by Mohamed Henriques
Just as the Black-tailed godwit embarks on its epic journey from the Netherlands to West Africa, weaving a thread of connection between distant lands, so too does BirdEyes. Our latest endeavors reflect this shared spirit of migration and interconnectedness.
This past May, we took flight with a new consortium, uniting with the NGO Regional Partnership for the Conservation of the Marine and Coastal Zone in West Africa (PRCM) to champion a joint proposal aimed at safeguarding the vital mangrove-rice agroecosystems of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. These habitats not only provide essential refuge for the godwit, but also sustain the livelihoods and traditions of the local communities who cultivate this unique landscape.
Like a flock taking flight, this consortium soared with the participation of local conservation NGOs (like Guinea-Bissau’s ODZH – Organização para Defesa das Zonas Húmidas, and Senegal’s NCD – Nature Communauté Développement), governmental agencies (Senegal’s DPN – Direction des Parcs Nationaux), and long-standing research partners from both the Netherlands and Germany like the Knowledge Infrastructure Department of Campus Fryslân and the Resilient Landscapes group of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Key among these are also the godwit-focused Life IP projects (see here and here), implemented in partnership with our German colleagues from the Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal and Nature Protection Agency, further solidifying the interconnectedness of our efforts.
This exciting new chapter embodies BirdEyes’ commitment to mirroring the flyway connectivity demonstrated by the very birds we study. By nurturing these relationships across continents, we are one step closer to achieving our shared vision of protecting the ecological values which allows Black-tailed godwits to thrive across the entire migratory route. Just as the godwit relies on a network of healthy habitats to complete its journey, so too do we depend on a network of dedicated partners to protect the precious ecosystems they traverse.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to spread our wings and explore new horizons!
