by Theunis Piersma

Can you imagine how three Dutch ornithologists –Leo Zwarts, Rob Bijlsma and Jan van der Kamp– mapped out the trees, and the birds in and around those trees, across the entire Sahel, an area the size of the USA? Well, it happened! Not only that, the three of them continued after data collection by analysing, mapping, contextualising with reference to what was already known and then writing the 15 scientific stories, now peer- reviewed and published open access in ARDEA. It is an incredible series of sagas covering 438 pages.

For BirdEyes, Theunis and Hacen were privileged to write an editorial, which they conclude with “Now that birds have proven to open integrative windows on our changing environments, ornithology, along with dendrology, should begin to be considered a core part of the agendas of the national governments in the region, as well as of the international bodies of concern.” Ibrahim Thiaw, born and raised in the region, and now Executive Director of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, adds to this in his Foreword: “I sincerely hope that this large-scle monitoring work will serve as an example and inspiration for better understanding and investing in restoring the Sahel landscape… [so] that today’s young Sahelians will get to experience the beauty and bounty of this harsh yet hopeful land, and will ensure its future stewardship.”