An Interview With BirdLife International CEO Patricia Zurita

As humanity continues to grapple with rampant environmental points like air pollution, local weather change, and habitat destruction, the earth’s most susceptible species want us now greater than ever—a proven fact that BirdLife International CEO Patricia Zurita is aware of all too nicely. As this esteemed establishment approaches its centennial, Zurita carries on a prolonged legacy of women-led initiatives to protect the earth’s avian biodiversity, all whereas concurrently guaranteeing that BirdLife Worldwide approaches new and present points from a recent perspective.

For Forbes, Zurita gives ample perception into a number of the earth’s prime locations for avitourism alongside a few of BirdLife Worldwide’s biggest success tales over its century-long historical past.

In your opinion, what’s the very best nation on the earth for avitourism?

Oh, you are attempting to get me in bother with this one! Each nation has spectacular birds. As a local Ecuadorian, I’m proud to say that my nation is residence to 1,654 chicken species, from tanagers and chicken of prey within the Andes to hummingbirds and toucans within the lowlands to the extraordinary birds of the Galápagos Islands—and a terrific ecotourism infrastructure.

In fact, there are a lot of nations in South America that I’d placed on this record. I’d say that any chicken lover must also have Colombia on their bucket record. Colombia is residence to almost 2,000 species of birds and contains roughly 20% of all chicken variety worldwide, which is why it’s typically known as the “birdiest nation on the earth.” It has a number of mountain ranges, spectacular lowland areas, and exquisite coastlines.

There are some nice ecotourism birding choices in Colombia that allow you to help native economies whereas additionally seeing all that Colombia has to supply, from its birds to its landscapes to its tradition.

What sort of initiatives has BirdLife Worldwide labored on to guard the avian biodiversity of Colombia and different Andean nations?

Asociación Calidris, our BirdLife companion in Colombia, has carried out some nice work defending birds and their habitats in Colombia and the remainder of the continent. As for different Andean nations, we work with our companion Aves y Conservación in my residence nation, Ecuador, and with Asosiación Armonía in Bolivia, CODEFF in Chile, and Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos in Peru.

We’re additionally proud to companion with ​​Nationwide Audubon Society, American Hen Conservancy, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Funds (RedLAC) on Conserva Aves, which is a robust coalition to extend protections for birds and habitat within the Andean area. By means of Conserva Aves (which implies “preserve birds” in Spanish), we’re aiming to ascertain greater than 80 new protected websites for nature totaling almost 5 million acres and to enhance ecological administration on a equally sized community of significant landscapes.

How has the general imaginative and prescient of BirdLife Worldwide developed since its launch in 1922?

A century in the past, visionary conservationists got here collectively to type a world motion to guard birds and the surroundings all of us share. That very same focus and dedication carry by means of to right this moment, however the urgency of the mission has elevated exponentially.

Making certain the survival of wildlife and the safety of habitat is inseparable from guaranteeing humanity’s personal survival. And we all know we should take the motion vital to take action right this moment. We can not arrange great new targets after which uncover 5 years or ten years down the street that we have now failed. We have to create new programs targeted on nature and the worth it has in our lives—together with economically—and work with the native communities world wide who’re most threatened by the altering local weather and the lack of biodiversity and pure assets.

That’s one other change from 100 years in the past—the popularity that conservation should be led by and accrue advantages to native communities and indigenous peoples world wide.

What are some initiatives that BirdLife Worldwide is planning in honor of its a centesimal anniversary?

BirdLife has completed a lot within the final 100 years: 2,000 of a very powerful websites for nature have been protected, together with 2 million hectares of rainforest; lots of of worldwide threatened chicken species have benefited from the work of BirdLife partnerships; 10 million folks the world over have been engaged to guard birds and nature.

However we additionally know we have to take dramatic motion right this moment to guard the pure world. Not less than 1,000,000 species are susceptible to extinction, modifications in our local weather are inflicting unprecedented pure disasters and the pressures we’re placing on our planet are unsustainable. The subsequent decade is important—humanity and nature are at a tipping level and there can’t be additional delay.

To rejoice the final 100 years and to take the steps wanted to focus our power over the subsequent ten, we’re convening the BirdLife World Congress in September. BirdLife will collect world thought leaders in London to discover matters starting from biodiversity and local weather change to conservation finance and the hyperlinks between the well being of our planet and human well being.

For these trying to take motion, they will change into a BirdLife member or make a donation. We’d like enterprise and philanthropy leaders to step as much as the problem of making efficient partnerships that profit folks and nature alike, one thing BirdLife has robust experience in designing. Folks everywhere in the world also can assist contribute to science by observing and documenting the birds in your individual yard or those you see searching home windows. Occasions reminiscent of Spring Alive and the Global Big Day want volunteers who can take part from the consolation of their very own properties or with mates at a neighborhood park.

What are a few of BirdLife Worldwide’s biggest success tales with reference to a selected species or nation?

BirdLife just lately partnered with the Asian Growth Financial institution (ADB), the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, and governments and communities in China, Korea, Thailand and 9 different nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to launch the East Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership—a $3 billion effort that can allow loans and grants to movement into initiatives that may assist ecosystems recuperate and native folks put together for the challenges of local weather change.

The flyway (a route adopted by migratory birds) is an organizing precept, however what we’re actually doing is designing a brand new financial system primarily based on nature that can spend money on the safety and restoration of important wetlands which might be important for 50 million migratory birds and 200 million folks.

One other accomplishment we’re pleased with is our work with vultures world wide. Vultures are outstanding birds—they’re nature’s clean-up crew and play a significant position in clearing away carcasses and serving to forestall the unfold of illnesses. It’d shock some folks to be taught that over its lifetime, a single vulture gives waste disposal providers value round $11,600. However vultures are vanishing at alarming charges as human actions have each by accident and intentionally induced big inhabitants declines throughout Africa, Asia and past. BirdLife’s Asian vulture program has helped wrench species again from the brink of extinction and we’re excited to work with our companions in Africa to have the ability to apply these classes and methods there.

Lastly, a well timed instance: BirdLife companion Mauritian Wildlife Basis simply labored with the federal government of the Republic of Mauritius within the Indian Ocean to designate the endangered Mauritius Kestrel because the nationwide chicken of Mauritius. The kestrel was as soon as probably the most extremely endangered chicken of prey on the earth, with solely 4 identified people left alive by the early Seventies. However involved Mauritian residents banded collectively, constructed a world coalition together with BirdLife, The Peregrine Fund, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Belief, and different organizations and saved the chicken from the brink of extinction, proving what’s doable once we are decided and work collectively.

What are some sustainable practices that birders ought to take note whereas visiting creating nations?

We now have a accountability to take heed to and be taught from native communities who know and treasure their landscapes and seascapes greatest, so I encourage anybody who is perhaps thinking about visiting a brand new nation for birding functions to be respectful friends.

A method to do that is to hunt out excursions which might be operated and guided by locals. For instance, BirdLife companions Nationwide Audubon Society and Asociación Calidris labored with Patrimonio Pure to develop the The Northern Colombia Birding Path. The path is a community of skilled skilled birding guides and operators, key birding websites, in addition to small companies and help providers. The challenge skilled greater than 30 locals to change into chicken tour guides, together with a bunch of Wayuu folks, a local ethnic group that reside within the Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia. Manakin Tours is without doubt one of the suppliers birders can work with as they plan their journey to and round Colombia.

I additionally advocate utilizing a chicken subject information whereas visiting a brand new nation, both a guide that focuses on birds of the area or a digital app like Cornell’s Merlin, which lets you obtain details about birds in a selected area or nation.

What are a few of your favourite birds that you just’ve seen in individual within the wild?

Whereas I’m tempted to share a few of my favourite migratory chicken species, I’ll as an alternative concentrate on the Andean condor, an impressive vulture that may be present in my residence nation of Ecuador and in different Andean nations. It’s the nationwide image of 5 South American nations and it’s a outstanding image in Ecuador’s coat of arms. It performs a significant position within the native ecosystem, however it’s at present threatened by habitat loss and by secondary poisoning from lead. The Andean condor’s ten-foot wingspan takes my breath away each time I see it—and it jogs my memory why our work to guard vultures and different birds is so necessary.