alliance to create behavioral change on coffee farms and other working lands. Paisajes Sostenibles, which translates to Sustainable Landscapes, was initiated by Vivo Cuenca, a watershed conservancy with a broader scope, for the purposes of reforestation, research and monitoring, education, and land management in the region [3,4].

Fundación Ecológica Cafetera, the non-governmental subsidiary of the National Federation of Coffee Growers in Colombia and its Caldas-specific committee, Comité de Cafeteros de Caldas, work to promote sustainable coffee production [5,6]. Along with hydroelectric power plant Central Hidroeléctrica de Caldas, the three groups comprise the local secondary partners, recruited and led on mission by Vivo Cuenca.

Building on the success of their team in Colombia, fifth partner ABC brings a migratory bird focus to the ongoing projects.

“Since 2020, our partners have been conducting Neotropical migratory bird monitoring using a modified ProAlas protocol in the Chinchiná watershed, and in the Tapias-Tareas watershed since 2022. In the 2023-2024 season we have recorded a total of 220 bird species including 18 Neotropical migratory species, including priority species, such as Canada and Golden-winged Warblers,” Justine reports. “So far in 2024, we have planted 10,000 native trees. Since the beginning of our project in 2019, we have planted a total of 208,407 trees of more than 180 native tree species. This translates to more than 2,000 acres of reforestation across the Central Andes BirdScape. In addition, more than 10.5 miles of fences have been established protecting approximately 378 acres of riparian forests and other forest fragments.”

“To achieve these numbers and keep up with farmers’ needs, we have a dedicated team of four forestry technicians who are the main points of contact with the farmers. Thanks to their work, more than 260 farms are currently part of the project.” Two of the forestry technicians Justine speaks of are funded by Amos Butler through a 2024 Birdathon grant. They continue with the others as permanent field staff in charge of closing landowner agreements and advising on-the-ground land management of the farms within the BirdScape.

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When Eliana and Andrés toured seven farms throughout the BirdScape this March, they were greeted by towering trees and lush vegetation- a product of Vivo Cuenca, Sustainable Landscapes, and land management as directed by forestry technicians. Just a few months earlier a dry spell had elevated to El Niño conditions [7,8], complicating growth of newly-planted trees. Funding from Amos Butler allowed the purchase of hydrogels that enhance soil and maintain its moisture level, and facilitate seed germination under arid conditions.

Andrés Anchondo shared, “American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to safeguarding the future of our Neotropical migratory birds. Our work with farmers and ranchers in Latin America is crucial to preserving migratory birds’ wintering habitats. By promoting and implementing sustainable agricultural practices, we’re not only conserving birds and their habitats but also supporting the livelihoods of local communities.”

For an industry so defining of a region as coffee is for west-central Colombia, lives undoubtedly intertwine with the land. The partnership is taking care to bolster economies and cultures, support ecotourism, and integrate sustainable practices for a thriving coffee industry. Approximately twenty-five percent of trees planted are sourced through community nurseries, one of them Mujeres Cafeteras- a women-owned coffee group. Rural volunteers with Vivo Cuenca conduct bird censuses on farms. Comité de Cafeteros de Caldas and ABC host joint birdwatching events for farming families, schoolchildren and youth clubs who have the opportunity to get involved with annual bird monitoring.

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At their most recent visit, Andrés and Eliana identified and discussed next steps for coffee projects with the organizational members of Sustainable Landscapes as well as with landowners. The former acknowledged and shared his gratitude for Indiana’s involvement in their ongoing work:

“ABC is deeply grateful to Amos Butler Audubon for your deep commitment to migratory birds and your tremendous support and generosity over the past 25 years!”

And while we may not hear about them as often as our own, we in Indiana are grateful for the conservation partners and communities on the other side of migration, ensuring safe and thriving wintering ecosystems for our birds- all of our birds.

References
https://abcbirds.org/latin-america-caribbean/birdscapes/
https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/4117/1207/0723/2024_2025_opportunities.pdf
https://www.vivocuenca.org/proyectos/paisajes-sostenibles/
https://www.vivocuenca.org/
https://caldas.federaciondecafeteros.org/
https://fedemaderas.org.co/catalogo-gremial/fundacion-ecologica-cafetera/
https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/colombia-ideam-weather-pattern-el-nino-declaration-news/
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1247847802/drought-south-america-el-nino-colombia-ecuador