Grants and Awards

Following are descriptions of awards made by the Conservation and Research Funding Committee.

TOS Conservation and Research Grants:

Bird Banding at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, Knox County - Jim Giocomo - The grant will be used for initiating a for initiating a Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) station and to continue banding grassland birds in fall and winter. Significant land areas at the refuge are in the early stages of being converted from agriculture and forage production to native warm-season grasses maintained by prescribed fire. Monitoring bird populations in the breeding and winter seasons though banding efforts could provided much needed information about the impacts of these land management activities. Awarded November, 2004.

Stable Isotope Analysis of American Kestrels - Sam deMent, MD - The grant will be used to conduct stable isotope analysis of tail feathers of in the Chattanooga area and Sequatchie Valley, TN and Western Piedmont and Greenwood, South Carolina. The analysis will assist in distinguishing migrant and resident populations during the wintering period and comparing their condition and habitat use. Nestling kestrels in nest boxes and trapped wintering birds in both general areas will be analyzed. Awarded November, 2004.

The Conservation of Grassland/Scrub-shrub Neotropical Migrant Birds in Tennessee, USA, and Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka'an, Mexico - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - $500 - The 1.5 million acre preserve, designated as an Important Bird Area, has a rich and diverse resident avifauna and winters a number of priority neotropical migratory bird species that nest in the Central Hardwood and East Gulf Coastal Plain regions of Tennessee. This proposal requests that TOS become a partner in this project by providing support to initiate bird identification training and the formation of a bird-monitoring program for Sian Ka'an. Awarded October 2002.

Windows to Birds - Friends of West Tennessee National Wildlife Refuges Friends - $900 - With the assistance of this award the Friends of W. Tenn. NWR will be erecting observation towers at Lake Isom, Chickasaw and Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuges. Awarded May 2002.

Golden-winged Warbler Distribution and Habitat Requirements in Tennessee - Melinda Welton - $685 - This grant will help cover the expenses of volunteers assisting in second year of the TN Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project which is identifying breeding locations and habitat associations of Golden-winged Warblers and range overlap with Blue-winged Warblers. Awarded May 2002.

Avian Nest Monitoring in the Dominican Republic - Drs. Steve Latta and Chris Rimmer - $905 - This grant provided binoculars needed to initiate a national monitoring program to understand habitat associations and population trends of both migrant and resident breeding birds. They will also be used for an intensive 3 year breeding biology study of some of the islands rare endemic species. Awarded October 2001.

Migration and Overwintering Behavior of Sandhill Cranes In East Tennessee - Dr. David Aborn - $1575 - The objectives of this project are to: 1) To collect basic behavioral data on the cranes; 2) To monitor the presence, activity, and length of stay of cranes radioed by the International Crane Foundation; 3) To locate and monitor radioed cranes off the refuge; 4) To determine whether the cranes' migration is being prematurely halted. The requested funding would pay for for two field assistants. Awarded October 2001.

Avian Breeding Species Composition in a Threatened Interior Forest Habitat - J. Michael Welch - $448 - This award provides funding to conduct a second year of point counts on Rocky Fork Wildlife Management Area, Greene/Unicoi Counties, TN; a property of special interest to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Awarded March 2001.

Goodpasture Award:

Banding Migratory Birds at Whigg Meadow, Cherokee National Forest - David Vogt has banded migratory birds at Whigg Meadow in Cherokee National Forest since September 1998. This project has logged over 2590 volunteer hours. The information collected during this project quantifies the use of high elevation clearings in the Unicoi Mountains and provides useful information to U.S. Forest Service in making land management decisions. Documentation of the importance of these high elevation clearings as important stop-over sites for migrating birds makes effective management policies possible. The grant will be used to purchase nets and other equipment. Awarded November, 2004.

MAPS Station at Radnor Lake State Natural Area, Nashville, TN - Portia Macmillan - $500 - This award will provide 10 new mist-nets for this MAPS station, part of a nation-wide effort to measure avian productivity and survivorship. This station has been in operation since 1991. Awarded in 2001.

The Management Needs and Prescriptions for the Birds of Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area and Roan Mountain - Allan Trently - $500 - The objectives of this project are to research nesting requirements of the Golden-winged Warbler in Hampton Cove and use this information to write a management plan to maintain early successional habitat by means other than grazing. Awarded in 2000.

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