May 18 | Dessert with Discussion: Health of Migratory Birds in the Face of a Changing Landscape

Join the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station community at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, for the spring Dessert with Discussion talk.

The basics

• Date: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022
• Locations: KBS Academic Building Auditorium, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners; also streamed on Zoom.
• Audience: Adults
• Fee: Free

The title of the next Dessert with Discussion event is “Health of Migratory Birds in the Face of a Changing Landscape,” and the presenter is Dr. Jen Owen, Michigan State University professor and director of the Michigan State Bird Observatory.

The talk will be held in person in the KBS Academic Building’s auditorium, located at 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, with limited room capacity. It also will be streamed via Zoom, and attendees will be able to ask questions both in person and virtually by using the Zoom Q&A function. Dessert with Discussion is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

In-person participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Audubon Society of Kalamazoo, and Michigan State Bird Observatory, which will have booths at the event, and discover ways to support birds locally. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Questions? Please call (269) 671-2015 or email communityrelations@kbs.msu.edu.

About the talk

With a growing global population, the connections between human and wild animal health are constantly changing. Dr. Owen will discuss the unpredictable changes in food availability for migratory birds in the face of a changing landscape.

Environmental change can significantly alter the availability and quality of food resources and the role of birds in the spread and maintenance of zoonotic pathogens. Pathogens harbored by wildlife can pose significant risk to human health; simultaneously, human activities can significantly alter infection dynamics and wildlife populations, which may modify human health risk.

Dr. Owen, along with colleagues, is working to develop an international biosurveillance network to better detect and track emerging pathogens carried by migrating birds. These research efforts contribute to building a better understanding of the interdependency of the health of humans, wildlife, and the ecosystem. 

Dessert with Discussion is a free lecture series that connects the KBS and MSU research community with our local community. This series is made possible through generous donations to the Dessert with Discussion Fund.

About Jen Owen

Jen Owen is the associate chair of research in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. She is the director of the Michigan State Bird Observatory and coordinator for the Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center. Dr. Owen is an expert in the ecology of zoonotic diseases, behavioral ecology of migratory birds, avian ecoimmunology and virology.