Landmark BirdReturns Partnership Celebrates 10 years of Creating Habitat for Central Valley Birds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Sacramento, Calif.—Could 29, 2025) – Conservationists and researchers from three nonprofits engaged in safeguarding California’s birds just lately celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Migratory Hen Conservation Partnership’s cornerstone program, BirdReturns, which works carefully with wetland managers and farmers to offer much-needed habitat for shorebirds and waterbirds at a time when it’s wanted most. Since its launch in 2014, the partnership has labored with over 200 farmers and wetland managers to offer 180,000 acres of habitat.

California’s Central Valley is a crucial hub for the Pacific Flyway, traditionally offering tens of millions of acres of wetland habitat. However by 1984, greater than 90% of that habitat had been eradicated as these wetlands had been transformed into the agricultural engine that the Central Valley is immediately. Recognizing that this loss threatened the a whole bunch of tens of millions of shorebirds, waterfowl, and different waterbirds that transfer all through the flyway every year, Audubon California, The Nature Conservancy and Level Blue Conservation Science joined collectively to pursue an concept that had by no means been taken to scale beforehand: offering funding to farmers and personal wetland homeowners to offer water on their agricultural fields throughout peak migratory months.

“Over time, we might sometimes see flocks of Lengthy-billed Dowitcher, Lengthy-billed Curlew, Northern Pintail and different birds utilizing rice fields that also had water on them as a result of there was nowhere else to go,” stated Xerónimo Castañeda, working lands program director for Audubon California. “And that prompted individuals within the conservation world to think about working instantly with these farmers to briefly flip their farms into habitat throughout migration.”

The preliminary challenges going through the partnership had been formidable. They wanted to construct belief with farmers and develop the sensible information of how you can flood an agricultural subject in a means that was truly helpful for particular species of birds. Equally, the crew needed to construct an understanding of precisely when completely different species of shorebirds wanted crucial wetland habitat, and what kind was required. Utilizing this information, the partnership launched numerous native/focused applications, together with with personal wetland homeowners, however these had been restricted as a result of funding availability.

The Nature Conservancy piloted BirdReturns in 2014, making a program model to construct recognition amongst individuals and funders. In the course of the drought in 2021, the California Division of Fish and Wildlife supported the partnership’s thought to scale BirdReturns throughout the whole Central Valley in addition to within the Suisun Marsh. Because the drought continued, the Division allotted $15 million for the partnership to develop this system to incorporate further geographies and seasons. A notable success has been to extend the worth of personal wetlands for a better range of species, past simply waterfowl.

“Whereas technically the partnership is these three nonprofit organizations, in actuality it additionally contains this rising community of farmers, personal wetland managers, public businesses, philanthropic companions, and plenty of others who’re thrilled at how a lot life we’re bringing again into these areas,” stated Julia Barfield, program supervisor for BirdReturns. “Collectively we’ve recreated a lot of the habitat that these birds must survive.”

“The sector administration practices that we’re requested to do are an ideal match for what our fields want at the moment of yr,” stated Kurt Richter, farmer and vice chairman of Richter Ag. “We’re not being requested to do something outrageous. What we’re being requested to do are simply good strong practices for our uncooked straw decomp that so occur to be excellent for the birds, too.”
“BirdReturns has helped our small duck membership to pursue habitat enchancment initiatives. The additional earnings from their applications is plowed into the property, which in flip advantages not solely the shorebirds however the geese as nicely,” stated Rick Ramirez, landowner, Riverfield Duck Membership within the San Joaquin Area.

One of many vital successes of the Migratory Hen Conservation Partnership has been the event of a wide selection of species-specific administration practices within the subject. Totally different species want water at particular moments of their migration, and there all kinds of issues to think about, similar to water depth and plant communities.

“It’s very important that once we’re utilizing restricted assets like water and a farmer’s time, that we are available with the experience to make sure the largest bang for our buck,” stated Matthew Reiter, analysis director at Level Blue Conservation Science. “Furthermore, all these practices that we’ve researched, documented, and examined within the subject signifies that our work will have an effect far past the particular initiatives that we’ve carried out.”

The Migratory Hen Conservation Partnership was initially launched with funding from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Basis. Subsequent funding has been supplied by the California Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bonneville Environmental Basis, and plenty of others. Further collaborators embody the California Rice Fee, and the Delta Conservancy.

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Contact: Jason Howe, jason.howe@audubon.org

About Audubon:

The Nationwide Audubon Society is a number one nonprofit conservation group with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impression, devoted to defending birds and the locations they want, immediately and tomorrow. Birds are highly effective indicators of our planet’s well being, performing as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and encourage motion. Audubon works throughout the Western Hemisphere, pushed by the understanding that what is nice for birds is nice for the planet. By way of a collaborative, bipartisan strategy throughout habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives significant and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 workers and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing power dedicated to making sure a greater planet for each birds and other people for generations to come back. Study extra at www.audubon.org and on Fb, X and Instagram @audubonsociety.  

About Level Blue:

Level Blue Conservation Science is a pacesetter in climate-smart conservation, with 160 conservation professionals working to scale back the impacts of local weather change, habitat loss, and different environmental threats by way of nature-based options that profit wildlife and other people. The group collaborates with land and water managers, fishermen, ranchers, farmers, authorities businesses, and others to advance the conservation of birds, different wildlife, and ecosystems by way of science, partnership, and outreach. From the Sierra to the ocean, throughout the Western Hemisphere and so far as Antarctica, Level Blue is getting ready for the environmental challenges forward. In 2025, the group celebrates 60 years of impression and a daring new path: Related Conservation. Study extra at www.pointblue.org.  

About The Nature Conservancy:

The Nature Conservancy is a world conservation group devoted to conserving the lands and waters on which all life relies upon. Guided by science, we create revolutionary, on-the-ground options to our world’s hardest challenges in order that nature and other people can thrive collectively. We’re tackling local weather change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, offering meals and water sustainably and serving to make cities extra sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a long-lasting distinction all over the world in 81 international locations and territories (40 by direct conservation impression and 41 by way of companions) by way of a collaborative strategy that engages native communities, governments, the personal sector, and different companions. To study extra, go to nature.org.