Birds in the Digital Age: Harnessing Innovation for Conservation. A Dead of Winter Knowledge Quest with Dr. Rob Blenk

The progress of technological development and the stewardship of nature can often be perceived as being at cross-purposes. However, tech developments over the last several decades have allowed for exciting new insights and deeper understandings of how birds interact with and survive in their environments. Ranging from miniature satellite trackers to genetic barcoding to broad-scale citizen science, join our speaker in discussing the ways that technology has provided promising new avenues for the study and conservation of birds in North America and beyond.

Join us on Thursday, March 26, 2026. This event will be hosted on Zoom. The link to join will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Dr. Rob Blenk is the Assistant Professor of wetland and waterfowl ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt. Rob is a native of Washington State, and has conducted ornithological field work in much of North America and beyond—from studying pelagic seabird nesting in New Zealand to banding puffins in the United Kingdom. Rob’s current interests involve the development and application of new techniques and technologies to refine and improve monitoring of waterfowl populations—current examples include the use of uncrewed aerial vehicles to survey for breeding harlequin ducks and using genetic markers to connect wintering brant to their regions of natal origin. Rob is an avid birder, backpacker, and woodworker.