Speaker: Susan Haig, Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University and Dan Roby, FWCS

Topic:Translating Research to Policymakers: Launch of the Handbook of Western Hemisphere Avian Conservation Series

Scientists are challenged when they carry out technologically sophisticated approaches to solve pressing conservation issues and then have to translate results to agencies, conservation groups and policymakers in an understandable, meaningful, yet non-biased way.  A new book written by 38 Oregon ornithologists, mostly with OSU ties, addresses this problem in the first of hopefully many more volumes to come.  “As the Condor Soars: Conservation and Restoration of Oregon’s Birds” (edited by Susan Haig, Daniel Roby and Tashi Haig) provides the first volume of the new series Handbooks of Western Hemisphere Avian Conservation.  The book is a series of summaries of the most critical avian research and management efforts over the past 100 years in Oregon.  Summaries are written by those who carried out the work and are written in a user-friendly manner yet include research citations.  The book is visually appealing with photos from noted Oregon photographers and illustrated by Oregon artist Ram Papish. Thus, the book draws in a non-scientific reader and provides a thumbnail sketch of often quite complex situations in simple form.  An initial set of 50 books was sent to Oregon state and federal legislators as well as agency heads for their use as the go-to reference for conservation issues related to birds.  Future proceeds from the book will be used to purchase more books to be sent to additional conservation policymakers as well as high schools throughout the state.  As the Condor Soars serves as the model for the American Ornithological Society’s new effort to better communicate scientific results and develop a similar book for every state and/or country in the western hemisphere.