A pioneering Duke Kunshan University project that is helping to make the world a safer place for birds has won a major science prize.
Environmental scientist Dr. Binbin Li and her team were recognized at 2022’s Pineapple Science Awards for their research into bird-window collisions.
The awards celebrate far-reaching and imaginative scientific research capable of stimulating public curiosity.
Li’s study snowballed from a campus project to the mobilization of a nationwide network of collaborators and the mass engagement of the public — all dedicated to preventing birds from potentially deadly collisions with glass windows.
“It is a great honor and also a surprise to receive this reward,” said Li, an assistant professor of environmental science at DKU’s Environmental Research Center.
“The recognition confirms the importance of this research and its greater impact on society.
“We started from a campus-wide project, then expanded to a national survey with our collaborators, and then initiated the nationwide network with many other institutes to work on citizen science-based conservation interventions.
“This award gives our team more incentives to continue this effort, filling the gap in science and using our research to make a real change.”
The awards were launched in 2012 by the Zhejiang Science and Technology Museum and science website Guokr.com.
While often quirky or seemingly trivial, the celebrated projects and their findings are all based on serious scientific research with significant societal impact.
Unveiling Li’s team as the winners in the ecology category in November, judges described the project as “very heartening”.
The Duke Kunshan team comprised research assistants from Li’s Biodiversity and Sustainability Lab. Central to the ongoing success of the project are DKU’s undergraduate students, whose efforts include leading campus surveys, coordinating national surveys, analyzing data and generating annual reports.
“I am super proud of our team and happy to see their growth,” Li said.
Duke Kunshan undergraduate Winnie Liao said the recognition gave her a real sense of accomplishment.
Initially involved as a survey volunteer, Liao went on to co-author two public reports and a peer-reviewed academic paper for the project. She is now the main student coordinator for organizing citizen involvement in the nationwide survey.
“The bird collision project is special because it has the potential to significantly alter the mindset of both the next generation and people from various professional backgrounds,” she said.
“Through this initiative, I have discovered that I appreciate doing practical work with a strong scientific foundation that has a real impact on society.”
Yi Han, another DKU undergraduate, said the team was “greatly honored” to receive recognition for its “positive contribution in striving for harmonious coexistence between birds and humankind”.
“I joined the project as a regular volunteer as soon as I entered DKU and was immediately inspired by the enthusiasm around the group and was able to work as a core member last year,” he said.
“Now I am mainly responsible for organizing events of science popularization on campus and leading teams responding to outside cooperation demands.”
The project launched in 2018 as the Duke Kunshan University Campus Bird Collision Project Survey before going national.
In collaboration with China Youth Climate Action Network and the Chengdu Bird Watching Society, they released China’s first nationwide study of bird-window collisions in 2021.
The research uncovered major causal factors and outlined actions that could be taken to reduce the number of collisions.
The team aims to keep the citizen survey, which recruits the public to the cause of bird protection, going for years to come.
The project has already secured a legacy of safer built-up environments for birds in China and beyond.
Li’s wider research focuses on topics including the loss of biodiversity, conservation of endangered species such as giant pandas, and promotion of innovative technology and policies to solve conservation problems.
She is committed to communicating conservation messages to the public and served as a science advisor for the Disney nature documentary “Born in China”.
