By Nate Fuller, Director of Science Operations, Senior Bat Scientist Hoary bat in flight. Photo by Josh Hydeman / Bat Conservation International The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is one of the largest insectivorous bats in North America and, some may argue, the coolest looking. With their impressive yellow, white, and [...]
BRI's Raptor Program Director, Chris DeSorbo climbs a tree to safely monitor a young eaglet in the nest. The story of banded Bald Eagle Red X/R begins almost two decades ago, in early June 2006, near Shapleigh, Maine. There, BRI’s Raptor Program Director, Chris DeSorbo, found himself 60 feet up a white [...]
Vol 3. Issue 2. April 2025 Polar (opposite) Research: Lessons learned from two scientists working from the farthest reaches of the globe By Sarah Dodgin, Ecological Analyst The cryosphere describes the frozen parts of the earth, which includes glaciers, ice sheets, snow, and permafrost. While these areas sound desolate and void of life, [...]
Bats are some of nature's ultimate bioindicators! Beyond just eating insects, they reflect changes in habitat quality and rangeland health—soils included. Researchers from Biodiversity Research Institute, Bat Conservation International and experts from Kenya joined together for a workshop earlier this year to learn more about the bats that call Amboseli home. Read the full [...]
Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) announces the launch of their new publishing house Big Dipper Books to take place at the opening of a special wildlife art exhibit called A Critical Balance: Artists Take Action, August 16 at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, Vermont. “Big Dipper Books is a creative publishing house at [...]
Vol 3. Issue 1. January 2025 The True Cost of Gold By Deborah McKew, Communications and Publications Director Ancient Beginnings A tragic hero, a mythical ram, an impossible task. Could this be the origin story of small-scale gold mining? A water-powered ball-mill in West Java © Lauren diBiccari The Greek myth [...]
Trends in Richness and Occupancy of Ugandan Birds and Relation to Local Tree Cover Changes in vegetation cover are occurring across sub-Saharan Africa and can have substantial effects on ecological communities, but limited data make understanding status and trends difficult for many taxa. This paper explores bird survey data from time to detection surveys [...]
Vol 2. Issue 2. August 2024 Protecting Maine’s Coastal Treasures: Vital Conservation Efforts for Common Eiders By Allison Foster, Science Communications Coordinator Spending a sunny day on a boat in Casco Bay isn’t a bad summer job, at least not for BRI biologists Helen Yurek and Logan Route. On a Thursday morning, we loaded [...]
BRI partners with the University of Southern Maine Career & Employment Hub to provide students with hands-on experiences to further support their personal and academic growth! Whether it's bird banding at River Point Bird Observatory or working in our toxicology lab, interns gain valuable research experience. This partnership has also developed a skilled [...]
Protecting Maine's Coastal Treasures: Vital Conservation Efforts for Common Eiders By Allison Foster, Science Communications Coordinator Spending a sunny day on a boat in Casco Bay isn’t a bad summer job, at least not for BRI biologists Helen Yurek and Logan Route. On a Thursday morning, we loaded up into a boat to [...]
Our mission is to assess emerging threats to wildlife and ecosystems through collaborative research, and use scientific findings to advance environmental awareness and inform decision makers.
Biodiversity Research Institute
276 Canco Road‚ Portland, ME 04103
Phone: 207-839-7600
Fax: 207-887-7164
Email: bri@briwildlife.org
BRI News
© 2026 Biodiversity Research Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit