Getting Ready

We are preparing for the first of our two major expeditions this summer, our field work in the Teshekpuk Lake area of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.  We have seen the migratory shorebirds return on their trip north, and their calls remind us that breeding season will be here soon.  We aren't as mobile as the birds, who travel across the hemisphere on their own energy to return to their breeding grounds.  Being so much less well adapted to the arctic, we need to spend much more time preparing!

We will be leaving on June 1st for Anchorage Alaska, where we will spend a week preparing food and gear for the long field expedition.  We will be in the field from Jule 8th to June 26th studying nesting shorebirds.  We will be testing birds to see if they carry Avian Flu as part of a large govenment sponsored effort to get early signals if the virus migrates to this continent.  So far, there have been no cases of this particular virus, but the early warning is key to planning and mitigating impacts should the virus arrive.  In addition, we'll be conducting the first systematic survey of the area for nesting shorebirds, and our data will help establish how important the region is for our rapidly declining shorebird populations.

Come back often to hear updates about our progress!