Point Blue Lands in Cali, Colombia for COP16

October 23, 2024

Today, members of Point Blue’s staff landed in Cali, Colombia for COP16, the United Nations 16th Convention on Biological Diversity. We’re here for many reasons, representing different Point Blue programs and priorities, and taking on different roles. But all of us are here because of Point Blue’s deep commitment to safeguarding our planet’s diverse plants and wildlife.

With official delegations representing countries from around the world attending COP16 alongside researchers, NGOs, land and water managers, and so many others, we knew we had to be here too. While the US is one of only two countries that hasn’t signed on to the framework guiding negotiations, California is attending as an official observer entity to help showcase the state’s visionary leadership on biodiversity conservation and learn from others.

Here are three of the most important ways the Point Blue team is engaging in COP16:

1. We’re part of a small group leading the extended California delegation. The extended delegation has over 100 members, including state legislators, leadership from the state’s Natural Resources Agency, city governments from across the US, NGOs from across the state and country, and many others. We’re helping California show what biodiversity conservation looks like on the ground, and even collected a ton of examples to show the world. Group members will be participating in and co-sponsoring several events at COP16, including a Cali2Cali panel discussion featuring Point Blue team members alongside elected officials and other members of the California extended delegation to highlight the state’s vital role in bridging local and global biodiversity efforts.
2. We’re also here to share some of Point Blue’s current projects that advance biodiversity conservation. With our “international shorebird conservation” hats on, my colleagues Matt Reiter and Dianna Eusse are here to represent the Migratory Shorebird Project and MSP+: Data to Action (our new international grantmaking program). Both of these projects cover all 13 countries in the Pacific Flyway, from Alaska to Chile, in a true example of international cooperation to further biodiversity goals. We’re also thrilled to be sharing the progress of the two large block grants we received from California’s Wildlife Conservation Board for The Roots Program and the Sierra Meadows Partnership.
3. Finally, we’re here to bring our expertise in data collection, management, and analysis and share the lessons learned over decades of building the Point Blue Science Cloud. As countries set targets for biodiversity conservation, there’s a real need to carefully measure, record, and track progress. Our experience designing data management systems to enable the aggregation of disparate data sets allows users to scale ecological data to inform management from local to subnational and national levels. We will continue to show how we use data, information and knowledge to assess biodiversity conservation actions and help guide future data-informed strategies. In Cali, we will be exploring ways to use data and science to connect people and promote more durable conservation efforts.

To help get our planet on track for a healthy future, rich in biodiversity, we need action at all levels. Just like we have for decades, we’re banding birds at Palomarin, tracking wildlife populations on the Farallon Islands, and leading restoration projects with K-12 students around the state through our STRAW program. We’re also taking every opportunity we can get to bring lessons we’ve learned to global venues and learn from others about what’s working for them. There’s never been such an exciting time to do this work at Point Blue and we look forward to sharing more from Cali, Colombia as negotiations continue!

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