| Type | 501 c(3) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 |
| Location | 3820 Cypress Drive #11 Petaluma, California |
| Key people | Executive Director Ellie M. Cohen |
| Area served | Alaska to Antarctica |
| Focus | bird and ecosystem science and outreach |
| Motto | Conserving birds and their ecosystems through innovative scientific research and outreach. |
| Website | www.prbo.org |
| Newsletter: The Observer | |
PRBO Conservation Science, founded as the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, is a California based wildlife conservation and research non-profit organization. PRBO was founded in 1965 to study the birds migrating along the Pacific flyway, and has run the longest population study of landbirds in Western North America (continuous since 1966), as well as maintaining a year-round research presence on the Farallon Islands since 1969.
PRBO employs 65 biologists, approximately 85 seasonal biologists, and 14 education and outreach staff, who focus on scientific research, conservation biology, and outreach. PRBO has published over 1000 scientific papers, and numerous scientific outreach and education tools. PRBO's science has influenced policy makers, conservation organizations, and ecosystem managers throughout the west. Most of the research is conducted in the western United States, but it can reach as far Japan, Alaska and Antarctica. PRBO, namesake of the Point Reyes peninsula which is protected as the Point Reyes National Seashore, is headquartered in Petaluma, California with several active field research stations and sites throughout California.
PRBO has begun a major focus on understanding and projecting the effects of climate change on ecosystems. PRBO administeried grants to graduate students and post-doctoral researchers to study the biological impacts of climate change in California.[1]