Oliver, GA – The South Georgia summers are known for their brutal heat and humidity. If you can time it right first thing in the morning, sometimes you get a cool breeze. The early hours of the day are filled with the dawn chorus.
Williams spends many mornings conducting birding events in private working forests. She takes pride in bringing corporate executives, private landowners and conservation-minded groups together to talk about birds. She also makes sure to mention the risks that southern bird populations face. Since 1970, North American bird populations have dropped by 30 percent resulting in a total loss of more than three billion birds, primarily as a result of habitat loss due to urbanization and other land use changes. There’s a strong correlation between land use, forest management and bird habitat. “We often see more bird species in working forests than other forested areas,” said Williams.
Williams and the ABC have collaborated with International Paper and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative to create a free booklet (DOWNLOAD HERE) that showcases opportunities for landowners to manage their forests for bird habitat. These groups care about bird populations, but also recognize the importance of supporting private landowners. “Private landowners are so important to the protection of bird diversity,” said Williams. “They take pride in the forests they steward.”
In the current economic climate, non-industrial private landowners, who own 86 percent of the 245 million acres of forest land in the South, need strong economic markets to help keep forests as forests. The forests that private landowners steward provide many ecosystem services, including cleaning our air and water, providing recreational opportunities and habitat for wildlife.
EJ Williams is a true champion for forestry, seeking opportunities to talk about the relationship between responsible forest management and diverse bird populations. Keeping Forests has included her interview as a part of our Messaging Guidelines – an online resource for E-NGOs and Land-Grant institutions to use in promoting pro-forestry communications.
Want to learn more about the American Bird Conservancy? Visit their website here: www.abcbirds.org
Linked Resources:
Bird Friendly Forests: Opportunities for Private Forest Landowners in the Southern United States