Date/Time
Wednesday, Oct 06, 2021
7:00 pm
Renewable energy is a critically important part of the broader strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change. But this comes with an unfortunate cost to wildlife. Wind turbines alone kill more than half a million birds each year, and many more are displaced by wind facility development. These impacts can be minimized if facility planning is done right, providing a win for birds and the climate.
American Bird Conservancy’s Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign has promoted best practices for development for more than a decade. This presentation will examine the current setting for wind energy development, the future of the industry, the impacts to birds, and bird-smart wind energy policy, with relevant examples from Virginia.
Joel grew up fascinated by the great outdoors, and got hooked on birds while earning a B.S. in Wildlife at Purdue University. He followed this with an M.S. in Wildlife Management at Texas Tech University, where his thesis focused on bird-aircraft strike hazard near prairie dog colonies.
He worked as an ecological consultant in the Pacific Northwest for 8 years, conducting wildlife and wetland studies with a focus on land use planning. His 15+ years of professional experience also includes conservation planning for charismatic megafauna at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and facilitating corporate conservation at Wildlife Habitat Council. He has been a birder for more than 20 years and enjoys working with local groups to make the world more bird-aware.
This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. More information will be provided to the club email list and Facebook group.
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