Blog 7- creating titles for Podcast

Noun Phrase:  Migratory Stopovers

Verb Phrase:  Losing Migratory Stopover Spots

How to Fragments:

Questions:  How does natural habitat facilitate bird migration?  What do Stopover Spots do for Migratory Birds?

Sub-titles:  Bird Migration: How it Depends on Stopovers, The loss of Stopover Locations: How it affects Bird Migration

I most like 'The Loss of Stopover Locations: How it Affects Bird Migration', and 'How Does Natural Habitat Facilitate Bird Migration.'  I like the first title most.

Creating Titles

Noun Phrase:  Threats to Migrating Birds, Obstacles to Migratory Birds

Verb Phrase:  Reviewing the Obstacles to Migratory Birds

How to Fragments: How to Help Migrating birds around the Great Lakes

Questions: How are migratory birds affected by Humans? Why are migratory birds affected by Humans?  Why are migratory birds negatively affected by humans?

Sub-titles: Bird Migration: How it is affected by humans around the Great Lakes, Humans and Birds: How they affect each other during migration

I really only like one of the titles, and it is Bird Migration: How it is Affected by Humans Around the Great Lakes.  It clearly states my purpose and hints at my thesis, and its a straight forward title that leaves little to the imagination, which may be best for my audience.

Search 1- used primo search
Keywords: bird migration human impacts
Article Retrieved: The Impacts of Roads and Other Infrastructure on Mammal and Bird Populations: a meta-analysis
New Information: This article describes how populations of birds are affected by the proximity of different sorts of human infrastructures.

• Benítez-López, A., 
Alkemade, R., Verweij, P. A. (2010).  The impacts of roads and other infrastructure on mammal and bird populations: A meta-analysis. Biological Conservation (143.6) 1307-1316.

Summary: This paper reviews species abundance in area where there is human development as compared to areas that are undisturbed by humans.
Assess:
Authority: Written by professors from a university in the Netherlands
Accuracy: This paper was peer reviewed for accuracy by the scientific community before publication
Currency: This paper was published in early 2010
Objectivity: This paper is based on scientific researched and not personal bias
Reflect: This paper provides concrete information about how animals react to human built infrastructures by the measure of their population density around them as compared to undisturbed areas.  It is related to the topic of my slide show, and generally supports the idea that human technology negatively impacts migrating birds, but it doesn't directly support my argument about birds dying because of these pieces of technology.

Search 2- used primo search
Keywords: human impacts on bird biodiversity
Article Retrieved: Global Biodiversity Conservation Priorities
New Information: Different areas around the globe are categorized by risk of loss of biodiversity.




Brooks, T. M., et al. (2006). Global Biodiversity Conservation Priorities. Science (313.58) 58-61.


Summary: This paper reviews the effects of humans on animal extinction rates, the effect of money on conservation efforts, and national prosperity on conservation efforts.Asses:
Authority: The paper was published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the magazine, 'Science'
Accuracy:  This paper was published in Science magazine, which is a reputable magazine, and may have been peer reviewed
Currency: This paper was published in 2006, which may make this paper slightly outdated
Objectivity:  This paper is based on scientific research and conservation plans that have been established
Reflect:  This paper isn't particularly useful to me.  Though, the idea that humans do cause animal extinction does support the subject of my slide show.

I was thinking of expanding my audience to include young adults in addition to middle aged adults.  I feel that since I am a young adult my writing may appeal to other environmentally concerned young adults.

I was hoping my boyfriend would be able to fill the shoes of my audience member.  He is in the young adult range and he will be graduating soon with a Graduate degree in plant ecology.  He is environmentally minded, but doesn't know much about birds, so I am thinking he could learn a lot about the environmental factors effecting bird migration.

These are Eric Bird's responses to the questions provided about my webtext and podcast and my reactions in italics:

What did you learn from my work?  Please elaborate.

            I learned that windows and lights in the city of Chicago injure and kill many more birds than I would have previously assumed. I knew that bird collisions with windows were common, but did not know to what extent. I also did not know that lights had such deleterious effects on the migration of birds and thought it sad that birds can simply fall to the ground from exhaustion after being trapped by the disorienting effects of city lights.

            I found it reassuring on the other hand that there are people out there doing so much to try to alleviate the effects the city has on migrating birds. I found the information on the lights out Chicago program especially interesting. Any buildings still not participating in such a program should be ashamed since such an easy solution is available to help protect the health and well being of wildlife.

What would you like to know more about in my topic? Please elaborate.

            Since I do not live in the city, nor do I live in a high rise building I would be interested to know if such collisions with windows and disorientation by lights is common in more rural areas and residential style homes.

From a personal stance, I have seen many birds collide with windows on my own house and other houses.  It seems as if the high the bird population in an area, the greater the chance of birds colliding with windows, even if you have a house in the middle of no where.  If you live in a forested area where it is a natural environtmen, there will be many birds and they will have the same troubles with windows.

            I also found myself curious as to whether this is a large problem in Chicago simply because it is a big city, or does it have more to do with its proximity to lake Michigan or migration routes. For instance are just as many bird collisions occurring in say Cincinnati Ohio or Atlanta Georgia?

 Many, if not all cities affect birds during migration the same way.  many cities are built along the flyways as they serve as shipping ports, transportation hubs, etc.  The FLAP.org site is actually for the city of Toronto, Canada, showing that they too see the issues of city lights and birds. 

My purpose is to analyze the impacts humans have on birds and their migration, how we can alleviate those impacts, and how we are trying to reduce our impacts.  Do you think I achieved this purpose?  Why or why not?

            I believe that both the webtext and the podcast clearly define this purpose. Urban development such as that of the city of Chicago has increased the amount of lights and windows that can be hazardous to migrating birds. There are people that monitor the effects of such hazards and people who work to rehabilitate injured birds which help alleviate these impacts. It is also quite clear that we can reduce the impacts that windows and lights have on migrating birds by shutting off lights (lights out Chicago program), and by adding visual or physical barriers to windows that help detour migrating birds and prevent collisions.   

 I plan on expanding the ways humans negatively effect birds during migration in my slide show where I focus on the effects of human technology on migrating birds.

My thesis statement is that humans effect the migration of birds around the great lakes in a pronounced negative way as a result of extensive urban development, but there is a lot of work being done to help these travelling birds. Do you think I have supported this thesis? Why or why not?

            I believe that you have supported this thesis by showing that urban development has increased the amount of light and windows in the city of Chicago, which has led to thousands of migrating birds being killed and injured each year. Willowbrook wildlife center along with the Chicago lights out program has in turn helped thousands of birds both by alleviating the effects of development and reducing the impact.

(If applicable) Did you find the quality of my recorded podcast convincing? Are you moved to take action?  Why or why not?

            I find the quality of your podcast convincing enough. As an avid supporter of gardening with native plants I found it interesting that planting certain food sources for migrating birds could be so helpful. I encourage native landscaping and practice native landscaping but have never considered the impact that planting certain food sources could have on the bird population. I will consider plants that I could add to my garden to help migrating birds. I do have birdfeeders in my yard and near my windows, but have done so more for the aesthetic pleasure it brings me. I am glad to know that this is so helpful to the migrating bird populations.

What do you want to do after reading my work?  Please elaborate.

            I seriously will look into planting a food source garden in my yard to help migrating birds survive the long and arduous journey they have to make twice a year, and will encourage other lovers of wildlife to do so. I will also try to educate others to do things that could help reduce bird collisions with windows such as shutting off lights and adding decals. I wonder if Purdue Calumet has much trouble with bird collisions and if the university wouldn’t be interested in engaging in similar practices to reduce bird injuries and provide reasonable accommodations for migrating birds on campus since it seems feasible to do so with minimal effort and expense.

The Purdue Calumet campus does offer some good food sources of migrating birds such as the fruit bearing trees (not sure what they're called), and purple cone flowers, to name a few.  I see migrating Ruby-Crowned Kinglets on the berry trees during migration, feeding on the fruit/bugs it attracts.

A pod cast in this english class is geared towards presenting a problem and a solution to that problem about a topic under our subject area.

I am struggling to come up with a topic that will provide 4-5 minutes of pod cast time.  I feel like I am covering a lot of topics in my webtext that could be further split up and be covered individually, though I don't really want to split them up.  I want to save birds being hit by cars for the slide show presentation, and I can't really think of another big topic to make my pod cast about.  Should I take the loss of natural areas portion out of my webtext and have that be the topic of my pod cast?  I don't have a very solid research base for it yet.  Then my webtext would just be about birds and the city and how people can help with safe migration.

What do you think would be best?

Topic Definition Statement and Key Words


Key words and Phrases

• Bird migration
• Great Lakes
• Stop over
• Over-wintering sites
• Windows
• Lights
• Habitat loss
• Nocturnal migration
• Conservation plans
• Navigation
• Migration pattern
• Collisions
• Detours
• Ecological Barriers

 Background Information


Large numbers of birds die every year during migration, and it is mostly from the effects of urbanization and habitat loss. The great lakes area is a critical stop over point for many migrating birds and consideration needs to be given to preserving the remaining natural areas to facilitate their migration.

Purpose of the Project

My paper will thoroughly review the impacts humans have on birds and their migration and how we can alleviate those impacts.


Working Title


Bird Migration: can humans be part of a solution rather than a problem?


Questions to Answer

How can people assist birds in having a safe migration in the great lakes area?

What conservation issues are effecting bird migrations in the great lakes area?
What issues are effecting bird migration that are man made?

 Bibliography Entries

Alerstam, T. (2001) Detours in Bird Migration. J. Theor. Biol. pp. 319-331

Summary:  This paper reviews the energy costs of migration birds and how often they make stops and take detours during migration.  It also touches upon how birds deal with ecological barriers.
Assessment:
Authority: written by a faculty member of Lund University, and published in a scientific journal
Accuracy:  It is a peer reviewed article
Currency: Some information may have changed in the last 10 years since it was published, but it is otherwise current.
Objectivity: It is very objected since it is a scientific publication.  All of the statements are backed up with scientific evidence.
Reflection:  This article may yeild some useful information, but it is not entirely related to my topic.

Hill, G. E. (2004) A Head Start for Some Redstarts. Science. Vol. 306, Issue 5705. Summary: This article examines the different times that Red Starts Molt, and how they can have different chemical components in their feathers based on what latitude they live.  It also discusses the consequenses of molting before, after , or during migration.
Assessment:
Authority It was published under Science journal.
Accuracy: It is a paper about a scientific study.
Currency: Published in 2004, so it is relatively current.
Objectivity: It is a scientific publication so all statements and speculation are backed up with scientific evidence.
Reflection:  This paper isn't necessarily applicable to my paper, but it does discuss the energy costs of migration and how that is an essential part to a successful trip.

Original Question:

How do humans impact North American seasonal bird migration?

Broadened Questions:

How do humans effect animal migration world wide?

How do humans impact the lives of birds?

Narrowed Questions:

How do humans negatively effect bird migration around the great lakes?

How does industry and business impact travel for birds along the mississippi flyway?