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Point Blue Conservation Science has become a leader in the conservation of migratory shorebirds and their habitats across the Pacific Flyway. During this talk, Blake will review the history of shorebird-focused programs at Point Blue, which date back to the founding of the organization in 1965 as Point Reyes Bird Observatory. He will highlight results from recent and ongoing efforts with a focus on the Central Valley, including the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey that has been supported by members of Fresno Audubon since its inception in 2010. Blake will wrap up the talk by looking forward at emerging programs for shorebird conservation, which highlight the increasing recognition by land managers and policy makers that these magnificent world travelers are sentinels of our rapidly changing environment.

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In her presentation on drought and migratory birds in California’s Central Valley, Rachel will provide an overview of Central Valley wetlands and their importance for the Pacific Flyway, explain how drought is impacting the Valley’s bird habitats, and discuss actions we can take to ensure a more drought-resilient future.

Rachel Zwillinger bio

As the Water Policy Advisor for Defenders’ California Program, Rachel focuses on protecting the fish and wildlife that depend upon California’s waterways and wetlands. Among other priorities, she works to ensure that wetlands in the Central Valley receive sufficient water to support birds as they migrate along the Pacific Flyway, and strives to protect endangered salmon and other native species that depend upon the San Francisco Bay-Delta and upstream habitats.

Before joining Defenders of Wildlife, Rachel worked for three years as a litigation fellow for Altshuler Berzon LLP and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Prior to her fellowship, Rachel served as a law clerk to Judge John T. Noonan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Judge Marilyn Huff of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Rachel received a J.D. and M.S. from Stanford University, where she graduated Order of the Coif, and received her undergraduate degree in geosciences from Princeton University.