Behind every thriving forest, protected wetland, and recovered bird population in the Caribbean is a network of passionate individuals working tirelessly to make it happen. Conservation in our archipelago is driven by people: field researchers spending grueling hours under the canopy, educators sparking awe and curiosity in classrooms, grassroots leaders rallying communities, and scientists shaping policies that safeguard birds and their habitats.
On the final evening of the 2026 BirdsCaribbean International Conference, we gathered at the Closing Gala to celebrate these incredible champions. The BirdsCaribbean Awards honor those whose extraordinary dedication, leadership, and innovation elevate Caribbean ornithology and habitat conservation.
Here are the remarkable recipients of the 2026 BirdsCaribbean Awards!
Lifetime Achievement Award
The BirdsCaribbean Lifetime Achievement Award is our most prestigious honor, conferred upon remarkable individuals in the BirdsCaribbean family whose decades of dedication have helped change the future for Caribbean birds, their habitats, and the people working to conserve them.
This year, we proudly honored three outstanding champions of Caribbean ornithology, whose pioneering research, mentorship, education, and commitment to conservation have profoundly advanced our understanding and protection of Caribbean birds.
Graham White, biologist, consultant ecologist, and lifelong naturalist from Trinidad and Tobago, was honored for more than four decades of dedication to ornithology, natural history, and conservation. Graham began birding in the 1980s under the mentorship of renowned ornithologist Richard ffrench and has since become a leading figure in Trinidad and Tobago’s birding and naturalist community. A founding member of the Trinidad and Tobago Rare Birds Committee (now the T&T Birds Status and Distribution Committee), he has served continuously since its establishment in 1995, helping document and strengthen knowledge of the country’s remarkable avifauna.
He has also served as Trinidad and Tobago’s eBird Reviewer since the platform launched locally in 2014, and his expertise has informed numerous environmental impact assessments for public and private projects. Graham joined the Board of the Asa Wright Nature Centre in 2012, serving as Chairman from 2015–2020 and continuing on the Board today, and is Assistant Editor of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club’s Living World journal. The author of more than 60 publications on ornithology, conservation, natural history, and related topics, Graham’s extraordinary record of scholarship, service, and quiet dedication has made a lasting contribution to the study and conservation of Trinidad and Tobago’s birds and natural heritage.
Dr. Frank Rivera-Milán, Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was recognized for his pioneering contributions to Caribbean bird population ecology and monitoring. Frank was among the first avian ecologists working in the Caribbean to apply and adapt statistical methods that account for the fact that not every bird present during a survey is detected—making it possible to produce more accurate estimates of bird abundance and population trends.
Over more than three decades, his research has informed the conservation and management of threatened and endemic species, game birds, and invasive species throughout the region, from pigeons and parrots in Puerto Rico to Grenada Doves, Cuban Amazons (Bahamas), Yellow-shouldered Amazons, and many others. His long-term monitoring has also provided invaluable insights into how Caribbean bird populations withstand and recover from major hurricanes. Just as importantly, Frank has generously shared his expertise through collaborations, workshops, and training, helping generations of Caribbean biologists and managers build stronger monitoring programs and make better-informed conservation decisions.
Dr. Jaime Collazo, retired Professor of Wildlife Ecology at North Carolina State University and Assistant Unit Leader with the U.S. Geological Survey’s North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, was honored for a distinguished career as a scientist, teacher, mentor, and conservation biologist. A native of Puerto Rico, Jaime has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and conducted influential research on birds throughout Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
His studies of resident and migratory shorebirds contributed to the establishment of Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, while his research demonstrated the importance of shade-grown coffee plantations for bird conservation and helped spur programs supporting their restoration. His work on Puerto Rican and Hispaniolan Amazons has advanced successful captive-rearing and release techniques and provided important insights into how parrots respond to major hurricanes. Throughout his career, Jaime has been an exceptionally effective advocate for conservation and a dedicated mentor, training generations of Puerto Rican and other Caribbean students and young biologists and strengthening the region’s capacity to conserve its wildlife.
President’s Award
The President’s Award recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate exceptional leadership, resilience, and commitment to environmental service, often breaking new ground in regional conservation.
This year’s President’s Award was conferred upon:
Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club (Accepted by Club President Elizabeth Seebaran)
Founded on July 10, 1891, the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club (TTFNC) is one of the oldest environmental non-governmental organizations in the Caribbean. Over its 135-year history, the Club has played a foundational role in the island’s environmental landscape. The Club established the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago in 1947, giving rise to entities like the Caribbean Forest Conservation Association, and serving as a founding member of the Council for the Environment. Its advocacy has yielded critical conservation wins, including successful opposition to a monkey cull during a 1954 yellow fever outbreak and the protection of the fragile Caroni Swamp in the 1970s.
The TTFNC has also driven landmark scientific discoveries and wildlife protection initiatives across the country. Members provided early insights into local fauna, such as J.E. Tanner’s 1892 proof of leafcutter ant fungus farming and A.B. Carr’s discovery of bushmaster egg-laying, while 1960s sea turtle patrols at Matura Beach led directly to the nation’s Turtle Conservation Laws.
Daveka Boodram (Trinidad and Tobago Bird Observatory and Research Centre)
Daveka Boodram learned how to bird bands in Oregon under the Klamath Bird Observatory internship program from 2002 – 2003. Daveka restarted her banding program in October 2023. Around this time she met with Giselle and Che Ragoonanan, and together they formed the Trinidad and Tobago Bird Observatory (TTBO), with the goal to continue building local capacity for bird monitoring projects and better understand many of the unique species residing on the islands.
For 20 years, Daveka used banding and point count data to assess the population and distribution of the White-tailed Sabrewing which she used to develop and implement a monitoring plan for this Near Threatened hummingbird. One of her primary objectives was to train a team of Tobagonian biologists to continue the work monitoring and studying the species. In October 2024, Daveka hosted a 5-day workshop, with Giselle and Che, to introduce banding and monitoring concepts to 21 participants. Since then, Daveka has been training a group of 12 Tobagonian biologists, many of which work for Tobago’s Forestry Department. Daveka has done much of banding and training in her free time, while still working full time as a teacher and a mom. She has been incredibly dedicated to getting these monitoring projects off the ground and ensuring Tobagonian biologists have the capacity they need to continue the monitoring work she started. She is one of the experts on the White-tailed Sabrewing, and one of the only people actively banding hummingbirds in the Caribbean.
Founders’ Award
Established in 2011, the Founders’ Award recognizes outstanding student researchers presenting exceptional science at the conference. Awardees are chosen for research whose findings directly inform the management and protection of Caribbean birds, their habitats, and ecosystems.
The Committee agreed that it was an overall fantastic group of student presentations this year! Here are the winners:
Oral Presentation
Founders’ Award for Best Student Paper: Pablo Sosa-Negrón (Masters Student- Universidade de Costa Rica) “Descending into the lowlands: microhabitat differentiation and range expansion in Puerto Rico’s sympatric Anthracothorax hummingbirds.”
Founders’ Award for Best Student Paper Honorable Mention: Michael Ocasio (PhD Candidate- University of Maryland) “Are Shiny Cowbirds Using Host Vocalizations to Find Nests?”
Founders’ Award for Best Student Paper Honorable Mention: Demonica Brown (Graduate Student- Florida International University) “Multi-scale analysis of environmental drivers of nest site selection by underground nesting Bahama Parrots (Amazona leucocephala bahamensis).”
Founders’ Award for Best Student Paper Honorable Mention: Andrew Eppedio (Undergraduate Student- Cornell University) “Foraging Niche Structure in a Caribbean Dry Forest Bird Community.”
Founders’ Award for Best Student Paper Honorable Mention: Laura Arañaburo Acosta (Undergraduate Student- University of Havana) “Composition and dynamics of bird assemblages in two phytogeographic zones of Cuba’s National Botanical Garden.”
Poster presentation
Founders’ Award for Best Student Poster: Cynthia Analise Fussell Persaud (Masters Student- University of Florida) “Assessing the potential of eBird data to track changes in abundance of wading birds in south Florida: Implications for Caribbean monitoring.”
Founders’ Award for Best Student Poster Honorable Mention: Harry Bolton (PhD Student- University College London) “Energy and the origin and maintenance of island avian biodiversity.”
Educator’s Award
Education is the heartbeat of conservation. The Educator’s Award recognizes leaders who go above and beyond to inspire local communities, empower youth, and foster a deep, lifelong appreciation for wild birds and nature across the Caribbean.
This year, we celebrated three remarkable educators: Jethro van’t Hul (St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation – STENAPA), Adrian Yanes Dominguez (Empresa para la Conservation de la Ciénaga de Zapata / Flora y Fauna Matanzas, Cuba) and Eliezer Nieves Rodríguez (San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership – Estuario, Puerto Rico)
Certificates of Appreciation from BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors were awarded to persons below, in recognition of outstanding performance and editorial contributions and exceptional contributions to the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology during 2025-2026.
Dr. Jennifer Mortensen (Lead Review Editor)
Zoya Buckmire (Lead Copy Editor)
Natasha Atkins (Development Editor)
Congratulations to all of our 2026 awardees, honorable mentions, and nominees! Your passion, perseverance, and vision remind us of what is possible when a region unites for nature. Thank you for inspiring us all to keep pushing boundaries for Caribbean bird conservation.