Speakers
2025 Speakers
keynote Speaker: osvel hinojosa-huerta
Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta joined the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in 2018 to direct the Coastal Solutions Fellows Program, with the main goal of building capacity to protect critical shorebird habitats along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Chile. He obtained his BSc in Biochemical Engineering and Marine Sciences at Tec de Monterrey Campus Guaymas, and his MSc and Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Arizona. He has been working in conservation and research projects in coastal and riparian areas since 1997. His activities include the evaluation and recovery of protected species, the design and implementation of policy and market mechanisms for conservation, and the creation of partnerships with governments and stakeholders for the protection of nature. For 18 years, Osvel worked with Pronatura Noroeste as the Director of the Water and Wetlands Program, with emphasis on restoring the Colorado River delta, including the recovery of river flows and the facilitation of binational negotiations between Mexico and the US for the sustainability of the Colorado River Basin.
Presenter: Jorge Enrique Parra Bastos
Jorge Enrique Parra Bastos is Deputy Director of Biodiversity at WCS-Colombia, bringing 15+ years of experience in behavioral ecology, conservation biology, and community-based biodiversity strategies. He earned his BSc and MSc at Los Andes University (studying bird behavior in the Andes, Orinoco, and Amazon) and completed a PhD at the University of Bath on Charadrius shorebird reproductive strategies in Madagascar.In his Coastal Solutions Fellowship, Jorge is establishing and strengthening management of two Pacific-coast Marine Protected Areas (the San Juan River Delta Ramsar site and Ají Island), fostering governance partnerships with regional authorities, Afro-Colombian, and Indigenous communities. He also runs a participatory shorebird monitoring program to guide conservation actions. Concurrently, he works with landowners and Colombia’s national park system in Arauca to conserve Orinoco savannah habitats critical for migratory and resident shorebirds.
Presenter: Julia Salazar Perla
Julia was born and raised in the southern part of Honduras. Growing up on her family’s salt farm gave her a different perspective. She understands the opportunities for a productive system to change its perception and become an ally in shorebird conservation strategies. After getting her BSc in Tourism, she began working on her project promoting environmental education tours on her family salt farm. She received students from schools and universities who wanted to learn about salt production and mangrove ecosystems, called Salt for Conservation. For her master’s degree in project management, Julia’s thesis focused on the ecosystem value of mangroves for salt production in Honduras. This gave her a broader view of salt production and conservation needs. Julia joined the WHSRN Executive Office/Manomet Conservation Sciences and became the salt and shorebird conservation specialist in April 2020. There, she focused on developing a shorebird conservation-oriented salt production assessment, establishing shorebird-friendly salt production best practices strategies, and identifying threats and benefits to shorebirds at salt production sites. Since then, she has been working on implementing better practices and developing alternative products and services that can help create a new salt production model oriented to conservation that can be easily replicated and promote the conservation of shorebirds in this productive system. Julia is part of the 2023 Coastal Solution Fellows cohort, with her project Honduras: Integrating salt production and shorebird conservation in the Gulf of Fonseca. This project will help conserve shorebird habitat by building knowledge and capacity of salt producers to understand their natural environment, the impacts of salt operations on nature, and productivity. The project includes: the promotion of environmental licensing as a requirement for enterprises to access better markets, offer production alternatives to stop extending salt farms into other natural sites, initiate a change in perception of salt production towards activities that contribute to conservation, and generate pride among local communities towards their traditional cultural activities and the unique nature that surrounds them, making San Lorenzo a national and international tourist destination.
Presenter: Jonathan Vargas
Jonathan is a Mexican ornithologist, bird guide, and photographer from San Blas, Nayarit, now based in Morelia, Michoacán. He leads birding tours, research, and conservation projects across Mexico. He studied biology, researching migratory shorebirds in the U.S., and holds a Master’s in Marine and Coastal Sciences, plus certifications in nature interpretation and ecotourism. Jonathan has contributed to major bird festivals in Mexico and the U.S., and since 2019, has led shorebird conservation in Todos Santos Bay through the Cornell Lab’s Coastal Solutions Fellows Program. He launched the Urban Bird Program in Ensenada (2018), expanded it to Lake Cuitzeo (2024), and established a Christmas Bird Count there. He’s active in multiple conservation networks and an eBird reviewer for Baja California and Michoacán. He founded Pajareando y Conservando and San Blas Jay-Birding Tours (sanblasjaybirdingtours.com), and is developing a bird conservation project in Cuatro Cienegas while seeking support for work at Lago de Cuitzeo (WHSRN site).
Presenter: Monica Iglecia
Monica Iglecia, U.S. Coordinator for Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture. Monica’s career and education have been dedicated to international bird and habitat conservation through applied science and collaborative partnerships from the site-level to the flyway scale. She believes we can do more when we work together and is committed to creating and supporting an environment where birds and people can thrive, in the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture service area and beyond.”
Presenter: Jenell larsen tempel
Jenell Larsen Tempel, Ph.D., is a wildlife biologist based in Juneau, Alaska. Jenell’s background and Ph.D. research include fisheries and marine mammal work. It wasn’t until she joined the Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in 2020, that she began working on shorebirds and launched a project studying Red Knots in Controller Bay. In her role as the Endangered Species Biologist, she serves on working groups and recovery teams for threatened and endangered species, coordinates state responses to federal Endangered Species Act listing decisions and conducts research on Species of Greatest Conservation Need across the state. After working on Red Knots for 4 years, Jenell has become captivated by shorebirds and has plans to continue shorebird research projects in Alaska.
presenter: Erin Cooper
Erin Cooper, a Wildlife Biologist for the Forest Service, has lived and worked in Cordova for 24 years. Her work has ranged from shorebirds and waterfowl to mountain goats and moose with a focus on ecosystems of the Copper River Delta. Since 2001 she has been a core member of the Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative, promoting international conservation for migratory birds and their habitats throughout the Pacific Flyway.
presenter: Dotty Widmann
Dotty Widman has been teaching a variety of workshops in Cordova, Alaska through her craft store, The Net Loft, over the past 34 years of owning the shop. She enjoys translating botanical and natural history into fiber art interpretations using wool and yarn, and loves teaching and sharing new techniques as a means to encourage creativity and community.
