NEW ORLEANS — The National Audubon Society is merging its Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi offices into a regional office called Audubon Delta, the nonprofit conservation group said Tuesday.
Dawn O'Neal, formerly director of strategic initiatives at The Nature Conservancy, is vice president and executive director of Audubon Delta, a news release said.
"There is a ton of great work happening in the Delta region, arguably one of the most important areas for bird conservation in the country," O'Neal said. The area is a critical bird and waterfowl migration corridor and supports North America's largest wetland area and bottomland hardwood forest, the group's statement said.
O'Neal has a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a doctorate in ecology from Indiana University. She is an adjunct professor at the State University of New York at Albany.
She has experience directing projects and leading research efforts at national and international levels and ha done research in climate change biology, life history evolution, disease ecology, and eco-physiology, Audubon said.
"Dawn's wealth of experience will enhance our ability to protect birds, and help more people experience and deepen their relationship with the outdoors," said Suzanne Dixon, Audubon's Mississippi and central flyway vice president.