Birdy Hour with Nathan Van Schmidt 2026

Join us for a very special Birdy Hour! SFBBO's Director of Regional Strategies Dr. Nathan Van Schmidt will answer your questions about our new initiative, Saline Lake Connections. This initiative is bringing together several existing programs (phalarope surveys, California Gull walkthroughs, and gull abatement research) into one integrative program focused on working not just locally in the Bay Area but partnering to expand our research into water management and bird populations at saline lakes across the Great Basin.

The first half hour will be a brief highlight of the major challenges facing saline lake ecosystems and the waterbirds that depend on them, while the second half will be a unique chance to have an open Q&A discussion with Nathan about the new initiative. After you register we will send you a link where you can submit your questions ahead of time, or you can bring your questions to the event.

You can read all about the new Saline Lake Connections program at our blog post here.

Nathan Van Schmidt, Ph.D., is Director of Regional Strategies at SFBBO who specializes in regional strategies. After getting a B.S. in Zoology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, he moved out to California to pursue a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. His dissertation focused on understanding how human-created wetlands allowed rails to persist through California's droughts. He has held a variety of other positions at the U.S. Geological Survey, U.C. Santa Cruz, and the International Crane Foundation, where he has researched cranes, sage-grouse, and water sustainability and policy. Nathan has lived in the Bay Area for over a decade and is excited to be working at SFBBO and finally studying the landscape he lives in. His interdisciplinary research approach focuses on understanding how waterbirds, their habitats, and human decision-making around those precious natural resources co-evolve over time. He combines field research with simulation models that forecast those changes into the future, with the aim of identifying effective long-term conservation strategies that can allow birds to adapt to the pressures posed by ongoing climate change and development.

REGISTER FOR FREE TODAY!

To attend this FREE virtual event, please register below. You will receive the Zoom link information before the event.

DONATE TO OUR SPRING APPEAL!

If you would like to support science and education programs like our Birdy Hours and Snowy Plover research, please make a donation to our 2026 Spring Appeal today. You can learn more and donate by visiting our website at this link.

NEW DONORS CAN HAVE THEIR GIFTS MATCHED!

One our generous volunteers is offering a dollar-for-dollar challenge match for donations from first-time donors to SFBBO! The first $250 of each donation from a new SFBBO donor now through June 30 will be matched - up to a total of $5,000. The match is open to new donor individuals only, not corporate or foundation gifts. Please share with your friends and help support SFBBO!