Julia Mackenzie from Anglia Ruskin University's Life Sciences Department was awarded 'best student poster' at the meeting of the Association of Field Ornithologists (AFO) in Orono, Maine (26-29 July).

Her poster, 'Impact of non-native flora on breeding success in blue tits and great tits', reported the early results of her PhD research, comparing the breeding performance of birds breeding in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and Wicken Fen.

She has found that birds breeding in urban environments, where a large proportion of trees and shrubs are exotic, struggle to raise their young, producing few under-weight chicks when compared to other habitats.

Her work extends the research of her supervisors, Dr Nancy Harrison (Anglia Ruskin University) and Dr Shelley Hinsley (CEH Monks Wood) who have explored the problems birds face living in modern fragmented habitats. Julia will continue her research, following colour marked individuals in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, finding out which kinds of plants they use and the consequences for reproduction.

The AFO is dedicated to the study and conservation of birds, paralleling the work of the British Trust for Ornithology. Julia is a member of the Wicken Fen Ringing Group and is active in the BTO. This cultural exchange with the American equivalent was useful at this stage in her research. The AFO promotes the development of professional skills and Julia benefited from the Student-Professional Ornithologist Luncheon, where she met American professionals involved in similar questions about urban habitats and the consequences for songbirds. The 'presentation awards' are also part of AFO's commitment to student professional development, and Julia won membership in the AFO and many books and book tokens.

We look forward to the outcome of Julia's research - and how to make our gardens a more sympathetic environment for our native birds.