Director and Certified Wildlife Biologist
Sageland Collaborative
Bio:
Janice Gardner is the Director and a Certified Wildlife Biologist® at Sageland Collaborative, based in Salt Lake City. Sageland Collaborative provides science-based strategies for wildlife and land conservation, and community science is at the heart of their work. Their team works collaboratively to implement conservation programs for wildlife species and the spaces we all share. She holds a Master of Science in Ecology and has over 20 years of experience in conservation and management of natural resources. Janice is deeply passionate about the Great Salt Lake and is honored to be part of this community.
Title: Flyway-scale Partnerships to Count Shorebirds at Great Salt Lake and Beyond
Abstract: Wetlands and saline lakes in the Intermountain West are essential habitats that fuel the shorebird migration up and down the Pacific Flyway. Many of these habitats have been lost to drought and development and shorebird populations are in decline. For 30 years, there has been no census of migratory shorebirds throughout the Intermountain West because organizing a massive survey during short time windows is logistically challenging. Through a large partnership that includes National Audubon Society, Sageland Collaborative, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, a region-wide census of migratory shorebirds at over 200 sites across 11 states began in August 2022. With this data, we can understand how many shorebird are crossing our region, what sites are of most value, and how migration is shifting with a changing water supply. Working together in a partnership and at scales relevant to shorebird populations, wildlife managers can prioritize sites for conservation and restoration actions. This is especially important at Great Salt Lake, which supports significant portions of the Pacific Flyway's shorebird populations and neared ecological collapse in late 2022.