6:30pm doors open, 7 pm program
By Amy Belaire, PhD

As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, cities are often where we come into contact with the natural world. Amy’s research explores the dynamics between people and birds in urban ecosystems.  People affect birds through management activities at a range of spatial scales, from yards to networks of forest fragments. At the same time, birds affect people too. The interactions between people and nature in urban areas can have important implications for public support of conservation and pro-environmental behavior. Birds may play a particularly important role in cities as a relatable and likable connecting point between city dwellers and the broader environment. Amy’s talk will address the collective effects of yards on native bird species and what we can do to creatively manage residential neighborhoods and support conservation goals in our own backyards.

Dr. Amy Belaire is a landscape ecologist who focuses on social-ecological systems, especially urban and suburban environments. Currently, she is the Wild Basin Research Director & Faculty Associate with St. Edward’s University. Amy was a National Science Foundation interdisciplinary fellow during her doctoral program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also received a master’s degree in Environmental Management from Duke University.  You can learn more about Amy and her work at http://www.amybelaire.com/about/