J Kahlil Panopio
- Project name: Philippine Eagle conservation in the Mingan Mountains, Philippines
- Project site: Mingan Mountains, Luzon Island, Philippines
- EDGE species: Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi
- Active: 2015 - 2017
Biography
Kahlil has working for the Haribon Foundation for several years. He works primarily in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range in Luzon, where one of his tasks is to monitor Philippine Eagles. He was instrumental in the recent rediscovery of the species in Nueva Ecija, an area in which eagles had not been documented for more than thirty years.
Kahlil is passionate about tropical forest conservation. He has been described as a truly exceptional researcher – resourceful, independent and eager to pursue new knowledge and challenges. The expertise Kahlil has gained through his EDGE Fellowship is enabling him to make a substantial impact in the field of ornithology, which currently has few experts in the Philippines. In 2017 Kahlil became one of the first EDGE Affiliates.
EDGE Project
The rediscovery of the Philippine’s national bird in Nueva Ecija highlights the need to conserve the Mingan Mountains, the central unit of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. During his project Kahlil has been:
- Collecting data vital to for declaring the Mingan Mountains a ‘Critical Habitat’ for the Philippine Eagle
- Promoting greater awareness of the species and its conservation needs among local stakeholders in the region
- Collecting data that can be used to establish the distribution, range, habitat requirements, nesting density, breeding biology, and prey items of Philippine Eagles in the Mingan Mountains
- Using these data to inform a Critical Habitat Management Plan which will be developed and implemented with representatives from key stakeholder groups, including the Critical Habitat Technical Working Group, Municipal Council and local communities
Achievements
- Kahlil trained almost 60 people to establish field teams for data collection
- He presented his findings to local government
- He initiated an awareness-raising campaign amongst local stakeholders about the Philippine Eagle and its conservation needs
- He worked towards establishing the Mingan Mountain Range as a Critical Habitat for the Philippine Eagle
- Secured local press coverage and developed social media campaigns that promote the conservation of the Philippine Eagle and its habitat
Project Gallery
