2025 Audubon in Action and Audubon Collaborative Grant Projects

Every year the Nationwide Audubon Society gives two kinds of grants to Audubon chapters tasks that contribute to Flight Plan, Audubon’s 2023-2028 strategic plan. Flight Plan’s Neighborhood Constructing milestone goals to drive widespread public motion by increasing the constituency of people that care about and take motion for birds. Supporting Audubon chapters—each group and campus chapters—is a crucial option to meet this aim. By supporting their efforts, we’re impacting extra communities and constructing the subsequent conservation leaders.

Profitable grantees of the late 2024 cycle proposed tasks that confirmed clear pathways to success in advancing a number of of Audubon’s Flight Plan milestones and centered an inclusive and community-oriented strategy to conservation. Audubon prioritized tasks that included a various cohort of group companions and genuine associate engagement, advocacy, and a transparent plan on how one can construct coalitions and enhance engagement with every chapter’s local people members.

This cycle, Audubon supplied $428,800 in Audubon in Motion funding to 45 completely different campus and group chapter tasks. Of that sum, $124,750 had been awarded to 14 campus chapters, and $304,050 had been awarded to 31 group chapters. Tasks from 21 states and two territories had been represented among the many award recipients. The awarded tasks are summarized beneath.

Audubon in Motion Grant Tasks

Tucson Fowl Alliance—Tucson, Arizona

In efforts to welcome a extra various vary of individuals into the apply of birding, Tucson Fowl Alliance will present certifications in discipline management to eight youth from traditionally marginalized communities to turn out to be birding journey leaders and pay them for his or her time. Firstly of this program, youth will be a part of birding journeys led by birding journey leaders from completely different organizations, together with these from Feminist Fowl Membership and Tucson Fowl Alliance, to expertise completely different kinds of management. After receiving extra coaching, youth will lead walks for one another and independently inside their very own group. On the finish of this system, they may lead a visit for most people in Madera Canyon. By this program, they hope to share the enjoyment and well being advantages of birding with traditionally marginalized communities, elevate youth as leaders inside their communities, and diversify the present cohort of birders in Tucson.

Golden Gate Fowl Alliance—Berkeley California

Golden Gate Fowl Alliance’s Birding for Everybody Fellowship is now accepting purposes for its third 12 months. Every year, 10 fellows are chosen to obtain free courses, mentorship, and group constructing get-togethers for one 12 months. The mission of the Birding for Everybody Fellowship is to develop and empower the subsequent technology of Black, Indigenous, and other people of coloration conservation leaders. They try to develop and elevate conservation leaders of coloration to higher serve their communities and their collective birding group. The Birding For Everybody Fellowship eliminates each the monetary and social boundaries to participation of their grownup schooling choices, together with the Grasp Birder Program, which they run in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences. Over the course of their one-year fellowship the cohort turns into a group inside their bigger group, supporting one another as they develop into chicken and nature leaders.

San Diego Fowl Alliance—San Diego, California

Sharing Our Shores (SOS): Mission Bay is a multi-tiered program that accomplishes roughly 5 acres of habitat restoration whereas instructing third —4th grade college students about native migratory and coastal birds within the native habitat of Mission Bay in San Diego. By in-class classes, restoration occasions in coastal habitats, and creation of conservation-themed indicators which can be hung across the bay and seen by thousands and thousands of annual guests to the bay, college students will find out about and take motion to enhance nesting habitat for the endangered California Least Tern and Mild-footed Ridgway’s Rail, and can discover the historical past and ongoing connection of the Kumeyaay Indian Nation to Mission Bay’s natural world. The chapter’s objectives are to encourage roughly 250 college students to affix of their ongoing conservation and advocacy work in Mission Bay and to reconnect Indigenous voices to this coastal area.

Morro Coast Audubon Society—Morro Bay, California

Thanks partly to the funding supplied by Audubon in Motion, the chapter launched an modern new outside STEM schooling program known as FEATHER (Fostering Environmental Consciousness By Excessive College Schooling and Analysis). FEATHER engages highschool college students in underserved communities in group science and environmental analysis, empowering them to take part in native, regional, and international conservation initiatives. This system combines hands-on analysis with main increased schooling establishments and a college-readiness curriculum, fostering relationships with nature and the outside whereas making ready college students for impactful futures after highschool. Along with tutorial preparation, FEATHER integrates conservation work with native collaborators, the place college students achieve sensible, hands-on expertise in environmental stewardship. By inspecting land relationships via a number of lenses—scientific, cultural, and sensible—college students develop a complete understanding of environmental points and the talents they should navigate their academic and profession pathways as environmentally well-informed residents.

Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society—Palos Verdes, California

California’s coastal sage scrub is likely one of the nation’s most biodiverse, but in addition most endangered, habitats. As much as 90 % of this vital habitat has been misplaced to growth. This venture will have interaction highschool college students to work in coastal sage scrub habitat to extend the amount and high quality for particular standing species. These species embody the California Gnatcatcher, Palos Verdes blue butterfly, and El Segundo blue butterfly. Audubon in Motion funding will enable them to proceed their Youth Environmental Stewards (YES) program. By this program, college students can have the chance to see birds in coastal sage scrub habitat, the chapter will educate them the significance of habitat connectivity for sustaining wholesome populations and amplify their delight for having restored vital habitat. By the utilized studying of planting native species, figuring out resident birds, and observing pure interactions throughout the coastal sage scrub group, they hope to instill a lifelong curiosity in conservation for his or her YES program members.

Plumas Audubon Society—Quincy, California

Plumas Audubon Society (PAS)’s Aechmophorus Grebe Monitoring & Advocacy venture addresses the conservation concern of Western Grebes, an Audubon precedence species, in addition to Clark’s Grebes, and their habitat at Lake Almanor, Antelope Lake, and Lake Davis. Lake Almanor helps the second-largest colony of breeding Aechmophorus grebes in California, making it a vital breeding space for these declining species. Though smaller in measurement, Antelope Lake and Lake Davis are additionally vital breeding grounds for Western and Clark’s grebes. Between 2010 and 2019, PAS monitored grebes at Lake Almanor, Antelope Lake, Lake Davis, and Eagle Lake throughout a venture that was funded by Audubon. This work has continued via 2024 and has allowed PAS to take care of one of the crucial constant knowledge units representing the inhabitants dynamics of the 2 species of their area.

Channel Island Birders at California State College—Channel Islands—Camarillo, California

The Channel Island Birders at California State College—Channel Islands have a remedy backyard devoted to the scholars on campus. This Audubon on Campus chapter has prioritized enhancing the area for endemic birds by offering chicken housing, in addition to including a greenhouse, and enhancing their present software shed. One other venture that the Channel Island Birders have underway is creating software program to assist pupil analysis tasks to gather knowledge on chicken strikes. In alignment with our Neighborhood Constructing milestone, the Channel Island Birders will go to Rio Actual Elementary College, a Title 1 faculty, the place they intend to ship a presentation targeted on seasonal chicken info, concluding a with dialogue encouraging environmental stewardship. To strengthen key ideas, they’ll facilitate a structured, aggressive quiz that enables members to reveal their data whereas incomes prizes. Moreover, they search to acquire funding to assist art-based tasks designed to boost environmental studying experiences for school-aged kids.

5C Birding Membership at Claremont Faculties (Claremont McKenna Faculty, Har Mudd Faculty, Pitzer Faculty, Pomona Faculty, and Scripps Faculty)—California

The Audubon in Motion Grant will assist the 5C Birding Membership at Claremont Faculties be extra accessible to new birders, promote activism on campus, and allow college students to take part in conservation analysis. First, to permit new birders to affix their membership and take part totally free, they may get a set of binoculars that may be checked out by membership members and a scope and digicam that they may convey on their membership chicken walks. Subsequent, they may work in direction of decreasing window collisions on campus by buying window decorations to interrupt up the reflection on the home windows of buildings that they’ve recognized as probably the most problematic. Lastly, they may create everlasting chicken banding research on the Bernard Area Station, one of many few remaining pristine coastal sage scrub habitats. Funds may also be used to offer work-study alternatives to college students, so that each one college students can take part in conservation analysis.

Conservation Membership at Grossmont Faculty—El Cajon, California

This venture will create a public nature path on the Grossmont Faculty campus. The Conservation Membership will design and set up interpretive signage on all 5 of Grossmont Faculty’s native plant gardens that characterize completely different habitats and their makes use of in probably the most biodiverse county within the nation. A Kumeyaay Tribal consultant will present info on the names, usages, and historical past of the native crops. The indicators can have scannable QR codes that may immediately hyperlink to an internet site offering a nature stroll map, all plant names (widespread title, Latin binomial, and Kumeyaay title) related to an image, and extra historical past/info. The Grossmont Faculty Nature Path will present underrepresented college students and the local people with an out of doors interactive classroom to interact with nature whereas studying concerning the native impacts of local weather change, preserving native habitats and species, and increasing data about Kumeyaay makes use of and names.

Fowl Alliance at Metropolis Faculty, San Diego Metropolis Faculty—San Diego, California

Fowl Alliance at Metropolis Faculty is doing extra schooling and work on local weather change. They need to work with group companions to do tasks in educating the general public on the significance of wetlands to the birds as local weather change buffer habitat. Subsequent is for Crops for Birds tasks locally. They need to work with different group organizations to create and fund native plant gardens for birds. Third, they may maintain city-wide coaching in advocacy, inviting the scholars from all of the campus chapters. They’ll invite employees from San Diego Fowl Alliance to coach college students in advocating for birds with native management and creating PROs that assist birds and native habitat. They’ll produce a PRO in every of the communities of their campus chapters that match and produce individuals collectively as a bigger county to guard birds. Lastly, they despatched college students to the Audubon Management Convention in Montréal.

DC Fowl Alliance —Washington, DC

DC Fowl Alliance will manage BIRDS CONNECT DC: A Wildlife Images Convention for Youth, the place eight younger artists, one from every ward of Washington, DC, will probably be mentored by two of the chapter’s skilled wildlife photographers. This free, multi-day convention will consist of 4 half-day classes of classroom instruction with the gear, visitor audio system highlighting academic and profession paths within the pure and environmental sciences, and discipline journeys to {photograph} wildlife. DC Fowl Alliance is proud to have already secured two artwork displays and installations for his or her Alpha Class to have a good time their artwork. The chapter believes this invitation to discover nature via artwork encourages the subsequent technology of conservationists to strategy nature with the creativity that options to species and habitat preservation require. This venture’s affect will proceed constructing bird-friendly communities in all eight wards of DC and encourage younger individuals to turn out to be leaders within the conservation efforts of their communities.

Tropical Audubon Society—Miami, Florida

Tropical Audubon Society’s award-winning Tropical Audubon Ambassador Program has educated a whole bunch of environmental advocates, empowered voices, educated about South Florida ecosystems, and knowledgeable local weather motion steps. Whereas this program succeeds in constructing partnerships and fascinating cross-generational advocates of ages 18+, there was a obtrusive hole: younger advocates. Due to assist from the Audubon in Motion Grant, in Summer time 2024, they bridged this hole by launching their first Excessive College Ambassador Program: Bending the Curve. This system gives knowledgeable panelist Q&A classes, hands-on immersive studying, group service hours, and advocacy instruments. The chapter’s aim is to empower a caring, various, and efficient South Florida group to advocate for the area’s pure ecosystems and interact in local weather motion by realizing the ability of their voices.

West Volusia Audubon Society—DeLand, Florida

Stetson College’s Sandra Stetson Aquatic Heart, house to the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, is a two-story facility that includes expansive views via reflective glass home windows. Sadly, reported chicken strikes have been rising, and there’s a want for dot-grid patterned window movie to forestall strikes by rising visibility for birds. With its established environmental management locally, the Aquatic Heart is a perfect public demonstration web site. West Volusia Audubon Society’s proposal builds on strong partnerships and engages native stakeholders, together with the Spring Hill Resilience Staff—a gaggle of 30 residents inside an impacted group, devoted to enhancing its resilience—in addition to Stetson’s Audubon on Campus chapter. By window movie set up, participatory workshops, academic signage, citizen science mapping, a venture video, and a library of mannequin ordinances, West Volusia Audubon Society goals to unite various audiences round city conservation, local weather motion, coverage development, and group constructing efforts that profit each birds and other people.

Birds Georgia—Atlanta, Georgia

The Birds Georgia “Birds For All” (BFA) program gives inclusive birding applications to people, prioritizing areas which can be low-income, predominantly Black or individuals of coloration, and have low engagement in avian group science. By providing tailor-made applications for traditionally underrepresented communities, they intention to make sure birding is an area the place everybody can belong. BFA focuses on three key teams: these with accessibility wants, youth and younger grownup age teams, and traditionally underserved communities. Every collaborating associate should deal with one (or extra) of those areas to take part in a BFA program. Birds Georgia’s outreach is intentional, creating aware birding experiences that resonate deeply inside these communities. With a dedication to fostering a various and welcoming birding group, their aim is to interrupt down boundaries and interact new audiences in Georgia.

Marianas Audubon Society—Tamunung, Guam

Islan Dåno’ (Cocos Island) is certainly one of Guam’s biodiversity hotspots and acts because the final native refuge for endemic species such because the Guam Rail and the Mariana Skink. Till not too long ago, Islan Dåno’ was believed to be freed from invasive brown tree snakes, which devastated a lot of Guam’s native wildlife. In 2020, nonetheless, snakes had been discovered on Islan Dåno’, placing its distinctive species in danger. Since 2021, Marianas Audubon Society has been supporting community-led snake removing from Islan Dåno’. The chapter goals to proceed that work and try for the eventual eradication of brown tree snakes from the island.

Higher Iowa Audubon Society—Fayette, Iowa

In collaboration with the Iowa Division of Pure Assets, the Higher Iowa Audubon Society, and the Audubon on Campus chapter at Higher Iowa College search to determine a Motus wildlife monitoring tower on the Volga River State Recreation Space in northeast Iowa. This may assist researchers from throughout the Americas observe the passage of birds as they migrate via the area alongside the Mississippi Flyway. It’ll additionally assist talk how necessary the habitat this public space gives to not solely migratory birds but in addition the breeding forest birds, grassland, and wetland birds of northeast Iowa that nest within the 6,000-acre property. Lastly, the acquisition of Motus tags and a handheld receiver will join college students and group members with the analysis course of, involving them in chicken banding and Motus tagging.

Chicago Fowl Alliance—Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Fowl Alliance, together with key companions, will prepare new discipline journey leaders who characterize the various backgrounds of Chicago and assist these new leaders in participating historically underserved communities in birding actions at lakefront parks. This venture will prepare 30 new discipline journey leaders, together with not less than 25 Black and brown leaders, thereby rising the range of discipline journey leaders in Chicago. It’ll put together them to teach communities concerning the birds and habitats that share the area. The coaching may also incorporate the environmental historical past of Chicago and its waterways, and the conservation points that birds face when migrating. The lakefront, rivers, and banks in Chicago present the area’s richest useful resource for the migratory birds that go via by the thousands and thousands every spring and fall. Chicago Fowl Alliance wish to make this useful resource extra accessible to the entire space’s residents.

Sinnissippi Audubon—Rockford, Illinois

Sinnissippi Audubon, the Metropolis of Rockford, and the Rockford Space Arts Council (RAAC) will associate collectively to concentrate on birds, local weather change, and constructing group. Every summer season, RAAC presents alternatives within the arts for youth within the Rockford area. The SPARK! Construct: Mosaic gives an intensive, hands-on, skill-building apprenticeship program to youths who reveal an curiosity within the arts. Youth will work carefully with nationally acknowledged mosaic artist, Susan Burton, within the planning, development, and set up of a public sculpture. The coed’s mosaic work will probably be acknowledged publicly by Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. Moreover, there will probably be everlasting signage put in with a SPARK! Mosaic tribute. The summer season 2025 program will concentrate on chicken mosaics that will probably be put in all through the group, together with Rockford Metropolis Corridor. This venture will spark curiosity in birds of their group. Signage will present schooling concerning the venture, birds, and the threats of local weather change.

Pupil Sustainability Council at Indiana College Kokomo—Kokomo, Indiana

The continued Inexperienced Horizons Initiative at Indiana College Kokomo focuses on chicken conservation and habitat restoration via sensible, community-driven efforts. This venture goals to boost chicken monitoring capabilities by buying important banding gear, chicken meals, and feeder attachments, permitting college students to trace avian populations and their habitats extra successfully. In tandem, they may restore vital bird-friendly environments on campus by eradicating invasive species and planting native bushes and crops, creating sustainable refuges for native chicken species. Partaking college students, employees, and group members in hands-on conservation tasks won’t solely enhance biodiversity but in addition foster environmental stewardship. By combining schooling, habitat restoration, and monitoring, the Pupil Sustainability Council goals to bolster chicken populations, enhance consciousness of conservation efforts, and create lasting ecological advantages that align with Audubon’s Flight Plan and conservation objectives.

XULA Geaux Inexperienced at Xavier College of Louisiana- New Orleans, Louisiana

XULA Geaux Inexperienced’s (XGG) plan for 2024-2026 is to construct a conservation group via Birding Nature Hikes. These hikes present new Xavier college students with an introduction to birding and enrich the expertise for extra seasoned birdwatchers, all whereas cultivating a rising group of chicken and nature fans on campus. The Swamp Excursions and nature conservation excursions provide highly effective academic experiences, enabling XGG to spotlight the ecological significance of wetlands, prairies, and forests for chicken populations whereas additionally demonstrating modern habitat administration practices. Recycling and upcycling initiatives will assist convey collectively various companions, from college students to native companies, making a coalition working in direction of conservation objectives. XGG will institute clothes drives to recycle, thrift days to reuse, and host workshops to show upcycling.

Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society —Bemidji, Minnesota

“BIRDS FOR VETERANS—BLENDING NATURE AND HONOR” is an initiative to construct bridges and strengthen group partnerships via birds. Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society and American Legion Submit #14 are collaborating to interact and excite residents, guests, and employees about birds on the new Bemidji Veterans Residence. This collaboration intends to put in chicken feeders, present binoculars, chicken guides, and birding apps, in addition to lead accessible chicken and nature applications, and share Indigenous data and tales about birds from native Ojibwe individuals. Native plantings will probably be added across the chicken feeding stations. This may complement a major quantity of native landscaping already executed across the new facility. Window remedies to cut back chicken strikes may also be put in.

Birds of a Feather, Rust Faculty—Holly Springs, Mississippi

Birds of a Feather, Rust Faculty’s Audubon on Campus Chapter, is increasing its yearly Foxfire tenting journey by inviting college students from different HBCUs to interact in immersive, hands-on experiences in nature. This journey will characteristic expert-led birdwatching, nature hikes, and conservation talks, providing a singular alternative to discover biodiversity and join with the pure world. As well as, the chapter will host a plant sale, birdhouse portray workshop, and a nature-themed film night time to boost environmental consciousness inside their group. By fostering cross-campus collaboration and increasing participation, they intention to encourage a brand new technology of conservation leaders, deepen environmental schooling, and strengthen ties between HBCUs and the Audubon mission.

Audubon Society of Omaha—Omaha, Nebraska

The Audubon Society of Omaha (ASO) plans to assist Audubon’s Flight Plan via group constructing and bringing chicken lovers collectively to advance their shared imaginative and prescient. The ASO Pupil Artwork Present is an annual occasion that attracts collectively a whole bunch of Ok-12 college students from throughout the Omaha metro space. College students submit art work in consideration for prizes. Judges select winners for 60 % or extra of the entries, and everybody leaves with some type of recognition to encourage participation and delight within the occasion. It’s each the most important and most various occasion undertaken by ASO. The Artwork Present and Awards Ceremony have interaction a whole bunch of recent potential birders and conservationists—each college students and their households—in depicting and sharing the fantastic thing about birds. The Pupil Artwork Present will attain a broad viewers, and can particularly goal Boys City, a neighborhood academic group for underserved youth.

Bedford Audubon Society—Katonah, New York

Bedford Audubon (BAS) has begun a multi-faceted program technique to interact new various communities of their chapter’s territory, together with Latino communities, with the target of reaching 20,000 individuals over the subsequent 12 months, greater than 75 % of them for the primary time. In the meantime, their worldwide birding journey alternatives will goal nations and in-country companions which can be a part of the NAS Migratory Fowl Initiative and Flyway Plans, going to not less than two nations within the first 12 months. This may create the notice and long-term monetary assist for the plan throughout their membership, offering a mannequin different chapters can undertake. They’ll share it via chapter conferences, regional conferences, and the NAS management convention in Montréal.

Buffalo Audubon Society—North Java, New York

Buffalo Audubon Society will associate with 4 native organizations to cut back chicken strikes throughout western New York via schooling and advocacy. New volunteers will probably be recruited from 4 organizations to retrofit their nature heart home windows with efficient chicken collision discount options to teach the general public on collision prevalence and prevention. Every of the middle’s three flooring will probably be modified with a unique prevention possibility—movie, paracord, and tape— and signage will probably be displayed to tell guests how one can replicate these options at house and within the office. Three annual chicken strike applications will probably be supplied to extend consciousness, view shows, and provide hands-on demonstrations. Fowl collision info will probably be built-in into all on-site teaching programs, and all members will probably be directed to FLACO Act and Darkish Skies Safety Act advocacy alerts.

Genesee Valley Audubon Society—Rochester, New York

Abatement of focused vegetation (weeds/bushes) on a barrier island situated on the entrance to Braddock Bay. The island and Braddock Bay are situated on the Atlantic Migratory Flyway. This may return the island to a seaside that migratory shore birds use to relaxation and feed. This island and the Braddock Bay space are a part of the NYSDEC Braddock Bay Wildlife Administration space, and, as such, particular permits and processes have to be adopted to abate the focused vegetation. This venture aligns itself with the NYSDEC administration of this space.

NYC Fowl Alliance—New York Metropolis, New York

NYC Fowl Alliance will proceed to construct its New York Metropolis Housing Authority (NYCHA) in Nature program, considerably advancing its objectives for fairness, variety, and inclusion. Begun in 2023, this system is a collaboration with public housing tenant leaders and residents to supply free nature and conservation actions primarily based on their group’s pursuits. The NYC Housing Authority gives reasonably priced housing to greater than 500,000 individuals, predominantly Black and Latinx. Many NYCHA Homes have inexperienced areas that invite nature commentary, habitat enhancement, and bird-friendly upgrades. By this program, NYC Fowl Alliance is constructing its capability to interact all of New York Metropolis’s communities in birds and conservation and to include a variety of views of their work to guard the Metropolis’s chicken and pure setting, for the good thing about birds and other people.

Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society—Oneonta, New York

The NY/CT Window Collision Prevention/Lights Out Mission brings collectively as much as 30 Audubon Chapters to interact communities to cut back chicken deaths by stopping bird-window collisions and implementing Lights Out initiatives. Chapters implement their very own programming plans. Assist supplies and assets are supplied for chapter use, primarily based on native wants. Supplies supplied to native chapters will embody a 150-page useful resource guide (one for each chapter in NY & CT); a 45-minute PowerPoint presentation and audio system notes; detailed details about window collision prevention merchandise (the place to buy, how one can correctly use/set up), and reference supplies; detailed details about lights out initiatives; Copies of the prevailing 4-fold Audubon brochure about window collisions; a 12×18” yard signal with a “Fowl-Pleasant Residence” message for native chapters to offer to properties which can be implementing window collision prevention and lights out initiatives; and stickers & desk banners for tabling and bigger tasks.

Fowl Alliance of Oregon—Portland, Oregon

Fowl Alliance of Oregon will collaborate with not less than three completely different affinity-based organizations to create a collection of free BIPOC-only birding outings. By these outings, they may convey collectively 100+ new and rising birders of coloration to study and develop in group. Collectively they may deepen consciousness of birds and their connection to the pure world and strengthen group amongst individuals of coloration who’ve been traditionally marginalized within the outdoor. As well as, they may use these teaching programs as springboards to interact BIPOC birders in conservation management and motion via three channels. First, they may share info in any respect walks about upcoming Fowl Alliance of Oregon conservation advocacy campaigns, together with wetlands and forest protections throughout the state. Second, they may invite members to attend BIPOC-only Fowl Alliance of Oregon activist trainings. Third, they may collaborate with native non-profit Individuals of Coloration Outdoor to facilitate a BIPOC Birders Management cohort, targeted on constructing an upswell of recent leaders of their discipline.

Coast to Cascades Fowl Alliance—Eugene, Oregon

The brand new Oregon Fowl Pleasant Neighborhood Certification program acknowledges the necessary function that native communities play as they shield and restore habitat, work to cut back threats to birds, and supply alternatives for stewardship, schooling, and nature-focused engagement of group members. This system connects Audubon chapters throughout Oregon, permitting them to share assets and experience. Certification requires communities to fulfill significant standards, kind coalitions amongst native organizations, have interaction municipal governments, and contain group members. Designation will promote a way of group delight and partnerships that enable various teams to work collectively towards widespread objectives. Their new program has been invited to affix the Fowl Metropolis Community. They’ve designed their program to be each a enjoyable and substantial technique to interact communities in avian conservation and to construct long-term relationships that keep dedication over time. They now search to create workshops and assist companies to help communities in changing into bird-friendly.

Lycoming Audubon—Williamsport, Pennsylvania

The Lycoming Audubon Society, situated in north central Pennsylvania, will collaborate with the South Facet Leisure Authority (SSRA), a municipal authority representing South Williamsport and DuBoistown Borough, and Armstrong Township, in ongoing efforts to completely restore roughly 220 acres of wetland, grassland, and meadow habitat. This pure space, named for Robert Porter Allen, a pioneering ornithologist and the Nationwide Audubon Society’s first Director of Analysis, gives vital habitat for a number of of the Flight Plan’s Excessive Precedence species, together with Virginia Rails, American Kestrels, Grasshopper Sparrows, and Northern Harriers. With the assist of an Audubon in Motion Grant, Lycoming Audubon and the SSRA will set up a various coalition to assist long-term upkeep of ecological integrity, develop an invasive species administration plan, and take a community-centered strategy to plan implementation. The end result will immediately enhance roughly 120 acres of habitat, contributing on to Nationwide Audubon’s Flight Plan Habitat and Neighborhood Constructing Milestones.

Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania—Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania will enhance accessibility to environmental schooling, develop the conservation motion, and broaden the Audubon community via the event and supply of applications and supplies in Spanish for the rising Latino group within the better Pittsburgh space. Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania proposes to develop 4 units of curricula and complementary schooling toolkits, ship 10 applications (eight for Ok-5 college students and two for households), translate eight key assets to Spanish, and plant one bird-friendly native backyard at Francis McClure Elementary for these in SOY (Supporting Our Youth) McKeesport programming. This work will construct on a current, profitable partnership with the Latino Neighborhood Heart’s SOY (Supporting Our Youth) Pittsburgh program, which focuses on addressing the tutorial wants of the Latino group. This venture will create a possibility to supply equitable and inclusive experiences for the roughly 29,000 Spanish audio system current within the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania service space.

Chattanooga Audubon Society—Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga Audubon Society is revitalizing Maclellan Island, an 18-acre island in the midst of the city heart of Chattanooga. As a part of the group’s land administration plan, the chapter plans to plant seven acres of native crops on Maclellan Island. The crops will act as a meals supply and habitat for migratory birds in a densely populated city space the place they’re scarce. Chattanooga Audubon Society intends to associate with native native plant nonprofits and native authorities companies to convey consciousness to the significance of native crops as a meals supply for migrating birds. The crops will exchange invasive species presently being mitigated and can mood erosion. The visibility of Maclellan Island is a key characteristic of this venture, as Chattanooga Audubon Society continues to advertise engagement in chicken watching. With this venture, Chattanooga Audubon Society will strengthen its connections with companions such because the Metropolis of Chattanooga, whereas additionally creating alternatives for brand new partnerships.

Therapeutic Wings Audubon at College of Texas, Medical Department—Galveston, Texas

Therapeutic Wings is a campus chapter of the Nationwide Audubon at  in Galveston, Texas. Being a well being professions faculty, their research concentrate on therapeutic sufferers and serving to them to thrive. Their venture goals to offer individuals experiences to see for themselves the therapeutic impact nature has on the soul and to assist them perceive the necessity to shield their pure assets. Their venture entails creating 10 “birding backpacks” that will probably be accessible for checkout at a neighborhood library. Every backpack will include binoculars, a discipline information, and laminated sheets with QR codes linking to birding maps, ID guides, and conservation assets. Their birding backpack group ‘kickoff’ occasion will introduce the backpacks to the general public. When paired with their deliberate lineup of guided birding discipline journeys and visitor lecturers, these backpacks will introduce a brand new demographic of future birders to the significance of defending and advocating for his or her pure assets.

Swan Society at Vermont Regulation and Graduate College—South Royalton, Vermont

Swan Society proposes a five-part venture, involving birding excursions, academic occasions, planting native vegetation, constructing birdhouses, and lobbying Vermont’s Normal Meeting. Swan Society will have interaction college students, employees, and college at Vermont Regulation and Graduate College; members of the South Royalton group and White River watershed; and different companions, collaborators, and allies. Swan Society’s venture proposes to fund its fledgling enterprise because the nation’s first legislation faculty Audubon on Campus chapter. Every a part of Swan Society’s venture engages people in habitat conservation, local weather motion, the development of coverage, and group constructing. Birding excursions, academic occasions, planting native vegetation, constructing birdhouses, and lobbying coalesce individuals in objective and motion. Every of this venture’s elements corroborates the opposite, and all assist to encourage appreciation for avifauna and the habitats upon which avifauna rely—Swan Society’s objective.

Spokane Audubon Society—Spokane, Washington

The Little Spokane River watershed is a wealthy and biologically various space that has been degraded during the last century resulting from agriculture, logging, grazing, and growth. Greater than 180 chicken species have been documented within the watershed for the reason that late Nineties. To enhance habitat and water high quality of this deteriorated space, this venture seeks to revive the realm to return it to a wholesome ecosystem that may assist a variety of birds and extra strong populations of them. With the assistance of scholars and volunteers, Spokane Audubon Society will plant native bushes, shrubs, and perennial crops to extend usable habitat for birds, bugs, and different wildlife. The chapter will set up enhancements corresponding to nest bins to offer extra nesting habitat for cavity nesters. The venture will have interaction group members by offering each classroom studying concerning the significance of birds within the setting and hands-on expertise creating habitat for them.

Southern Wisconsin Fowl Alliance—Madison, Wisconsin

Fowl-window collisions kill billions of birds annually in america. This can be a big drawback that goes comparatively unnoticed and unaddressed by the general public. With assist from Audubon in Motion, Southern Wisconsin Fowl Alliance will broaden ongoing outreach efforts to owners, group members, and elected officers to boost consciousness of the issue and educate them about how they might help remedy it. The chapter will take a number of outreach approaches, together with public displays, train-the-trainer workshops, useful resource kits for implementing window collision monitoring applications, video and article manufacturing, and exploration of how to fund window remedy retrofits. Southern Wisconsin Fowl Alliance will construct on years of profitable native outreach to broaden the viewers to a regional stage, creating networks of group organizers who’re knowledgeable and outfitted to guard birds of their communities.

Chequamegon Audubon Society—Washburn, Wisconsin

Whittlesey Creek Nationwide Wildlife Refuge (WCNWR) has partnered with the Metropolis of Ashland, Wisconsin, and the St. Croix Administration District to transform and restore 10 acres of mowed metropolis property and invasive species-dominated land. Native prairie seeds, supplied, partly, by the St. Croix Administration District, will probably be used to advertise a more healthy and extra various habitat. The venture will concentrate on two places: 5 acres inside WCNWR and 5 acres within the Metropolis of Ashland. The first goal is to boost the habitat high quality for migratory birds, as Ashland and the Chequamegon Bay function an necessary migratory hall for a lot of North American chicken species. By reintroducing native plant species, this restoration effort will assist protected passage for migratory birds and act as a gateway alternative for first-time birdwatchers locally.

Potomac Valley Audubon Society—Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Partaking the Neighborhood in Conservation and Motion: Utilizing displays and a brand new volunteer program, this venture goals to convey new viewers members into Potomac Valley Audubon Society’s nature heart to interact them in dialog about land preservation, uncommon species, vitality conservation, inexperienced infrastructure, and particular person actions guests can take. The brand new displays will probably be a catalyst for conversations. They’ll spotlight the particular options of the protected property and the energy-efficient nature heart the place the displays are displayed. The displays will present info and fascinating photographs that may allow docents to obviously and persistently talk the options of the protected marsh and the energy-efficient constructing, whereas together with methods to encourage and encourage motion of their private lives.

WEZAAM at Midwestern College, Glendale Campus—Glendale, Arizona

Habitat creation, schooling, and group engagement in Glendale, AZ, to profit resident and migratory birds. WEZAAM’s multifaceted FORBIRDS program goals to encourage a group to be advocates and stewards of the birds that share their yards. To this finish, the actions designed for ages 12 and up will educate about birds, focus on the threats birds are dealing with, and, importantly, equip members with tangible options and embolden them to turn out to be citizen scientists for birds. They’ll create extra chicken habitat by increasing their present Sonoran Desert and provide members native desert crops for his or her yards. This group program will particularly profit Lucy’s Warbler by developing nest bins and monitoring their use. A group exhibition will focus on chicken window collisions, showcase merchandise accessible to mitigate this risk, and supply samples for members to put in at their properties. Collectively they’ll make Glendale a safer section on the flight path.

Bruin Birding Membership at College of California, Los Angeles—Los Angeles, California

The aim of Bruin Birding Membership at College of California, Los Angeles is to offer chicken programming to a various viewers of scholars, employees, school, and group members no matter background and expertise stage. In Summer time 2023 the Bruin Birding Membership ran its first-ever bird-themed LGBTQ+ Delight Competition, which efficiently attracted a whole bunch of people to campus to have a good time birds and variety in birding. In 2025, the Bruin Birding Membership plans to convey again this occasion, with quite a few repeated and new choices to fulfill the Audubon in Motion grant objectives. These actions will embody 1) guided chicken walks with emphasis on variety, conservation, and the historical past of College of California, Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ motion, 2) a panel dialogue with queer leaders and researchers in ornithology, local weather change, gender research, and accessible birding, and three) varied social occasions for venture members and bird-themed programming from native non-profit organizations and rehabilitation services.

Spoonbill Society: Birding Membership at Florida State College—Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State College’s campus chapter will fund window remedies and develop academic supplies on efficient mitigation methods surrounding deadly bird-window strikes, each on its campus and throughout the bigger Tallahassee group. After a 12 months’s value of knowledge assortment on bird-window fatalities on campus, these funds will assist implementation of correct window remedies on their most deadly constructing, promotion for efficient options, and an “Lights Out” initiative, and an on-campus exhibit arrange biannually throughout migration depicting the issue home windows pose for chicken populations and methods to assist. Academic supplies and outreach will probably be unfold throughout the three largest school campuses in Tallahassee (Florida State College, Tallahassee State Faculty, and Florida A&M College) to additional enhance consciousness of this challenge. This venture will serve to guard birds and empower the local people and school college students to take steps in direction of avian conservation on their campuses and past.

Audubon Society UW, Madison at College of Wisconsin-Madison—Madison, Wisconsin

The Microbial Sciences Fowl-Pleasant Home windows is a university- and chapter-partnered venture to retrofit home windows with bird-safe glass on the College of Wisconsin—Madison Microbial Sciences constructing. This venture goals to cut back the mortality charges and risk of chicken collisions with constructing glass by putting in bird-friendly glass within the monitored college constructing with the best variety of chicken collisions on the College of Wisconsin—Madison campus. In partnerships with the College of Wisconsin—Madison Workplace of Sustainability Inexperienced Fund, Southern Wisconsin Fowl Alliance, and the Fowl Collision Corps program, this venture goals to teach college students and group members on the significance of retrofitting bird-building collision websites for chicken security. Neighborhood engagement with species conservation motion is vital to advance the pursuits of wholesome chicken populations, campus members, and environmental well-being.

Collaborative Grant Tasks

Quinnipiac Valley Audubon Society in Wallingford, Connecticut, Menunkatuck Audubon Society in Guilford, Connecticut, Bedford Audubon Society in Katoah, New York, Rockland Audubon Society in New Metropolis, New York, and Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society in Oneonta, New York, are working collectively as a part of a broader Connecticut—New York Audubon collaboration supported by an Audubon in Motion grant utility. The venture will pair public displays, youth-led installations, and Lights Out Connecticut outreach to teach communities and encourage widespread adoption of bird-safe practices. Equally, Onondaga Audubon Society in Syracuse, New York is poised to guide a regional Lights Out program in Central New York, elevating public consciousness, creating partnerships, selling bird-friendly insurance policies, and offering assets and outreach to cut back gentle air pollution throughout peak migration durations.

Tropical Audubon Society is restoring its historic South Miami, Florida headquarters property—a uncommon remnant of imperiled pine rockland habitat—via month-to-month volunteer workdays that take away invasives, plant natives, and unfold pine needle straw mulch. The venture not solely preserves nearly two % of Miami-Dade’s remaining pine rocklands but in addition serves as an academic useful resource via excursions, discipline journeys, and group applications that have interaction each adults and kids in conservation.

Southeast Volusia Audubon Society in New Symrna Seashore, Florida, will associate with Smyrna Dunes Park to offer signage and host academic tabling occasions that elevate consciousness of defending fragile dunes and shorebird nesting websites. By participating park guests with info, actions, and volunteer alternatives, Southeast Volusia Audubon Society goals to construct group, enhance conservation consciousness, and develop chapter membership.

Eagle Audubon Society in Solar Metropolis Heart, Florida, will restore two ponds within the Kings Level group by eradicating invasives and planting 1000’s of Florida-friendly native crops to enhance water high quality, present wildlife habitat, and shield waterways that move into Tampa Bay. The venture, half of a bigger pond restoration effort, will embody contractor and volunteer planting, ongoing upkeep, and group schooling via articles, seminars, and outreach to advertise wholesome pond practices.

Duval Audubon Society, via its Lights Out Northeast Florida partnership, screens chicken collisions in downtown Jacksonville, advocates for bird-friendly practices, and companions with the Museum of Science and Historical past to put in Feather Pleasant markers and academic signage to cut back strikes. With assist from Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens and broad group engagement, the venture will create a extremely seen demonstration web site that protects birds, educates 1000’s of tourists, and conjures up citywide bird-friendly motion.

Orange Audubon Society in Maitland, Florida, will advance group constructing efforts by participating various audiences in chicken surveys and after-school birding golf equipment, supporting hands-on studying via appropriate binoculars for youngsters.

West Volusia Audubon Society in DeLand, Florida, helps Stetson College’s Audubon on Campus chapter and its partnership with the Gillespie Museum, which hosts birding applications and gives habitats that join college students and the general public with nature. To broaden entry, the chapter seeks a classroom set of 20 binoculars to take away boundaries for brand new birders, enrich academic programming, and construct group engagement round birds.

Manatee County Audubon Society in Bradenton, Florida, plans to boost the Felts Audubon Protect with two new shaded constructions, together with a chickee hut with picnic tables, to enhance customer expertise and luxury. These additions will assist rising academic applications for scouts, colleges, libraries, nonprofits, and the group, fostering better engagement in conservation and habitat restoration.

Coastal Georgia Audubon seeks to construct a Chimney Swift tower on the historic Ashantilly Heart in Darien, Georgia, to offer vital roosting habitat for these declining aerial insectivores whereas additionally providing pure pest management. The venture will embody academic signage, monitoring, and three public occasions to interact 1000’s of annual guests in studying about and supporting Chimney Swifts.

Amos Butler Audubon Society in Indianapolis, Indiana, goals to revive the Skating Pond’s wetland habitat by eradicating invasive water lilies and shrubs, reintroducing native crops, and enhancing water ranges. This venture will improve biodiversity, present vital nesting and stopover habitat for wetland birds, and enhance entry and delight for guests.

Evansville Audubon Society is collaborating in a hemispheric Motus tagging venture to trace the migration, longevity, and inhabitants traits of the declining Wooden Thrush, practically 4 % of which nest in Indiana. By tagging as much as 600 birds throughout breeding states and 6 Latin American nations, the venture will generate vital knowledge to information habitat administration and conservation alongside migratory pathways.

Louisville Audubon Society in Kentucky is launching a Lights Out program to cut back industrial and residential lighting throughout spring and fall migration, serving to shield migratory birds. The venture will embody free yard signal distribution, group outreach, and youth engagement via academic applications and outside actions.

Baton Rouge Audubon Society in Louisiana plans to put in a bird-collision prevention artwork and schooling show on the important library, a identified collision hotspot, to cut back chicken deaths and lift public consciousness. The venture may also have interaction the group via occasions, outreach, and everlasting academic supplies, whereas advocating for broader adoption of collision-prevention measures throughout Baton Rouge.

Central Minnesota Audubon Society in Chilly Spring, Minnesota, plans to create a brand new web site to offer real-time updates, broaden outreach past Fb, and make assets extra accessible to youth, lecturers, and the broader group. The positioning will characteristic occasions, tasks, academic supplies, and chapter info, serving to appeal to new members, enhance engagement, and foster collaboration.

Lahontan Audubon Society in Reno, Nevada will take part in Northern Nevada Delight with a sales space and parade presence to interact the LGBTQIA+ group, supported by its new Fairness, Range, Inclusion, and Belonging committee. The venture goals to extend visibility, foster inclusivity, and develop LGBTQIA+ membership and management via outreach, sign-ups, social media engagement, and academic actions.

In Paramus, New Jersey, Bergen County Audubon Society’s competition will spotlight the Bald Eagle’s restoration from close to extinction and the continuing efforts wanted to guard it. The occasion may also characteristic the native Indigenous companions, connecting conservation with tradition to interact the group with nature.

The South Shore Audubon Society in Freeport, New York, goals to broaden and diversify native plantings within the Tackapausha and Hempstead Plains gardens to offer vital chicken and pollinator habitat whereas participating the group in habitat conservation. By planting, interpretive signage with QR codes, public excursions, talks, volunteer gardening teams, and outreach by way of newsletters and social media, the venture promotes schooling, advocacy, and chapter membership progress.

Over the previous three years in Greenport, New York, North Fork Audubon Society volunteers have cleared invasive crops from Inlet Pond County Park, permitting native species to regenerate, and now intention to speed up this by planting 5 nursery-grown white oaks at a key path intersection. These white oak bushes are a keystone species that may assist various wildlife, particularly bugs vital for feeding child birds, and will probably be accompanied by an indication recognizing volunteers and thanking Audubon for his or her contribution.

Hudson River Audubon Society in Yonkers, New York, has remodeled its backyard with wooden chip paths, new accessible gates, and thoroughly chosen native plantings to regulate erosion and assist wildlife. Common upkeep will maintain the backyard in optimum situation, whereas ongoing enhancements proceed to boost accessibility, habitat high quality, and long-term sustainability.

Since its founding in June 2024, Buddies of Grand Lake Audubon Society in Grove, Oklahoma, has engaged various and marginalized communities via in-person outreach, birding walks, trainings, and partnerships, rapidly constructing a chapter with a board membership reflecting the group it serves. Wanting forward, the chapter plans to broaden its Younger Birders applications, faculty outreach, enhance its presence at group occasions, and improve its web site to enhance volunteer coordination and develop membership.

Seven Capes Fowl Alliance in Lincoln Metropolis, Oregon, seeks to make its web site accessible in each English and Spanish to higher serve the native Spanish-speaking group, which requires upgrading the web site server to include the brand new translation integration. To handle this complicated improve given restricted employees capability, the chapter plans to rent an skilled guide, enabling automated web site translation and reinforcing their dedication to inclusivity alongside translated print supplies.

Lehigh Valley Audubon Society will buy eight units of birding gear, supplementing library collections in Bethlehem and Easton, Pennsylvania, with two units for every important library and two for every department. This venture gives residents—particularly these in department library communities who’ve restricted entry to outside recreation—the chance to expertise birding totally free.

Larger Wyoming Valley Audubon Society goals to boost consciousness about declining native pollinators in city areas by offering academic programming and inspiring residents to plant native species, utilizing a downtown Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, group backyard as an indication web site. The chapter will provide native perennial crops, soil amendments, and academic supplies, and host a Native Pollinator Day to interact the general public, promote pollinator-friendly gardening, and amplify the message via native media and metropolis outreach.

Cape Henry Audubon Society goals to considerably scale back chicken strikes in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, throughout migration brought on by vibrant lights and glass constructions, having already recorded greater than 200 principally warblers. Success on this effort may function a mannequin for Virginia Seashore to broaden to Newport Information and Hampton and finally assist regional and statewide chicken security laws.

Spokane Audubon Society in Spokane, Washington, goals to counter declining American Kestrel populations by developing, putting, and monitoring picket nest bins to offer extra nesting habitat. Working with volunteers, landowners, and the general public, the chapter tracks field utilization, fledgling success, and volunteer participation, with plans to broaden this system considerably over the subsequent 5 years.

Blue Mountain Audubon Society in Walla Walla, Washington, goals to construct a extra various birding group by participating youth and Spanish-speaking residents via quarterly introductory discipline journeys, bilingual outreach, and accessible assets like binocular loans and Spanish-language guides. The chapter plans to extend membership by 10 % over the subsequent 12 months, with half of recent members from underrepresented teams, and hopes to interact not less than 15 people or households per discipline journey.

Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society in Sequim, Washington, goals to cut back chicken accidents and deaths at Peninsula Faculty by putting in DIY Acopian BirdSavers on campus home windows whereas planning for future Feather Pleasant dot markers. The chapter will have interaction college students and employees via schooling, hands-on constructing, and monitoring, with a aim of decreasing window collisions by 50 %.

Silver State Wings and George Whittell Environmental Grant Awards

Along with the Audubon in Motion and Collaborative grants, this cycle we had been additionally in a position to provide the George Whittell Nevada Environmental Grant Award and the Silver State Wings grants to our chapters in Nevada. Purple Rock Audubon Society was the recipient of $14,000 for his or her “Campus to Conservation” venture. One other $14,000 was break up between Lahontan Audubon Society, Purple Rock Audubon Society and the Audubon on Campus chapter at College of Nevada Las Vegas. Collectively, these grants supplied $28,000 to assist chapters on this state, via funds generously supplied by George Whittell and Doug and Nancy Chang, respectively.

Purple Rock Audubon Society—Las Vegas, Nevada

Purple Rock Audubon Society’s youth teaching programs will present college students with their very own set of Quantity 1 & 2 Sibley’s Birds of Southern Nevada. Having used these guides throughout their discipline journey, the scholars turn out to be linked to some species they see that day within the discipline with what’s proven within the information. Purple Rock Audubon will present the chance for the scholars to take the guides house, share with their households, and join with different native species recognized within the guides with what they could see of their neighborhood and parks.

Lahontan Audubon Society—Reno, Nevada

The Perils of Plastics—An academic tabling occasion displaying the harmful results of artificial plastic merchandise can have on birds. The show consists of not less than 3 taxidermy mounts of birds which have died resulting from their encounters with plastic, plus “wholesome” mounts of the identical species. Attendees can have the chance to signal a letter/postcard to be given to Nevada’s Congressional Representatives to encourage the passage of The Break Free From Plastic Air pollution Act of 2023 (S.3127/H.R.6053). Letters/postcards may also be supplied for members of the Nevada State Legislature to encourage statewide laws. The mounts, info, and advocacy marketing campaign will probably be on show at a minimal of three tabling occasions. These occasions will construct group by attracting new Audubon members as chicken lovers work collectively to tell the general public of this challenge and to encourage a change to public coverage via communication with authorities representatives.