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NewsWhore
05-30-2012, 03:30 PM
Leading US media are carrying the AP wire story about the Bicknell thrush (Zorzal in Spanish), a tiny songbird, and the way conservationists from the US and the Dominican Republic have come together to inspire others with a new model for nature reserves. US investors have acquired a large plot, now known as Reserva Privada Zorzal, in the Quita Espuela scientific reserve to back long-time efforts by the Moreno Family (founders of Helados Bon and Macadamia La Loma) and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies to preserve the mountain, the source of so many rivers, and considered a global biodiversity hotspot.

The Bicknell thrush travels thousands of kilometers from the northeastern US state of Vermont to feed in the Caribbean mountain area. Preserving the rivers and the environment means the bird can continue feeding and breeding in the area.

The Bicknell's thrush (Catharus bicknelli) is among North America's migratory bird species of greatest conservation concern. Protecting habitat at both ends of its range has been identified as a high priority action. An estimated 90% of the species' global population overwinters on the island of Hispaniola, where ongoing habitat loss is a severe problem.

The story has been picked up by ABC News, the Washington Post, Huffington Post and many more US media.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saving-dominican-forest-elusive-songbird-16450755#.T8ZBGu2PL78

To read more about the bird conservation program, see http://jasonmtownsend.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KerchnerEtAl_EcolEcon1.pdf

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