Audubon Receives $2 Million from Bezos Earth Fund to Harness AI for Bird Conservation in Latin America

(New York–October 23, 2025) The Nationwide Audubon Society has been chosen as one among fifteen international organizations awarded funding by means of the Bezos Earth Fund’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge, receiving $2 million to develop synthetic intelligence options that deal with the world’s most urgent environmental challenges—from habitat loss to local weather change.

Audubon will use the award to deepen and lengthen its work combining community-based conservation with AI instruments that determine birds by their songs. The challenge equips native companions with autonomous recording models (ARUs)—small units that constantly report the pure soundscape, capturing chook songs and different wildlife calls. These recordings are analyzed utilizing synthetic intelligence in a course of referred to as passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), which helps observe species’ presence and abundance traits over time.

By listening to nature on this means, Audubon and its companions will collect important details about how wildlife is responding to local weather and habitat modifications—serving to communities higher handle their lands and strengthen conservation throughout the Tropical Andes.

“We’re deeply grateful to the Bezos Earth Fund for this funding, which permits us to convey the facility of AI to Audubon’s strategic strategy—working alongside communities throughout the Western Hemisphere to guard birds and the locations they want,” stated Dr. Elizabeth Grey, CEO of the Nationwide Audubon Society. “By linking superior expertise with the deep neighborhood partnerships and science that outline Audubon’s work, we are able to rework how conservation occurs throughout the Americas so it’s sooner, smarter, and constructed to final.”

“This award permits Audubon and our companions to place superior AI instruments immediately within the palms of the folks managing a number of the world’s most vital ecosystems,” stated Dr. Chad Wilsey, Chief Scientist on the Nationwide Audubon Society. “By combining cutting-edge expertise with neighborhood management, we are able to higher perceive biodiversity traits, strengthen native conservation capability, and assist make sure the well being of ecosystems essential to each folks and wildlife.”

The challenge is being carried out by means of Conserva Aves, a collaborative initiative led by Audubon, American Hen Conservancy, BirdLife Worldwide, Birds Canada, and the Latin American and Caribbean Community of Environmental Funds (RedLAC). Conserva Aves goals to guard over two million hectares of chook habitat throughout Latin America by 2028, with 70 reserves already underway in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

The brand new AI-powered community will permit these communities to detect elusive species, measure conservation progress and discover new methods to finance safety efforts—comparable to bird-based ecotourism or biodiversity credit. The challenge additionally continues Audubon’s 125-year custom of neighborhood science, from the Christmas Hen Depend to fashionable digital monitoring.

“These tasks present how AI, when developed responsibly and guided by science and native data, can strengthen environmental motion and guarantee its total impression on the planet is constructive,” stated Dr. Amen Ra Mashariki, Director of AI and Information Methods on the Bezos Earth Fund.

Launched in 2024, the Bezos Earth Fund’s AI for Local weather and Nature Grand Problem is a $100 million initiative to harness the facility of synthetic intelligence to deal with the twin crises of local weather change and biodiversity loss. This system connects innovators with assets and mentorship from main expertise companions together with Amazon Net Providers, Google.org, Microsoft Analysis, NVIDIA, the Allen Institute for AI, and Esri.

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

Concerning the Nationwide Audubon Society

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, right this moment 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 sweet for birds is sweet for the planet. By 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 folks for generations to return. Be taught extra at www.audubon.org and on Fb, Twitter, and Instagram @audubonsociety.