On December 31, 2017, the Sonoran Joint Venture bid farewell to long-time Science Coordinator, Carol Beardmore, who retired after a 27-year career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and more than forty years working in conservation. Carol joined the SJV staff in 2003. Over the ensuing fourteen years, she developed the strong biological foundation that guides our bird and habitat conservation efforts, created the SJV Science Working Group (formerly the Technical Committee), and has been a driving force for Coordinated Bird Monitoring throughout the SJV region, and especially in Arizona. Prior to joining the SJV staff, Carol was the Partners In Flight Western Working Group Coordinator. She brought her unparalleled expertise in and enthusiasm for the PIF species prioritization process to bear at the SJV, leading the SJV Science Working Group through the prioritization of the SJV’s 750+ species of birds. This herculean feat resulted in the SJV Bird Conservation Plan and Waterfowl Management Supplement. Over the course of multiple years, Carol corralled many partners on both sides of the border to prioritize the diverse birds and habitats in the SJV region, identify conservation threats and opportunities, and develop tools and resources to help partners incorporate this information into their conservation efforts. Carol also helped lead the SJV Awards Program, which has granted approximately $1,000,000 since 2001 to partners in the southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico for restoration, monitoring, habitat protection, community outreach, research, and training.

The impact of Carol’s retirement will be felt keenly, but she plans to remain involved in bird conservation as she works toward her primary retirement objective: to see 5,000 species of the world’s birds.