The Reporter's Notebook, Ep. 51: Migratory Birds are Dying

We’re talking to NMSU professors Martha Desmond and Tim Wright this week. Desmond is a Regents professor in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, while Wright is a professor in the Biology Department.

We’re diving into the mystery of a recent die-off of migratory birds in New Mexico. In 2020, possibly hundreds of thousands of migratory birds were found dead across the state. We’ll talk to Tim and Martha about what caused it, what is being done to address it, and a new partnership with Las Alamos National Labs that is designed to help.

Wright explained the program will provide graduate and undergraduate students with research experience, life skills, critical thinking and broader experiences to be successful leaders in the face of rapidly changing biomes. During the academic year, students will conduct mentored research on migratory bird biology. During the summer, they will intern in agencies, present their work at scientific conferences, take core courses in migration biology (with a foreign study component), scientific communication and science and ethics, and work with individualized mentor teams.

But what does all that mean, on a practical level?

This week, we're happy to have Tim and Martha joining us.