VCE Hires Caribbean Bird Conservation Coordinator

VCE is pleased to announce the hiring of a Caribbean Coordinator for the International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group (IBTCG). Juan Carlos Martinez-Sanchez will begin work in October, and he will be an excellent fit for this crucial, challenging position.

Juan Carlos is Spanish by birth and received his undergraduate degree from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in 1980. He has since spent a diverse career as a conservation biologist, with a concentration in field ornithology, throughout Latin America, but mainly in Nicaragua. His work has included not only research (he received a PhD from U. Washington in 2008, studying the role of organic shade coffee production in conserving biodiversity in Nicaragua), but protected areas management, training of conservation professionals, and implementation of on-the-ground conservation initiatives. Needless to say, this background is extremely relevant to IBTCG's needs for Bicknell's Thrush-related conservation throughout the Greater Antilles. Juan Carlos is passionate about conservation and ornithology, and he is eager to share that passion and his knowledge with diverse groups of people.

Juan Carlos recently moved to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a fortuitous relocation that places him squarely in the heart of IBTCG's Greater Antillean focus area. Although we expect his first few months to be concentrated on Hispaniola, which harbors most of the global wintering population of Bicknell's Thrush, ultimately Juan Carlos will initiate IBTCG activities on Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

This is an exciting development for IBTCG, for montane forest conservation in the Greater Antilles, and for the Caribbean bird conservation community. Juan Carlos will spend 2-3 weeks at VCE next month, visiting numerous IBTCG partners around the Northeast, before tackling our ambitious agenda in the DR and Haiti. We welcome him to VCE and the IBTCG!