In January 2005 the National Aviary created the Department of Conservation and Field Research. The goal of this department is to establish and conduct programs that are meaningful to the conservation of birds, that contribute substantially to the education of students and potential conservationists worldwide, and that produce research results suitable for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals. We are also concerned with the roles that human population growth and consumption of natural resources play in threats to environmental systems.

The department is staffed by Dr. Todd Katzner, Director of Conservation and Field Research and by Dr. Steven Latta, Assistant Director of Conservation and Field Research and we will soon be growing to include other research and conservation staff. The National Aviary has conservation research programs in place both here in the USA and abroad, in several other countries. Our projects are founded on our belief that field research, conservation and education are all fundamentally linked and are best done in concert. For more information on our programs, see a video (produced by Argentine Productions; 16 MB).

For more information on our Conservation and Field Research Program and on educational opportunities available for university and graduate students, contact Dr. Katzner or Dr. Latta. Also, see the latest Notes from the Field in “Bird Calls,” the National Aviary newsletter.

For information on conservation education programs for teachers and grade-school and high-school students, contact Cathy Schlott at 412-323-7235 ext. 241 or by email.