People pay close attention to the daily economic indicators in the news: The Dow is up, the S&P slipped, the Nasdaq is hovering above the flatline….
But what if, along with economic trends, we monitor environmental indicators with the same intensity? White-throated Sparrow populations are declining, but Bald Eagles are soaring. Extreme weather events are disrupting bird migration, and the status of insect populations remains unknown.
While we track daily economic minutiae, we tend to pay attention to environmental catastrophes only when they directly impact us.
“But even the most economically minded person can also highly value the environment, and vice versa,” said Alexis Grinde. “We can be a society that looks at both things holistically.”
Grinde is leader of NRRI’s Avian Ecology Lab with six full time ecologists covering a variety of expertise – in birds, of course – but also the landscapes that birds live in, and the threats they face. And by studying birds' response to changes in their habitats, the researchers can help understand the changing environment we all share.
So the focus is much broader than studying birds simply because they’re interesting and beautiful.
Beyond the Books
The typical “academic” research model, Grinde explains, is spending a lot of time developing the project scope, securing funding, doing the research and then writing manuscripts for peer review.
“Then you give a couple of talks at professional conferences and move on to a new project,” she said. “But that’s not reaching the audience that can take the knowledge and do something with it. Actually make a difference.”
The unique model NRRI’s Avian Ecology Lab developed is “Facts, Acts and Pacts.” The first step is to do the research to gain new knowledge – the ‘Facts’ stage – like understanding how tree regeneration and hydrology influence birds in peatlands, or the impact of emerald ash borer on 1.1 million acres of black ash forest. “Facts” is getting the data and interpreting it.
The “Acts” step takes that information and drills down to what can be done to improve the situation. Is conservation needed? Habitat management? The “Pacts” step is finding the right partners and collaborators, like Minnesota Land Trust or the Dept. of Natural Resources, to implement strategies.
“I spend a lot of time going to workshops and giving talks – communications that result in meaningful action based on what we learned from our research,” Grinde explained. “Who do we need to talk to? What tools do we need to communicate this more effectively? It’s a lot of conversations and building relationships.”
Economic Urgency
There’s a reason the “canary in the coal mine” is the birds that we share our world with. They are among the first warning systems of changes in the environment – good or bad.
The cost of not paying attention to environmental harms – like the wholesale logging done in the 1900s, or industrialization of waterfront property – has led to spending millions of dollars on remediation. The St. Louis River Estuary is a current example where efforts to reverse the historical damage done to this designated Area of Concern has been a decades-long, multi-million dollar effort.
“And now we’re still playing catch up,” said Grinde. “But if we can learn from the past, there are opportunities for increasing economic sustainability related to natural resources, but it’s critical that it is environmentally sustainable.”
Environment and economy are interdependent. Degradation of ecosystems can undermine the very foundations upon which economic activity is built. At the same time, a strong and resilient economy can provide the resources and incentives to invest in environmental conservation and sustainable practices.
Conserving wildlife habitats and biodiversity support local economies through tourism and job creation, filter drinking water and help mitigate impacts from natural disasters.
“A holistic approach that integrates economic and environmental considerations, rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive or as competing priorities is no longer a useful or relevant conversation,” said Grinde. “Our ‘Facts, Acts and Pacts’ model has been a beneficial approach for thinking forward and increasing the impact of our research and conservation efforts.”
Visit the lab page on the NRRI website to learn more.
PHOTO TOP: The NRRI Avian Ecology Lab team from left: Stephen Nelson, Reid Siebers, Annie Bracey, Josh Bednar, Alexis Grinde, Steve Kolbe.