Date/Time
Wednesday, May 07, 2025
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
“How citizen science-based tools are changing the game for Appalachian bird conservation”
In collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and a collective of migratory bird joint ventures, the Appalachian Mountain Joint Venture (AMJV) is using eBird’s population models and trends to better understand the status and conservation needs of birds throughout the Appalachian region. Dr. Peele will share how she is leveraging these citizen science-based data products with traditional sources of bird data to provide a clearer picture of how our breeding, wintering, and migratory species are faring in a rapidly changing world. She will share examples of how these tools are aiding bird conservation planning and habitat delivery, which are at the heart of the AMJV’s mission to restore and sustain viable populations of native birds and their habitats.
Dr. Ashley Peele – Science Integration Coordinator, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture – American Bird Conservancy
Ashley is an avian ecologist who has spent 18 years studying avian conservation and management in the US and Caribbean. She received a BA in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University, working on a range of avian microbiology projects with her mentor, Dr. Jed Burtt. She completed a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, studying population dynamics of migratory songbirds who winter in the Caribbean. Following grad school, she became a research scientist at Virginia Tech’s Conservation Management Institute, where she coordinated the second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas’ field data collection and analyses from 2015-2023. During this time, she also worked on a range of collaborative social science and migratory connectivity projects, incorporating a wide range of both traditional and community science methods. Her current work focuses on finding creative solutions to address a range of avian conservation priorities and data gaps in the Appalachian region. In her spare time, she can typically be found hiking around southwest Virginia, gardening, or chasing her toddler around her place near Pilot (VA). Ashley’s office is in the VA Tech Corporate Research Center.
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