AWARD RECOGNIZES EFFORTS TO SAVE BIRDS
Posted on March 22, 2012
The award honors agency
employees and partners who have made outstanding efforts to conserve and protect
endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife and plants. Bocetti, an associate professor
in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Cal U,
leads the recovery team for an endangered songbird species, the Kirtland’s warbler. The 5- to 6-inch warbler is found only in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. Bocetti’s research and recovery initiatives have been a key factor in
the growth of the warbler population from near record lows of about 200
pairs during the mid-1980s to the current estimate of more than 1,700
pairs, surpassing recovery goals. Her research also documented the link between the size of jack pine
stands — the warbler’s nesting habitat — and warbler productivity, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service says. A member of the Kirtland’s warbler recovery team since 1998, Bocetti
became the team leader in 2006. Working with the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, The Nature
Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
others, she spearheaded efforts to develop a conservation strategy and
commitment to managing habitat, a significant step toward recovery and
long-term conservation of the species. “Thanks to Dr. Bocetti’s leadership and dedication, Kirtland’s warblers
are making strides toward recovery,” said Tom Melius, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Midwest regional director. “That is a remarkable achievement
for a species that was once on the brink of extinction.” Bocetti says the nomination by her Fish and Wildlife Services colleagues
came as a surprise, and she is honored by her selection for the award. “It means so much to me to be recognized for my leadership on this
amazing journey towards de-listing a conservation-reliant species,” she said. “I share this award with all the dedicated, innovative partners who
have contributed to this effort. I have not accomplished anything on my
own! I simply took the reins from a visionary group of conservationists
who started the recovery effort, and along with a phenomenal crew, steered the
ship toward this new conservation horizon. “It has been a privilege for me to be a part of it all.” Read the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s news release. Read more about Dr. Carol Bocetti’s work. 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has honored Dr. Carol Bocetti with its 2011 Recovery Champion award.
