Field research and education in the outdoors
“Education does not change the world. Education changes people. People change the world."
-Paulo Freire
Combining research and education is essential because it not only generates the knowledge needed to address complex environmental challenges but also empowers communities, especially youth, so that they understand, apply, and act on that knowledge for lasting, meaningful change.
A Crisis in the Skies Signals Deeper Trouble on the Ground
The alarming decline of migratory aerial insectivores, such as swallows and flycatchers has become one of the most dramatic biodiversity crises in the Americas. These birds are vanishing due to a complex web of human-induced pressures including habitat loss and degradation, climate change, and loss of insects due to pesticide use. Yet, their disappearance is more than a conservation concern; it’s a warning. These declines mirror a larger ecological unraveling where the collapse of insect populations, disruptions to pollination, and food insecurity threaten both human and environmental health.
We ground our approach on the One Health principles, which recognizes the inextricable links between the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. Our current conservation project uses the decline of migratory birds as a platform to address interconnected global challenges.
Our Approach: Linking Science, Education, & Community Action Across Borders
Coordinating field teams across the Americas we have been conducting habitat and bird sampling so that we can gain a better understanding of what habitats they prefer as well as tracking their movements using real-time Motus telemetry, isotopes and genetics. These data will help reveal migratory routes and environmental threats across continents.
At the same time, we worked with rural and Indigenous schoolchildren engaging them in a hands-on, inquiry-driven curriculum that connects bird migration to biodiversity, land use, and human well-being. By planting seeds of curiosity, critical thinking, and stewardship, the program helps students recognize their role in shaping a healthier future.
Led by The Global Alliance for Animals and People (The GAAP) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), this initiative combines cutting-edge research with community-based education to promote both ecological understanding and meaningful action.
We ground our approach in the One Health principles, which recognizes the inextricable links among the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. Our current conservation project uses the decline of migratory birds as a platform to address interconnected global challenges.
A Proposal Rooted in Hope and Urgency
This initiative is not just about birds—it’s about people, ecosystems, and shared survival. It offers a timely, scalable model that blends science, education, and international collaboration to respond to a planetary health crisis. By framing bird declines within a broader context of pesticide use and ecological imbalance, the project promotes scientific literacy and One Health awareness across generations.
How does conservation relate to One Health?
Protecting ecosystems means the plants, animals, and fungi within that ecosystem can live healthier lives. When each species has what it needs, they can each play their own unique role in the functioning of the life-cycle, innately supporting one another. Healthier habitats allow for healthier animals, and healthier animals are less likely to spread disease or create other issues that negatively impact human health.
