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Dr. Yadvinder Malhi is a professor of ecosystem science at the Environmental Change Institute of the University of Oxford, UK. He was my professor during graduate school. His team runs an intensive field data program in the Amazon and Andes regions. There could be an opportunity to connect with him and others from his team. yadvinder.malhi@ouce.ox.ac.uk or 01865 285188

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Involving local communities from the start.

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Perhaps raising public awareness through the art of storytelling could be a good topic to investigate. Social Media can be a good platform to launch targeted campaigns emphasizing the uniqueness of Chaco’s biodiversity, carbon sequestration and its indigenous communities it supports. Storytelling can highlight endemic species and draw parallels between Chaco and the Amazon (comparative narratives) to illustrate the urgency and global importance for conservation of this ecoregion. This can be scaled-up to globalize the issue. Deforestation in Chaco could be liked to Climate Change by emphasizing its role in global climate systems to attract international attention, which could lead to partnerships with WWF, UN and others to integrate the Gran Chaco into larger conservation initiatives.

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More peer reviewed publications, more articles in the press, more awareness overall to the general public.

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Considering that there is presence of marginalized indigenous populations, could they be potential allies in conservation of the Chaco? Besides being potential local partners, presumably with substantial ecological knowledge in what sounds like a very understudied area, perhaps elevating them and their stories can help elevate the deforestation of the Chaco to global awareness? It seems like the more familiar story of deforestation in the Amazon has increasingly been connected to impacts on the indigenous communities who live there. Going beyond purely environmental issues may help reach more people when trying to raise global awareness. Of course, great care should be taken to make sure efforts like these are not exploitative and genuinely benefit indigenous peoples. I want to disclaim that I know virtually nothing about the Chaco and the people who live there so this is just a more general thought and idea.

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Could more property be purchased in Gran Chaco

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Could more property be purchased in Gran Chaco

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We hope to have the YBCU WG habitat restoration subcommittee ramp up in 2025. The initial efforts will focus largely on state of knowledge for restoration of breeding habitat in North America. It would be great to add some some subcommittee members with knowledge of restoration in the Gran Chaco (or we could interview folks with that knowledge if joining the subcommittee seems like too much).

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$2000/ month to be on the Chaco

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Sea & Sage Audubon (Orange County, CA) offers student research grants up to $5,000 per year. The research does not need to be in CA as long as the research objectives would further knowledge that would contribute to ecological knowledge of species/habitats that occur in southern CA. The deadline for 2025 grant applications is Feb 7, 2025. Sea & Sage Audubon has also funded non-student projects in the past, submit the same grant application.  Student Research Grants – Sea & Sage Audubon Society

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Figuring out a way to highlight endemic animals/ birds and plant

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Localize summaries and visual storytelling to develop a local collaborative network: Connect with local journalists (newspaper, radio, local TV, and perhaps local social media influencers). With them you could create engaging visuals, infographics, or maps communicating migratory routes, stopover sites, habitat requirements etc. The key here might be to effectively translate technical research into simple, actionable briefs tailored to local policymakers, land managers and perhaps local people/groups with lots of influence and social power. Getting the word out about migratory birds in the Gran Chaco can lead to local community involvement (citizen science) and education programs in local schools.

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Targeted outreach to religious communities. Maybe an opportunity to develop different local partners too.

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Targeted outreach to religious communities. Maybe an opportunity to develop different local partners too.

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Dr. Nalini Nadkarni at University of Utah has given some fascinating presentations on targeted environmental outreach for religious groups and at houses of worship. Not relying on convincing people of the importance of trees using science but rather relying on existing references to the importance of trees and the environment that already exists within religious scriptures and authorities. Reaching people that other environmental messaging may not reach. If there are prominent religious groups in the Chaco maybe they are good groups to try to reach. It sounded like there is a substantial mennonite population there who are deeply involved in local agriculture. Strategic outreach with those groups may help with on the ground action, especially for trying to reach the local people working in agriculture. Some links talking about Dr. Nadkarnis work in that area: https://sciencereligiondialogue.org/resources/profiles-listing/nadkarni/

https://www.nalininadkarni.com/science-religion

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Once the word is out about Chaco’s migratory birds, you could invite local communities to participate in workshops to discuss and unpack sustainable practices that promote land management practices that balance economic needs with habitat conservation (sustainable grazing? Agroforestry?) and/or restoration of degraded habitat that is key for migration. Through these initiatives the YBCU or migratory birds in general have the potential to become a flagship species or perhaps an emblem of the local communities. As an example, owls are considered an emblem/symbol of Athens, Greece, and Greek culture in general. Because of this Greeks tend to always think of how they can benefit owls, in how they manage their backyards, their agriculture fields and other everyday life thoughts and actions.