New EBCC Chair and Vice-chair

During the EBCC Annual General Meeting on 27 April 2023, the participants elected new EBCC Chair, Verena Keller, who replaced Mark Eaton, and Vice-Chair, Sergi Herrando, who took over the role from Verena Keller. We thank Mark, who stays a Board member, for his long-term work and his tremendous efforts as the EBCC Chairman. Congratulations to Verena and Sergi and good luck in their new roles!

Meet the new EBCC Chair and Vice-chair

Verena Keller, EBCC Chair

After my studies in Switzerland and a postdoc at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, I started working at the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach in 1990. In the first years, I coordinated applied projects in various fields, from research on using wildlife passages across motorways by animals to the effects and management of human disturbance on waterbirds. In 2000 I joined the Monitoring department as head of Conservation assessment. I was responsible for the Red List and the development of the list of species of national conservation concern based on a new concept, which we developed together with partners. I kept my interest in waterbirds and coordinated the International Waterbird Census for many years but was also the main contact person for all issues related to waterbirds, including conflicts with human activities. I have always been interested in international collaboration. I joined the EBCC board in 2010 when the idea to start the second breeding bird atlas took shape. I was familiar with the first atlas. Having done some work on Common Eiders in Scotland, I was asked to write the species account together with Martti Hario, a good experience, and we wrote the account again together for EBBA2. As chair of the steering committee and later as project manager, the atlas became my main project until my retirement, which coincided with the publication of the EBBA2 book.

Since I joined the board, the EBCC has shown strong development. We now have a professional office. Securing the office for the future will be an important task for the next years. EBBA2 has been important in developing the network of partners in East and Southeast Europe. Strengthening the network and supporting our partners in this region will be another important focus.

Sergi Herrando, EBCC Vice-chair

I did my PhD at the University of Barcelona on birds and disturbance after a fire. Once finished, in 2001, I started to work at the Catalan Ornithological Institute (ICO) with the main aim of developing a bird monitoring strategy for Catalonia (NE Spain). Since then, most of my professional activities have dealt with the development and coordination of bird atlases and monitoring projects. In 2012 I started to coordinate EBBA2 together with Petr Voříšek and Verena Keller. This has certainly been the most important professional project in my life, and participating in such a huge collaborative effort has been a real privilege. Currently, I am involved in developing the EBBA Live concept, which attempts to complement atlas work by providing bird distribution maps on a relatively frequent basis. I believe that these monitoring activities are closely linked to science policy. Thus I combine my position as scientific director at ICO with my research at CREAF. I became an EBCC delegate from Spain in 2007, a member of the EBCC Board in 2022 and vice-chair in 2023.

I am very interested in global change and its impacts on birds and biodiversity. As a field ornithologist and naturalist, I am passionate about change and resilience. Maybe because of that, one of my favourite birds is the Sardinian Warbler, a species capable of thriving in many Mediterranean environments. Finally, I am deeply concerned about the interaction of human activities and biodiversity. One of my favourite hobbies is managing an ancient olive tree crop in an organic manner to get some oil for my family and friends and food for many wintering birds!