Saving Biological Diversity: Balancing Protection of Endangered Species and Ecosystems

The Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies at Connecticut College is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program that builds on one of the nation’s leading undergraduate environmental studies programs. The C- ter fosters research, education, and curriculum development aimed at understanding contemporary ecological challenges. One of the major goals of the Goodwin-Niering Center is to enhance the understanding of both the College community and the general public with respect to ecological, political, social, and economic factors that affect natural resource use and preservation of natural ecosystems. To this end, the C- ter has offered six conferences at which academicians, representatives of federal and state government, people who depend on natural resources for their living, and in- viduals from non-government environmental organizations were brought together for an in-depth, interdisciplinary evaluation of important environmental issues. On April 6 and 7, 2007, the Center presented the Elizabeth Babbott Conant interdisciplinary conference on Saving Biological Diversity: Weighing the Protection of Endangered Species vs. Entire Ecosystems. The Beaver Brook Foundation; Audubon Connecticut, the state of?ce of the National Audubon Society; the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy; Connecticut Forest and Park Association and the Connecticut Sea Grant College Program joined the Center as conference sponsors. During this two-day conference we learned about conservation and endangered species fromawiderange ofperspectives. Likeallof theconferences sponsored bythe Goodwin-Niering Center, this conference was broadly interdisciplinary, with pres- tations by economists, political scientists, and conservation biologists.

Robert Askins is Professor of Biology at Connecticut College, where he teaches courses in ecology, environmental studies, animal behavior, and ornithology. His research focuses on the ecology and conservation of migratory birds in both their northern breeding areas and tropical wintering areas. He has analyzed the habitat requirements of forest birds that nest in deciduous forests in New England and Japan, and the ecology of songbirds that spend the winter in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also has studied species that are restricted to early successional forest habitats. He has published scientific papers in numerous journals including Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Wetlands, Ecology, Current Ornithology, Studies in Avian Biology, Wilson Bulletin, and Conservation Biology. In 2000 he published "Restoring North America’s Birds; Lessons from Landscape Ecology," a book on the ecology and conservation of North American birds. Currently he is chair of the Biology Department at Connecticut College and Karla Heurich Harrison Director of the Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies.

Glenn D. Dreyer is the Charles & Sarah P. Becker ‘27 Director of the Connecticut College Arboretum and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Botany at Connecticut College. His career has focused primarily on the interface between horticulture and ecology from both academic and management perspectives. The Connecticut College Arboretum has historically operated as both public garden featuring native plants and as an ecological field site for research and teaching. Dreyer’s research has focused mainly on the ecology and control of invasives, vegetation management, and documenting big and historic trees. He also serves as Executive Director of the Goodwin-Niering Center.

Gerald R. Visgilio is Professor of Economics at Connecticut College, where he has spent nearly three decadesworking in the area of environmental and natural resource economics. He teaches courses in microeconomics, environmental and natural resource economics, law and economics, and antitrust economics and policy. His current research focuses on an economic evaluation of emission control policies. He has co-edited three books: Our Backyard A Quest for Environmental Justice, which was listed by Choice among its Outstanding Academic Titles in 2003, America’s Changing Coasts Private Rights and Public Trust, which was included in Edward Elgar’s Advances in Ecological Economics series in 2005, and Acid in the Environment Lessons Learned and Future Prospects, which was recently published in 2007. He also is on the faculty of the Goodwin-Niering Center.

Diana M. Whitelaw is Associate Director of the Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies at Connecticut College where she coordinates the Certificate Program in Environmental Studies. Whitelaw co-edited Our Backyard: A Quest for Environmental Justice, which was selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Title in Science and Technology in 2003, America’s Changing Coasts: Private Rights and Public Trust in 2005 and Acid in the Environment: Lessons Learned and Future Prospects in 2007.