Final report for WPDP21-022
Project Information
Most farmers see perching birds and raptors as beneficial (Kross et al. 2018) and want professional assistance with determining how to support their actions, and how to manage pest birds when they cause trouble (Bardenhagen, et al. 2020). The majority of bird species that visit farms are beneficial during nesting season when they provide critical pest control services. We can encourage them year-round by increasing farm habitat and diversity with cost-effective on-the-ground IPM practices. If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage.
To increase the adoption of bird-friendly and bird-deterrent practices on farms in California, Oregon and Washington, agricultural professionals must be trained on the latest research, tools and resources that support and manage the roles of birds on farms. Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) will develop an online, interactive training module comprising five tracks, each containing two one-hour classes, with instructors who have conducted avian pest control research, and/or have experience with farm conservation practices and pest management strategies. Four videos will be integrated into the curriculum.
Through our classes we will educate agricultural professionals on how to assist farmers, virtually or in the field, to assess the farmscape, and to outline technical aspects of practice implementation (e.g. planting hedgerows, installing nest boxes, using frightening devices). The five tracks will be live for 100 participants. Results will be measured through pre- and post-training evaluations of the participants in the live classes. Finally, we will make the recorded classes, videos and other related WFA resources available in an online resource library to be used by agricultural professionals during the classes and later when giving trainings themselves.
The purpose of this project is to advance agricultural professionals’ understanding of, and technical assistance for, supporting beneficial birds and managing pest birds on farms. Our interactive online training program and resources will target extension educators, pest control advisors, NRCS planners and Conservation District staff, sharing science-based bird-friendly and bird-deterrent strategies that will ultimately grow their capacity to help farmers with their conservation, production, and pest management needs and goals.
Objectives include:
- By August 2022, 100 agricultural professionals from California, Oregon and Washington will increase their understanding of the research and the cost-effectiveness of on-the-ground IPM practices that reduce pesticide use, incorporate birds as pest control allies, and manage pest birds from attending at least one of our five tracks in our live online training program. They will also be equipped with tools and resources to better assist farmers with assessing a farm and implementing practices that support beneficial birds and manage pest birds.
- By August 2022, more than 1000 agricultural professionals will view one or more of our four 10-15 minute education videos, increasing their knowledge about 1) how to assess and support the farm for birds’ food, nesting and cover requirements, 2) which beneficial birds can be supported with nest boxes, 3) how to design the farmscape to be bird friendly and safe, and 4) how to manage pest birds.
- By December 2022, an additional 500 agricultural professionals will access our online resource library and be better equipped with knowledge, skills and resources to assist farmers with implementing practices to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds. Some professionals will later use these materials when giving trainings themselves. We will compile resources (previously created and newly developed through this project) in a multimedia online library.
Assumptions and Beliefs
The rationale for this project is based on our observations that growers and ag professionals are eager to implement practices to encourage avian pest control but need additional information to be successful. Through 300 surveys and direct conversations over the last two years in our work of promoting beneficial birds and managing pest birds, WFA has seen a tremendous increase in the number of ag professionals and growers who want more information.
Resources, Contributions and Investments
WFA will contribute staff time and expertise to the project along with collaborating instructors for the online classes. The five tracks will integrate resources WFA has previously created for agricultural professionals and farmers. These resources outline research supporting beneficial birds and instructions on how to implement practices, including:
- Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pest Birds (which is a NRCS Technical Note-TN-Biology-CA-30)
- WFA’s online Multimedia Story Platform that hosts research, farmer success stories and tools for farmers to support birds (funded by California Department of Pesticide Regulation)
- Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Opportunities Form, Bird PlantList Tool, and two Bird Habitat Fact Sheets (all funded by NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants).
In addition, we will create four educational videos to support the online training program. The grant request will support salary for staff, honorariums for instructors and for experts interviewed in the videos, fees to work with a videographer, webinar production fees and costs associated with publication, distribution and promotion of the resources.
Methodology, Activities and Timeline
WFA will first conduct outreach to recruit ag professionals to attend one or more of the five tracks through email, phone calls and other activities. Next, we will lead the classes. Our online format will allow us to reach a big audience from the West Coast states. We will:
- Create a five-track training program with major cooperators (October-December 2021).
- Develop recruitment materials and enroll at least 100 participants (December 2021-February 2022).
- Create, print and distribute class materials (WFA resources, evaluations, farm scenario assessments) (January-February 2022).
- Conduct pre-training evaluation (February 2022).
- Hold live online classes with collaborating instructors, conduct post-training evaluation after each class, and upload class recordings and videos:
- Track 1: March 2022
- Track 2: April 2022
- Track 3: May 2022
- Track 4: June 2022
- Track 5: July 2022
- Host peer-to-peer information sharing meeting (August 2022).
- Promote online resource library through email, postcard mailing and other activities (September-December 2022).
Cooperators
- (Educator)
- (Educator)
- (Educator)
Education
The purpose of this project is to advance agricultural professionals’ understanding of, and technical assistance for, supporting beneficial birds and managing pest birds on farms. Our interactive online training program and resources will target extension educators, pest control advisors, NRCS planners and Conservation District staff, sharing science-based bird-friendly and bird-deterrent strategies that will ultimately grow their capacity to help farmers with their conservation, production, and pest management needs and goals.
Our training will cover the latest research, tools and resources that support and manage the roles of birds on farms. To conduct the training, we will create an online, interactive training module comprising five tracks, each containing two-one-hour classes, with instructors who have conducted avian pest control research, and/or have experience with farm conservation practices and pest management strategies. In addition, we will create four videos that compliment the online trainings, and compile existing materials to round out our educational approach.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
By August 2022, 100 agricultural professionals from California, Oregon and Washington will increase their understanding of the research and the cost-effectiveness of on-the-ground IPM practices that reduce pesticide use, incorporate birds as pest control allies, and manage pest birds from attending at least one of our five tracks in our live online training program. They will also be equipped with tools and resources to better assist farmers with assessing a farm and implementing practices that support beneficial birds and manage pest birds.
In late January 2022 we opened registration for our 5-tracks and each of the 10 courses. Each course was outlined with learning objectives, speaker information and resources to complement the information presented, including research papers, technical resources, websites and more. We created postcards that we mailed in February 2022 to our database of agricultural professionals (totaling more than 600 people) in California, Oregon and Washington to advertise the series. We advertised the series through our email list of 4,000 and through several partners who promoted the series through to their constituents. In addition, we placed a targeted ad on Facebook. We created each lesson to cover the latest research, tools and resources, with presentations by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. In addition to our 10 lessons, we held a virtual peer sharing discussion session where participants shared how they were implementing practices to support beneficial birds and asked each other questions. Below is an overview of the lessons, including the presenters, the dates they were held and the learning objectives:
Track 1. Introduction: Birds as Pest Control Allies
Lesson 1 - Beneficial Birds Have Saved Farmers Money for a Long Time
March 14, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Sara Kross - Columbia University & Jo Ann Baumgartner - WFA
Learning Objectives:
- Describe several avian pest control studies in the US and around the world.
- Share how avian pest control has helped slow the decline of birds.
- Describe the tradition of “economic ornithology”, why it lost popularity, and now has resurged.
- Be prepared to respond to farmers’ perceptions of birds.
Lesson 2: How Many and What Kinds of Pests Do Birds Eat
March 30, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Elissa Olimpi - Virginia Tech & Jo Ann Baumgartner - WFA
Learning Objectives:
- Identify management practices that can promote avian pest control benefits
- Describe songbird pest control of insects in: orchards and vineyards; row crops; and shade-grown crops.
Track 2. Nest Boxes & Other Structures and the Birds that Use Them
Lesson 3: Insect-Eating Birds Supported by Nest Boxes and Buildings
April 11, 2022
Presenters: Robyn Bailey - Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology & Dr. Melanie Truan - UC Davis
Learning Objectives:
- Determine which birds are present and how they could be supported by farms
- Evaluate various nest boxes and make recommendations
- Identify where to install and not install boxes
- Monitor boxes
Lesson 4: Rodent-Eating Birds Supported by Nest Boxes and Perches
April 27, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Matthew Johnson - Cal Poly Humboldt & Breanna Martinico - UC Davis
Learning Objectives:
- Describe rodent pest control by raptors with boxes and perches
- Recommend the best features for a Barn Owl box
- Impress farmers or neighbors with numbers of rodents Barn Owls eat
- Recommend the best features for a raptor perch
- Caution about use of rodenticides
Track 3. Managing and Co-Existing with Birds
Lesson 5: Managing Pest Birds
May 9, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Page Klug - USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services & Dr. Catherine Lindell - Michigan State University
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the crop feeding/damage risk of birds that move in large flocks and the management techniques used for them as opposed to those that don’t.
- Recommend several types of visual, audio and other bird deterrents and how to use them
- Describe the reduction of pest birds by attracting American Kestrels with boxes and by supporting raptors with perches
- Recommend the best features for an American Kestrel box
Lesson 6: Co-Existing With Birds and Making Farms Safe
May 25, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Olivia Smith - Michigan State University & Rachael Long - UCANR
Learning Objectives:
- Explain livestock situations that are bigger or smaller risks of being sources of pathogens for birds, which could then be deposited on food.
- Give reasons why birds are likely to be a lower food safety risk when farms are in areas with abundant natural habitat.
- Evaluate farm situations (telephone wires, etc.) where birds are more likely to cause contamination.
- Share reasons why habitats like hedgerows do not have a greater risk of food borne. pathogens than the crop itself.
Track 4: Designing a Farm to Be Bird Friendly
Lesson 7: Making the Most of Birds’ Diet and Foraging Strategies
June 13, 2022
Presenters: Wendell Gilgert - NRCS and Point Blue (Emeritus) & Jo Ann Baumgartner - WFA
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between insectivores, carnivores and omnivores.
- Distinguish between aerial, tree, shrub and ground foraging birds.
- Evaluate the different roles birds play based on when, what and how they eat, and where they forage.
- Determine what type of birds to support based on the farm’s crops and their pests.
Lesson 8: Farmscape and Landscape Features
June 29, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Megan Garfinkel - University of Illinois at Chicago & Dr. Daniel Karp - UC Davis
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how farming practices and surrounding landscapes affect birds on farms, as well as their impacts on crop production.
- Articulate how non-crop vegetation management, both on and off the farm, affects on-farm food-safety risks.
- Identify strategies that would likely help farmers simultaneously conserve birds, bolster crop production, and ensure food-safety.
Track 5: Seeing Land Through the Eyes of Birds
Lesson 9: Seeing the Land Through the Eyes of Birds
July 11, 2022
Presenters: Dr. Ashley Kennedy - Delaware DNR & Wendell Gilgert - NRCS and Point Blue (Emeritus)
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the different types of cover requirements.
- Explain why water and food resources are critical year-round.
- Share how plants support insect food for birds, especially caterpillars.
- Specify keystone plant species used in plantings.
Lesson 10: Prioritizing What Birds Prefer
July 27, 2022
Presenters: Sam Earnshaw - Hedgerows Unlimited, Brian Fagundes Cal Poly Humboldt/WFA &
Jo Ann Baumgartner - WFA
Learning Objectives
- Describe why landscape influences impact bird presence.
- Describe how native plants provide birds with different levels of general, food and nesting habitat support
- Explain how some native plants offer more climate benefits for birds and the planet than others
- Describe different types of opportunities for farmscaping to support birds
- Share why using multiple plant species is good for birds
In addition to holding the lessons live, we recorded them and provided the links for those that were unable to attend or to those who missed the registration. They can be found at: https://www.wildfarmalliance.org/role_of_birds_on_farms
On August 31, 2022 we held a peer sharing session. At this session we presented three discussion questions to engage participants and have them share information about their experiences. The discussion questions included:
- For those who have had success attracting birds, what kinds of habitat or nest boxes did you install? What tips can you share?
- If you are hesitant to get started on installing habitat, what's preventing you from jumping in? Examples: Cost? Knowledge of plant types? Fear of getting it wrong?
- What kind of information, resources or demonstrations would be helpful for you in attracting birds to your farm or garden?
The following numbers represent attendance and evaluation summary (WSARE-BirdCourse-Charts) for each of the 10 courses:
Lesson 1: 133 people attended live, and 78 people took the survey.
Survey highlights: 83% said they agree or strongly agree with the statement: After attending this lesson I can confidently respond to farmers’ or neighbors’ perceptions of birds with examples and solutions.
Lesson 2: 133 people attended live, and 89 people took the survey at the end.
96% said after attending this lesson they are able to provide examples of insect pest control in row crops by songbirds and their allies.
Lesson 3: 138 people attended live, and 91 people took the survey.
Survey highlights: Before the class, 61% were slightly familiar or not at all familiar with identifying where to install nest boxes and how to monitor them to reduce disturbance and harm to breeding beneficial birds. After the class, only 5% were slightly family or not all familiar with identifying where to install nest boxes and how to monitor them to reduce disturbance and harm to breeding beneficial birds, with 95% being moderately to extremely familiar.
Lesson 4: 145 people attended live, and 82 people took the survey.
Survey highlights: After attending the class 97% are able to describe rodent pest control by raptors associated with boxes and perches, vs 36% before attending.
Lesson 5: 86 people attended live, and 66 people took the survey.
Survey highlights: After attending the lesson, 98% said they learned more about the various types of visual, audio, and other pest bird deterrents and how to use them.
Lesson 6: 69 people attended live, and 35 people took the survey.
Survey highlights: Based on what they learned in the lesson, 86% strongly agreed and the other 14% agreed with the statement, “Bird habitats like hedgerows do not have a greater risk of food borne pathogens than the crop itself.”
Lesson 7: 71 people attended live, and 27 people took the survey.
Survey highlights: 93% said that after attending this lesson, they can determine which type of birds to support based on their farm’s crops and pests.
Lesson 8: 59 people attended live, and 41 people took the survey at the end.
Survey highlights: Because of this class, 88% said they increased their familiarity with the different types of vegetative habitats which support beneficial birds.
Lesson 9: 55 people attended live, and 35 people took the survey at the end.
Survey highlights: After attending this lesson, 97% are now more familiar with the different types of cover needed by birds.
Lesson 10: 36 people attended live, and 28 people took the survey at the end.
Survey highlights: 100% said they can now explain why using multiple plant species is good for birds.
Peer Sharing Discussion: 39 people registered for the workshop with 11 people attending the live session. 100 percent of those in attendance said that after attending the session, they now know about different native plants that birds prefer.
By August 2022, more than 1000 agricultural professionals will view one or more of our four 10-15 minute education videos, increasing their knowledge about 1) how to assess and support the farm for birds’ food, nesting and cover requirements, 2) which beneficial birds can be supported with nest boxes, 3) how to design the farmscape to be bird friendly and safe, and 4) how to manage pest birds.
We released the following four videos in 2022. To promote the videos, we posted them on our website, emailed them our outreach list of 4,000, advertised them on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and created an outreach packet for each video that included sample blurbs for social media and newsletters and provided these packets to more than 150 partners. The four videos we released include:
- April 11, 2022, Birds Nesting on the Farm (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAm5bC-_WIU&t=3s). The video shows how to ensure nesting success by providing birds with what they need, where to place their nest boxes in different kinds of habitat depending on the species, and various ways to install them that include predator protection.
- May 23, 2022, Don’t Be Afraid of Birds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbDNbhJu3ps). This video describes how farmers can learn more about co-existing with birds.
- June 7, 2022, Hedgerows: Living Fences to the Moon and Back (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2lPNOPhvuY). This video describes the history, importance and steps to install a hedgerow to support beneficial birds and build a more resilient farm.
- September 28, 2022, Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Tool (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmCO9uEq2xc). This video promotes WFA’s new Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Tool and the companion resources which were covered in the final lesson.
We were able to garner more than 15,000 views with our four videos. Based on analytics, we estimate that there were 5,000 unique people viewing these videos and that approximately 50% of those people are agricultural professionals or farmers. Below we outline the number of views for each video that we calculated from the various platforms where they are hosted:
Birds Nesting on the Farm
- 3,280 views
Don’t Be Afraid of Birds
- 3,224 views
Hedgerows: Living Fences to the Moon and Back
- 8,280 views
Beneficial Bird Habitat Assessment and Native Plant Tool
- 343 Views
By December 2022, an additional 500 agricultural professionals will access our online resource library and be better equipped with knowledge, skills and resources to assist farmers with implementing practices to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds. Some professionals will later use these materials when giving trainings themselves. We will compile resources (previously created and newly developed through this project) in a multimedia online library.
We created an online resource library that housed resources for the courses we held. Resources that were added for participants include the following:
- Videos created by WFA that highlighted the topic with voices from farmers and researchers.
- Research papers and/or articles written by presenters.
- Technical resources created by WFA and/or presenters that were relevant to the topic of the lesson.
Once lessons were held, we then added the recording to the resource pages. Resource library for the lessons can be accessed at: https://www.wildfarmalliance.org/role_of_birds_on_farms
Our online resource library was accessed 780 times during the grant period. The resource library link was shared with 612 agricultural professionals via a mailed postcard, as well as by email to our supporter database. We estimate that a majority of the people who accessed the library are agricultural professionals.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
In total, 644 unique people registered for one or more of the ten lessons; 343 were from California, Oregon or Washington. A total of 355 farmers or agricultural professionals attended the course live and increased their understanding of the research and the cost-effectiveness of on-the-ground IPM practices that reduce pesticide use. Additionally, 368 people accessed the lessons after they were posted online.
In addition to creating our online resource library, we compiled the resources and recorded sessions into a self-certification course, accessible here. For those who watched one or more of the videos or attended one or more live courses, they could track their progress using the downloadable certificate. In addition, we now advertise the availability of these recorded sessions so viewers can take them at their own pace.
One participant who works for an organization that gives out grants to farmers to implement conservation projects used information and resources from our courses to prioritize projects that were funded, including habitat installation for supporting beneficial birds.
Below are several quotes from participants of the Role of Birds on Farms Course:
“I learned about the benefits of birds on farms and how to attract them by planting native species and providing shelter.”
“It was great to be able to connect with such a diverse practice community and learn from other's experiences.”
“This course confirms my belief that we need to do more to work with nature.”
“The knowledge of the presenters was excellent.”
“The experience in the course helped me to recognize all of the ecological services native birds were already providing on my farm.”
“Thanks to your course and other info from CA the team I work with has built and installed a free-standing Barn Owl box at a State Park. Typically we rely on barns and silos for owls but I'm excited and hope they use the box.”
“We put up 5 blue bird boxes and planted trees and bushes on the periphery.”
“I appreciated the reminder about the role birds play in pest control and the data that clarified that crop damage decreases with presence of bird species. Liked the insight into beneficial habitat that supports the various species and benefits derived from having within farmscape. Good to meet organic biodiversity regulation as well.”
“I am taking a different approach to managing bird damage to crops”
“I learned so much through this series! The information was detailed but presented to be digestible and easily applied to our own environments.”
“The lessons on beneficial birds of prey helped inform recommendations I used when working with a winery that is looking for non-chemical methods for gopher management.”
“It's encouraging how much research is happening in the West to find out how effective natural predators can be in managing issues with other wildlife. In the East, I've found very little research or discussion of this topic. I'm working to expand awareness of these topics and will model my work after Wild Farm Alliance!”
“Each lesson makes me dream about the beauty of my farm, The learnings on this wonderful course give me the necessary tools to create a wonderful place for the birds and to myself.”
“Information from the course inspired me to install a permanent bird water station in an area that is summer dry to support my local bird populations.”
Information Products
- Role of Birds on Farm: Self-Certification (Course or Curriculum)