Engagement Manager, Saline Lakes Program
National Audubon Society
Bio:
Max Malmquist is the Engagement Manager for the National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Program, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He works toward the Saline Lakes Program’s vision of “healthy saline lake ecosystems with reliable water supplies to sustain both birds and people.”
Max has a diverse background in community relations, project management, negotiations and environmental monitoring. He is an avid birder and wildlife photographer who enjoys sharing his passion for birds with others. Max is a voting member of the Utah Birds Records Committee, lead coordinator for the Intermountain West Shorebird Surveys, and regional editor for the state of Utah’s Christmas Bird Count Circles.
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.