By April Diane Haight and Paul Baicich

 

In BEN Bulletin #22 we introduced the educational opportunity that shade vs. sun coffee poses for bird advocates.
 
The issue of shade-grown and sustainable coffee is a vital one for birders concerned about conservation. Shade-grown coffee farms have been proven to support a robust variety of bird species (including many Neotropical migrant songbirds) in important parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.
 
Coffees labeled "Organic" and/or "Fair-traded" sometimes confuse bird advocates. Almost all the coffees grown in Latin America or the Caribbean and labeled "organic" are bird-compatible, grown in shaded habitat. If it is certified as "fair-traded," the odds are also about 80%-90% that it is bird-compatible. A triple-labeled coffee - shade-grown, organic, and fair-traded - provides the very best security.
 
This brings us to another issue of labeling. It is important for bird educators not to get caught up promoting one particular brand of coffee but that we educate about understanding the broader issues and the connection to birds. There are a number of brands that are good, including a few triple-labeled brands.
 
The broader issues include an international sensitivity. The draft National Bird Education Strategy is intended to have a U.S. geographic scope, but the vision also includes important inter-American lessons and implications: "International birds have a hemispheric aspect that is unique. Through their spectacular and mysterious migrations they connect us - quite literally - to other places, other people, other issues, a shared resource."
 
At this time of year, we suggest that bird educators consider a small supply of bird-compatible shade-grown coffee as a wrapped gift or seasonal party offering. This is the perfect way to make the connection, to start a serious bird conservation conversation, as well as a way to share a good brew.
 
Finally, there are many fine sources of background materials, written and video, on birds and coffee. Here we recommend a few, each with lots of links and references:
 
1. Northwest Shade Coffee Campaign - a project of Seattle Audubon which promotes the entire spectrum of activities in support of bird-compatible coffee:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=fis7jedab.0.0.cvohqmcab.0&ts=S0443&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shadecoffee.org%2Fshadecoffee%2F&id=preview
 
2. Coffee & Conservation   - a site providing ongoing information on the connection between coffee and the environment, with an emphasis on birds:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=fis7jedab.0.0.cvohqmcab.0&ts=S0443&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coffeehabitat.com%2F&id=preview
 
3. Birdsong & Coffee: A Wake Up Call - an almost one-hour production (2007) on the birds-and-people connection through coffee.  The DVD is described on a page that also is packed with coffee-oriented support information:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=fis7jedab.0.0.cvohqmcab.0&ts=S0443&p=http%3A%2F%2Folddogdocumentaries.com%2Fvid_bsc.html&id=preview

The late Jeanne Fossani (1952-2007), was associate producer for this film. Jeanne was a big bird-education booster and attended the first National Gathering for bird educators in Texas in 2005. For a special bird-educator's price on this DVD, contact Anne Macksoud at Old Dog Documentaries and friend of Jeanne:
Anne.Macksoud@valley.net.