Survival by Degrees – 389 Bird Species on the Brink
Visit lindahall.org to learn more about our public programs and future livestream events. This livestream program took place on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 7:00pm CDT. In October 2019, the National Audubon Society released a groundbreaking report, Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink, addressing how climate change will affect birds and the places they live. Audubon scientists took advantage of 140 million observations, recorded by birders and scientists, to describe where 604 North American bird species live today—an area known as their “range.” They then used the latest climate models to project how each species’ range will shift with climate change. Additionally, Audubon assessed how nine climate change-related threats could further put species and places at risk. The findings are dire, two-thirds of North American bird species are at risk from climate change range shifts. Further, no species will escape from climate change, with birds also facing multiple coincident threats. The good news is that our science also shows that, if we take action now, we can help improve the changes for the majority of species at risk. Learn about the science behind the findings and the impact on birds in your community. The Speaker: Dr. Brooke Bateman is a Senior Scientist, Climate at the National Audubon Society. Brooke leads the climate science team at Audubon, collaborating with scientists, volunteers, and Audubon’s Climate Initiative team to develop research focused on climate and the conservation of birds and the places they need today and in the future. In this role she led a team of scientists in developing the 2019 birds and climate change report, Survival by Degrees. Brooke is also the director of Climate Watch, where she works with community volunteers to understand how climate change currently affects birds in North America. Her research focus is on spatial ecology and conservation, emphasizing the effect that extreme weather events and climate change have on biodiversity. Brooke works closely with on-the-ground practitioners and stakeholders to link climate research to on-the-ground conservation and management actions. Before joining the Audubon science team in 2016, Brooke conducted postdoctoral research on the influence of climate and weather on birds and marsupials with James Cook University, The University of Tasmania, and CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in Australia. She also served as postdoctoral associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, later as an assistant scientist, on a NASA project researching how extreme weather events affect birds. Brooke received her PhD in Zoology and Tropical Ecology at James Cook University in Australia in 2010, a Graduate Diploma of Research Methods from James Cook University in 2006, and a BS, cum laude, from Boston College in 2003. Brooke enjoys hiking, drawing, yoga, and birding with her daughter. Her favorite bird is the Common Loon.
