I used the travel support to cover my travels and expenses associated with attending and presenting at the Animal Behavior Society’s conference, in Portland, Oregon.
During the conference, I presented the preliminary results from my second chapter, which focused on understanding the trait- and behavior-level responses of mixed-species bird flocks to plantation forestry in SW China. In addition to my own talk, I established several important connections including with Dr. Dale Clayton from the University of Utah and with Dr. Andrew Fulmer from Fort Lewis College. Dr. Fulmer and I are currently working on a review/perspective paper understanding the adaptive significance of interspecific allopreening and allogrooming behavior in birds and mammals.
In addition, during the ABS conference, I attended the symposium organized by the conservation behavior committee. Impressed by their work, I decided to join the committee myself as my work is closely related to both conservation biology and behavioral ecology. My colleagues and I are currently organizing a workshop that will be held during this year’s ABS conference in Ontario, Canada. We will gather a group of experts and early career scientists to select topics used for a horizon scan study. The study will identify potential conservation issues that impact biodiversity through behavioral mechanisms in the Great Lakes region.