ABC EVENT:  MAY 18, 2016, 6:45 PM, Pierce County Library Administration Building, 3005 112th St E, Tacoma, WA 98446 (near Highway 512).

ABC is excited to welcome Dr. Ursula Valdez to speak about research and education to promote the conservation of Neotropical avifauna in the southeast Peruvian Amazonia.

The Madre de Dios region in Southeastern Peru, harbors one of the richest biodiversity in the Amazonian rainforest region and in the world. At the same time, this area is affected by high rates of habitat loss as a result of rapid human expansion, deforestation and illegal gold mining.  Over the past 5 years at the Centro de Educacion, Ciencia y Conservacion Tambopata (CECCOT), we have been documenting the distribution and abundance of avian species with the goal to evaluate the impacts of habitat change on these species. We have also developed a conservation program that aims at training local students in research and conservation practices with the goal to increase awareness on the conservation of the local forest and to promote sustainable living practices.  In my talk, I will be describing the bird research we do in this region and will offer information on the natural history of a few fascinating species found in the area. I will also talk about the conservation work we do in collaboration with local students of Madre de Dios.

Dr. Ursula Valdez is a Peruvian Tropical Ecologist and Conservation Biologist. She graduated as a biologist from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Lima Peru. She holds a M Sc in Zoology from NCS, and a PhD in Biology from the University of Washington. She is currently a faculty member at UW Bothell, where she instructs on courses in Natural History, Ecology, conservation & sustainability and a study abroad program in Peru. She conducts ecological research on bird communities in UWB campus. She is the director of CECCOT and conducts bird research in Peru.

ABC’s distinguished guest speaker for May 18, 2016