Marrying the use of cutting-edge technology with expert ecology researchers and community scientist input is providing us with “precision conservation” – and a very clear and accurate picture of bird health across North America.

A groundbreaking study published in the reputable journal Science found that bird populations are drastically dropping most severely in areas where they should be thriving.

Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology analyzed 36 million bird observations shared by birdwatchers to the Cornell Lab’s eBird program, alongside multiple environmental variables derived from high-resolution satellite imagery for 495 bird species across North America from 2007 to 2021.

One major finding? Birds are disappearing fastest in the places where there are usually the most of them — places where they should be doing well. In fact, 83% of the bird species studied are shrinking the most in the areas where they are most common. (Grassland and Arctic tundra birds show particularly troubling trends.)

“It’s pretty frightening — the sheer number of birds that have disappeared is kind of hard to fathom,” said Luke Redmond, PhD, associate professor of biology at Penn State Schuylkill. “I hope the Cornell data opens people’s eyes about what is going on in so many systems — not just in North America, but likely across the entire planet.”

Alison Johnston, a lead author of the study and ecological statistician, added, “Locations that once provided ideal habitat and climate for these species are no longer suitable. I think this is indicative of more major shifts happening for the nature that’s around us.

Redmond said the decline is likely not just confined to birds.

“Since birds are relatively easy to observe, their popularity means there are lots of eyes out there looking for them,” he said. “I would not be surprised if other [animal] species are exhibiting the same decline, and that makes this all the more worrying.”

Not all bad news

There is some hope. Nearly every species had some spot on the map where populations actually increased, even if those spots were few and far between. These tiny spots of success for some bird species could be due to conservation efforts, and because of the precision of the new detailed mapping, scientists will be able to dig deeper to better understand what’sworking best where. This can inform future conservation projects and smart governmental policy to reverse the The data included in the new map would not be possible without dedicated birders entering their sightings in the eBird program. With all of that data in hand, statisticians used modeling and novel methodologies to ensure reliability of the data. Using cutting-edge technology, they were able to run simulations that would have taken 85 years on a standard personal laptop!

What you can do

On the small scale, Redmond recommends making your yards more dependable to wildlife and volunteering your time to conservation efforts like monitoring and clean up. You can do this by reducing the size of your turf lawn and integrating more native plant species into your yard – birds rely on the berries (and bugs!) that live on these species. As you transitionyour yard to more natives, be sure to avoid using harmful pesticides, too.

Supporting and volunteering with groups like the Schuylkill Headwaters Association, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Riverkeeper, Schuylkill County Conservancy and other land preservation groups is another way to tap into important work.

On a larger scale, you can make dietary changes that reduce environmental impacts, such as shifting to a more plant-based diet to reduce your carbon footprint. You can also choose more organic foods to keep harmful chemicals out of the farming areas that birds often visit. As always, supporting politicians who fight for strong environmental laws and programs is absolutely essential for a livable future for the birds and us. You can find out more information about this at the League of Conservation Voters’ website.

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – News 10 was at a high school baseball and softball game on Saturday afternoon. Lansing Catholic softball won a battle over Grand Ledge and Okemos baseball split a doubleheader with Hartland.

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The Dennis-Yarmouth girls outdoor track and field athletes had a stellar afternoon at the MSTCA Coaches Invitational at Braintree High.

Dolphins senior standout Breanna Braham was named the Outstanding Runner of the Meet. She won the 200m in 23.95 seconds, good for No. 1 in the state and No. 91 in the nation. She broke the meet record set in 1987 of 24.0, as well as Braham’s own school record. Braham placed second in the 100m in 11.90, a D-Y record, and No. 2 in the state. Braham, along with Tiana Jacques, Kerri Clark, and Kirsten Theloma, placed fourth in the 4x100m in 51.65.

In the 400m hurdles, eighth grader Leah Cogan had a personal-best 76.92, placing 27th. Freshman Kerri Clark won the 400m in 58.89, No. 3 in the state. Senior Olivia Pendleton placed 13th in the mile with a personal best of 5:34.75. In the triple jump, Theloma placed 12th with a jump of 33-2. Jacques placed 14th in the triple jump with a personal best of 32-9. In the javelin, senior Vivian Castano placed seventh with a season-best throw of 94-7.

Also in high school sports action:

Boys Lacrosse

Nauset 12, Milton 4: The Warriors (10-4) won their fifth straight. Logan Poulin (four goals, one assist), Sawyer McCutchen (two goals, two assists), Jack Peno (one goal, two assists), Michael Flynn (two goals), Joey Berardi (one goal, one assist), Sam Mayhew (one goal), and Brendan Peno (one goal) carried the offense for the Warriors. The defense and goalies were strong, while Braxton Bassett won 13-of-20 faceoffs.

Nantucket 4, Shrewsbury 3: The Whalers (8-3) won their second in the last three games.

Moses Brown 15, Martha’s Vineyard 1: The Vineyarders (5-9) lost for the fifth consecutive time.

Barnstable 16, Dennis-Yarmouth 4: The Red Hawks (7-6) beat the Dolphins (6-6) to end a two-game losing streak.

Girls Lacrosse 

Falmouth 10, Nantucket 9: The Clippers (8-6) edged the Whalers (7-4) for their fourth straight win.

North Reading 9, Martha’s Vineyard 4: The Vineyarders (5-6) lost for the fifth time in the last six games.

Baseball

Falmouth 9, Barnstable 0: The Clippers (10-4) beat the Red Hawks (3-11) for their fifth win in the last six tries. For the Clippers, Josh Matta had a complete game shutout, as he scattered seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Brody Palmer went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Tre’Chaun Days was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Max Inman and Jack Frostholm both went 1-for-3 with two runs each. Connor Oliver and Dave Velesig both had one RBI each.

Softball 

Boston Latin Academy 24, Martha’s Vineyard 4: The Vineyarders (2-9) lost for the third straight time.

Boys Tennis 

Martha’s Vineyard 5, Nantucket 0: The Vineyarders (12-0) beat the Whalers (4-8) to continue their unbeaten season.

Girls Tennis 

Martha’s Vineyard 4, Nantucket 1 (match 1): The Vineyarders (11-0) topped the Whalers (5-4) to stay unbeaten.

Martha’s Vineyard 4, Nantucket 1 (match 2): The Vineyarders (12-0) beat the Whalers (5-5) in the second match of the day.

Adam Kurkjian covers high school sports for the Cape Cod Times. You can contact him at akurkjian@gannett.com and follow him on X at @AdamKurkjian.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

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In baseball

Arcola 1, Altamont 0. It’s getting harder to keep that zero in the loss column, but the Purple Riders (19-0) are doing it. Tanner Thomas and Brevyn Whisman combined for the shutout on the mound with 14 total strikeouts. Thomas came away with two of the team’s four hits offensively and scored the only run of the game.

Chillicothe IVC 1, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 0. Despite outhitting IVC 4-2, the Panthers (12-11) couldn’t scratch across a run. Tyler Cole had a great game on the mound, going the full seven innings and striking out five batters. Bryar Cosgrove, Kayden Vance and Connor Murphy all reached base two times.

Milford 10, Fisher 8. The Bunnies (3-20) tied the game at 8 in the top of the sixth inning, but the Bearcats (13-14) responded with two runs in the bottom half to secure the win. Caleb Clutteur‘s three hits led Milford, Beau Wright drove in three runs and Gage Vogel and Hixon Lafond each had two hits and two RBI. Jeremiah Todd led Fisher with two hits and two RBI.

St. Joseph-Ogden earns two close wins. A pair of four-run victories extended the Spartans’ (28-2) winning streak to 22 games. SJ-O first bested Reed-Custer 9-5, scoring all nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings and fending off a seventh-inning comeback effort. Will Haley had two hits, and Bryson Houchens and Jared Altenbaumer combined for five RBI. Game two was a 5-1 win over Galesburg. Parker Fitch pitched a gem while Logan Rosenthal and Trevor Ames each notched two hits.

Tri-West 4, Westville 1. Ben Johnson and Chance Quick each pitched three solid innings, and Matthew Darling logged a pair of hits at the plate, but the Tigers (21-3) couldn’t get enough going offensively to get the win.

Tuscola 2, St. Teresa 0. Jon Pettry played about as big a role as you possibly could in the Warriors’ (12-17) win, pitching a complete-game shutout while only allowing four hits and collecting one of the team’s two hits and RBI.

Unity splits doubleheader. The Rockets (15-11) got the day started with a 7-2 win over Centennial (11-15). Tyler Henry pitched a complete game with six strikeouts, and Ryan Cunningham came away with a hit and an RBI. Unity then took a 7-5 loss to Ottawa Marquette in which Tre Hoggard had two hits, including a home run.

In softball

Champaign Central 7, Peoria Notre Dame 1. Haley Helm did her thing in the circle, striking out 15 batters in a complete-game effort for the Maroons (21-1). She, Molly Kloeppel, Kaitlyn Helm and Maisie Bowers all doubled in the win.

Danville 12, Peoria Richwoods 1. Kendall Rannebarger was the driving force in the Vikings’ (10-11) win, driving in five runs with a home run and two doubles. Deana Linares pitched a solid game, striking out nine batters and only allowing three hits over five innings of work.

Iroquois West 9, Grant Park 3. Amelia Scharp, Leah Honeycutt and Jordyn Meents each notched two hits to lead the Raiders’ (9-13) offense. Kyla Dewitt got the job done in the circle, striking out six batters over seven innings.

LeRoy wins round robin. The Panthers (27-4) bested Prairie Central 8-2 and Morton 12-6, and the Hawks (14-16) also lost to Morton 13-5. LeRoy’s win over Prairie Central saw Laila Carr collect three hits and Khloe Builta go the distance in the circle with six strikeouts. Dixie Hogan had three hits for the Hawks. Win No. 2 on the day saw Emily Mennenga log three hits and score three runs while Jacey Hageman surrendered just one earned run in a complete-game effort.

Spartans split SJ-O Invite games. St. Joseph-Ogden (20-11) earned a 6-2 win over Pickneyville to highlight its event. Amelia Huckstadt tossed a complete game in the circle while Grace Osterbur collected three hits, including two triples, and three RBI. The Spartans came close to sweeping the day, ultimately losing 3-2 in their second game against Meridian. Emma McKinney had three hits, and Chayse Palmer added two.

Unity wins a pair. The Rockets (26-4) won both of their games in vastly different fashions. A 2-0 victory over Newton that went down to the wire gave the Eagles their first loss of the season. Lindy Bates pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed while hitting a home run and a double at the plate. Kenley Harris also homered in the win. On the other hand, Unity bested St. Teresa 18-3 in four innings. Maegan Rothe, Korina Finical and Reese Frye each had two hits and combined for six RBI. Finical pitched all four innings with eight strikeouts.

In boys’ tennis

Highland 3, Uni High 1. In an abbreviated match, Kyle Fan earned the Illineks’ lone win, winning 6-1, 7-6 at No. 2 singles.