Southwest United States and northwest Mexico is a region of incredible biological and cultural diversity. Birds and habitats don’t recognize international boundaries, and neither can our efforts to conserve them. Successful conservation requires cross-border collaboration that takes into account not just the biological needs, but also the social needs of the region. The Sonoran Joint Venture is a binational partnership that works to conserve the unique birds and habitats of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. The Sonoran Joint Venture brings together partners from both sides of the border to develop and implement innovative programs to address the biggest conservation priorities of the region and ensure a healthy world for birds, other wildlife, and people.
Jennie Duberstein is the director of the Sonoran Joint Venture. She is a wildlife biologist and conservation social scientist who has spent her professional career working to build partnerships for bird and habitat conservation across the United States and northwest Mexico. Jennie has directed environmental education programs, developed community-based conservation projects in region, developed and taught courses and workshops on bird identification, ecotourism, and bird monitoring, and has studied species including Double-crested Cormorants and wading birds in Sonora and Yellow-billed Cuckoos in Arizona. She has also worked with young birders for the past twenty-five years, teaching field ornithology and generally helping connect young people with opportunities. Jennie received her B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Virginia Tech and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona.