Shorebird Conservation Planning for Chiloé Island, Chile
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The first-ever workshop on shorebird conservation planning for Chiloé Island took place in Castro, the capital of Chiloé Province in Chilean Patagonia, from 27–29 January. The objective of the workshop was to develop the basis of a conservation plan for shorebirds and their key habitats, using the Conservation Area Planning methodology established by The Nature Conservancy.
Chiloé Island supports up to 40% of the world’s population of Hudsonian Godwits (Limosa haemastica) and up to 37% of the population of Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) breeding in North America, making it one of the most important places in the world for these two species.
The workshop was attended by 20 conservationists and researchers from throughout Chile and the United States, several of whom gave presentations about management and research in the area. These presentations provided participants with key information about the value of and current context surrounding the most important sites on Chiloé. Participants also developed various models and working groups for carrying out a viability analysis, identified threats, and discussed short- and medium-term conservation action strategies.
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The workshop was part of a larger initiative being implemented through an alliance of institutions including The Nature Conservancy, WHSRN, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their efforts are supported locally by Chile’s National Environment Commission (CONAMA by its Spanish acronym) and with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
For more information, contact Diego Luna Quevedo (diego.luna@manomet.org), Southern Cone Programs Coordinator, Shorebird Recovery Project, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.
