W&M conservation center encourages students to be natural observers

The Mid-Atlantic is a “continental crossroads for birds,” says Bryan Watts, the director of William & Mary’s Center for Conservation Biology. Being at the center of migration for many bird species and close to the Chesapeake Bay, one of the largest and most diverse estuaries in the world, makes this area of Virginia an ideal strategic location for working with birds, he said. The conservation center at William & Mary continues to do about 40 projects a year, both short- and long-term. But students and faculty may be unaware of the significant work previous students contributed to the restoration of peregrine falcons in Virginia. Fifty years ago, biology professor Mitchell Byrd, who is...