February 7, 2025 | Mongabay via Uvic News
A recent collaboration between Haíɫzaqv land stewards and scientists has revealed significant changes in bird populations on the the Goose Island Archipelago. In the summer of 1948, naturalist Charles J. Guiguet observed a variety of birds, including orange-crowned warblers, dark-eyed juncos, and red crossbills. Today, these species are less common, while others like bald eagles and Pacific wrens are more prevalent. After comparing Guiguet’s observations with recent data, Haíɫzaqv land stewards and scientists discovered significant shifts in bird populations, driven by factors such as the arrival of black-tailed deer, wolves, mink, and river otters. Additionally, a 1964 tsunami altered the islands’ shores, impacting bird habitats.
Brian Starzomski, a conservation biologist at the University of Victoria, emphasizes that understanding biodiversity change is challenging, and highlights the importance of collaboration and combining different knowledge systems to gain a deeper understanding of environmental changes over time. His perspective underscores the value of integrating traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge with scientific research.
Dr. Starzomski is the Ian McTaggart Cowan Professor of Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Restoration at the University of Victoria, focusing his research on biodiversity, conservation biology, community ecology, and ecological legacies. Starzomski has contributed significantly to wildlife stewardship and conservation efforts, including recently producing an independent report for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources, and Rural Development’s Together for Wildlife program, which outlines a new vision for wildlife science in British Columbia. He also works with the BC Parks Biodiversity Program, engaging the public in community science to document species in provincial protected areas. This work earned him the 2024 Gold Leaf Award!
We have 10 publications by Dr. Starzomski in our online repository, including his paper on how biodiversity community science projects like iNaturalist are transforming ecological research and conservation management. You can read that paper and more of Dr. Starzomski’s work, along with the works of thousands of other UVic scholars, on UVicSpace.
