Dr. Sean Anderson

Dr. Sean Anderson is collaborating with researchers from Stanford University and Kafkas University in Turkey to document and conserve the extant biological communities of eastern Turkey in and around the province of Kars. His work focuses on conserving increasingly rare wetland communities.  Rather than simply protecting these regions, the project will place a tangible monetary value on wetlands as an inducement for their continued conservation.  Eastern Turkey is in the middle of the biannual flyway for birds migrating between northern Europe and equatorial Africa and so harbors a tremendous diversity and density of migratory and semi-resident birds.  In addition to documenting these wetland communities, setting up Turkey’s first bird banding stations (staffed with American, Polish, and Turkish volunteers and students), and characterizing the overall state of affairs of the biological resources throughout the region, the project team is working on the permanent protection of select areas and training of the first generation of Turkish conservation biologists.