About the Great Basin Bird Observatory
Great Basin Bird Observatory (GBBO) was formed in January 1997 as an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and understanding of bird populations in the Great Basin and adjoining regions. GBBO considers its role to be a catalyst for bringing together partners in bird monitoring, inventory, and bird habitat conservation planning, as well as for helping advance the skills of volunteers in bird conservation and knowledge of the interested public about birds of Nevada.
GBBO emphasizes the following three strategies:
Partnerships
GBBO firmly believes that partnerships are the key to successful bird conservation. Ourpartnersinclude federal and state government agencies, Native American Tribes, universities, schools, other non-profit organizations, as well as private entities. All share a commitment to work together to protect and enjoy the natural heritage of this wild region. GBBO seeks collaboration from a broad range of people, who represent a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. We hope to develop an innovative model for cooperation that functions as a long-term support for our birds and the lands and waters on which they depend.
Applied Research
GBBO conducts and sponsors research that makes a difference. For instance, until the completion of our Nevada Breeding Bird Atlas project, even the basic breeding distribution of some Nevada birds had been uncertain. A great need for comprehensive monitoring and inventory still exists for breeding, migrating, and wintering birds of Nevada. Our Breeding Bird Monitoring Program, which is intended to develop into an All Bird Monitoring Program for Nevada, brings biologists and experienced volunteers together in the study of bird population and habitat changes. As part of this program, specific data on bird habitats will be collected that can be used for bird habitat conservation and restoration planning. This information is then made available to provide a scientific basis for habitat planning decisions by resource managers and other partners (see Nevada Bird Count, for more details). GBBO also supports smaller projects, such as bird mist-netting and banding or annual shorebird surveys, that are geared toward smaller-scale, intensive research on demography, distribution, and habitat use of birds.
Building a Volunteer Community and Public Education
Our work depends to a great degree on having a strong, dedicated volunteer community. It is our explicit goal to get students, families, birders, and other members of the interested public more involved. We provide volunteer opportunities for all skill levels and for most facets of our organization. We invite the public to participate in bird walks, field trips, visits to a banding station, and in local bird festivals, so they can enjoy our organization, the company of our great volunteers, and learn more about birds. We also work together with the Audubon Society and their Important Bird Area program to bring attention to those areas that are particularly valuable to birds of the Great Basin and Mojave Desert.