Ohlone Audubon Society

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October Membership Meeting: Birding for Conservation in Northern Colombia, Alvaro Jaramillo
Tuesday 04 October 2016, 07:30pm
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Location: Math-Science Nucleus, 4074 Eggers Dr, Fremont, CA 94536

Come hear Alvaro Jaramillo recounting his experience of birding for conservation in Northern Colombia. Many birders have heard that Colombia is the country that has the largest list of birds, the most bird-rich nation on earth! So why is it not full of birders? Well, it is on an incredible upswing, but it is still coming out of a decades long political conflict, as well as the effects of the drug trade. Those days are becoming history, the country has done a very sharp turnaround, and it is now as safe as traveling in adjacent Panama or Ecuador. The birding is astounding, and there are some wonderfully unique spots to visit. Among these is the Santa Marta mountain range, a mountain separate from the Andes that has an incredible level of endemism – species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Santa Marta as well as the nearby dry forests, coastal desert, and the Perijá Mountains to the east make northern Colombia an amazing place to begin to dip your toes in the unbelievable birding found in Colombia. Alvaro has been involved in a large project with National Audubon in the last couple of years that aims to promote conservation through economic development. How? Well, by creating the infrastructure and guide training to increase birding tourism in the area. When people earn a living from birding, they will preserve the birds and habitat. Come learn about this innovative program (recently featured in Audubon Magazine) while learning about the birds and birding in Colombia.

Alvaro Jaramillo was born in Chile but began birding in Toronto, Canada, where he lived as a youth. He was trained in ecology and evolution with a particular interest in bird behavior. He is author of two books, including The Birds of Chile and has recently finished the ABA Field Guides to the Birds of California. Alvaro writes the "Identify Yourself" column in Bird Watcher's Digest. He runs a birding and nature tour company, Alvaro's Adventures, where the focus is to have fun, learn a thing or two and just enjoy birds and nature. Alvaro lives with his family in Half Moon Bay, California.

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