AUDUBON ANNUAL REPORT 2010ProtectingtheFlywaysEachspringandfall,millio - PDF document

AUDUBON ANNUAL REPORT 2010ProtectingtheFlywaysEachspringandfall,millionsofbirds,fromtinyRuby-throatedHummingbirdstomajesticGoldenEagles,takewingacrossvastexpansesoftheWestern Hemisphere.Audubonstaff,Chapters,volunteers,andU.S.andinternationalpartnersareensuringsafepassageandhealthybreeding,wintering,andrestinghabitatatImportantBirdAreasallalongtheway. Shore BirdsShore Birds International Important Bird AreasIdentified to DateU. S. Important Bird AreasIdentifiedto DateSandhill Cranesin Alaska ShorebirdsSeabirdsLand BirdsRaptorsWaterfowl International Important Bird Areas Identified to dateU.S. Important Bird AreasIdentified to date 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 12 Shore BirdsSea BirdsLand Birds International Important BirdIdentified to Date S. Important BirdIdentifiedto Date ANNUAL REPORT 2010AUDUBON CONSERVATION IMPACTPromoted protection of more than 370 million acres of bird habitat in 2,500 IBAs public awareness of 424 Globally Significant IBAs 200 IBA Adoption Groups in hands-oncitizen science and conservationLeveraged IBA status influence land use and planning in more than dozen statesImportantBirdAreas important bird areas(iba) and geographic borders to connect bird conser- around the globe. As the U.S. partner of BirdLife Audubon is leading the way in identifying protecting critical habitat and in forging partnerships conservationists throughout the hemisphere. 370 million acres in the U.S.—an area larger than Florida, New York, and Texas combined— been designated IBAs, and each of these 2,500 sites is hub for conservation stewardship and action. 17708 12_21 Flyways r1.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/14/11 11:18 AM Page 13 Audubon Vermont’s ForestStewardship Initiative surpassed120,000 acres in 2010. Since2006, this innovative programlandowners in habitat manage-ment practices that benefit birdsnesting in the state’s forests,including Audubon WatchListspecies like the Wood Thrushand Canada Warbler. The initia-tive’s influence is also spreadingthrough training for professionalforesters responsible for man-agement of over one millionacres in the state. In collabora-Audubon New YorkVermont staff laid the ground-work for outreach and trainingtargeting additional foresterswho own and manage millionsof acres in the Northern Forest,including the Adirondacks.NEW YORKNortheast grassland habitat,important to many species ofAtlantic Flyway birds, got a boostfrom Audubon New York’s workwith the State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation onthe Landowner IncentiveProgram. Audubon helps recruitprogram participants and writesmanagement plans for them.Each receives payment for man-aging land to support grasslandspecies like Grasshopper Sparrowand Bobolink. This vulnerablegroup of birds has declined morein the past 40 years than otherbirds in New York.Atlantic Puffin colonies onMaine’s coastal islands achievedrecord-high populations, thanksto Audubon’s Project PuffinNow in its thirty-seventh year,this innovative program is behindthe resurgence of nesting puffincolonies on three Maine coastislands. Razorbills, CommonMurres, Common and ArcticTerns, and other species are alsoreaping its benefits. Meanwhile,techniques pioneeredin Maineare helping to restore nestingislands for birds around the globe.NORTH CAROLINAThe Piping Plover is only one ofthe Atlantic Flyway’s coastalspecies that winter on NorthCarolina’s Outer Banks, including AUDUBON ANNUAL REPORT 2010FlywayTheAtlanticFlywayisasuperhighwayforsomeofthemostproficientflyersofthebirdkingdom,such as RedKnots,someofwhichjourney9,300milesfromTheArctictothetipofTierradelFuegoforthewinter.AudubonsIBAsafetynetfortheselong-distancetravelers(andtheircousinsthatdonotmigrateasfar)extendsfrom theborealforestsoftheNortheasttothewetlandsoftheEverglades,andreachessouthoftheborderthroughourInternationalRed Knots in Florida 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 14 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 AUDUBON Cape Hatteras National Seashore.Audubon North Carolinaconservation partners achieved avictory in their ongoing fight toprotect habitat for this federally-declared threatened specieswhen a federal judge uphelddesignation of these sites as critical winter habitat.FLORIDAOne of the richest ecosystems inthe world, the Everglades hasbeen ditched, diked, anddrained, isolating native habitatsfrom life-giving water and result-ing in massive loss of wildlife.This year, after twenty years ofadvocacy work from Audubonand local Chapters,allies, and agencies, constructionbegan on a one-mile bridge overthe Tamiami Trail—a roadwaythat crosses the Everglades andcuts off water flow to EvergladesNational Park. This will be thefirst of several miles of elevatedroadways allowing water to flowfreely into the River of Grass, acritical step for the recovery ofthe region’s once vast abun-dance of birdlife, such as RoseateSpoonbills, Wood Storks, andSnail Kites.Warren KingOrnithologist/BoardAudubon VermontA longtime leader of OtterCreek Audubon Society,Warren has also been a boardmember of Audubon Vermontsince its founding. The formerSmithsonian Instituteornithologist and recipient ofAudubon’s 2005 Charles H.Callison Award shares hispassion for conservationwith his wife, Barry. TheForest Bird Initiative is one ofKing’s proudest AudubonVermont achievements. “It serves as a model forforest bird programs up anddown the Eastern Seaboard,”he explained. “The idea is towork with forest landownersto improve their woodlandmanagement plans, with theintent of keeping commonmigratory songbirds common.” 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 15 AUDUBON ANNUAL REPORT 2010MINNESOTA AND IOWATimber management practicesin northeastern Iowa’s YellowRiver Forest Important Bird Areaare more bird-friendly, thanks toa 33-year Audubon study ofRed-Shouldered Hawks’ nestingpreferences and reproductivesuccess. Science is also at theAudubon Minnesotasix-year project to develop thestate’s first Breeding Bird AtlasEngaging 600 citizen scientists,including representatives of allChapters in the state as well asother partners, it will framestatewide conservation prioritieswhen completed in 2014.Meanwhile, the new informationit provides is improving conser-vation effectiveness every year.Bobolinks, Henslow’s Sparrows,and Grasshopper Sparrows areonly a few of the grasslandspecies that benefit from the 21IBAs in the Chicago metropoli-tan area. Audubon of theChicago Region, Thorn CreekAudubon, Chicago AudubonSociety, and a cadre of dedicat-ed volunteers and partners arerestoring grassland habitat thatis critical for many MississippiFlyway migrants. Particularlyimpressive are the results atSpring Creek Forest Preserve.When habitat restoration beganin earnest six years ago, grass-land birds were barely hangingon. Now, thanks to the commit-ment of local volunteers andother conservation partners,the site is proudly known asSpring Creek IBA.ARKANSASAir quality, human health, andArkansas’ largest rookery ofwading birds—including herons,egrets, ibis, and anhingas—arethreatened by a proposed coal-fired power plant, potentiallylocated across the street fromthe Arkansas Little RiverBottoms IBA. AudubonArkansasand its conservationpartners’ aggressive fight toprevent construction scored avictory with a recent courtdecision requiring the develop-er to halt work in the site’s wet-lands, pending assessment ofenvironmental impacts andthreats to endangered speciessuch as the Interior Least Tern.Nearlyone-thirdofthecontinentsbirdspeciesspendatleastpartoftheirlivesontheMississippiFlyway.Buttheriveranditswatershedfaceadauntingarrayofenvironmentalthreats,fromupriverpollutiontocoastalerosioninLouisiana.AudubonsMississippiRiverInitiativebringstogethervolunteers,citizenscientists,andgrassrootsactivists toprotectandrestoreAmericasRiverandtopreservehabitatin the U.S.andinCentralandSouthAmerica.Red-winged Blackbirds withYellow-headed Blackbirds 17708 12_21 Flyways r1.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/14/11 11:18 AM Page 16 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 AUDUBON In its fifth year, AudubonMissouri’s IBA program engagesChapters and other partners tomonitor and protect 47 sitesacross the state, including fiveGrassland birds face particularthreats from habitat loss, andspecies like the state-endan-gered Greater Prairie-Chicken,Upland Sandpiper, and Henslow’sSparrow are reaping the benefitsof work at Cole Camp Prairiesand Grand River Grassland IBAs.In the last three years, ColeCamp Prairies has shown thehighest populations of Henslow’sever recorded for the site.Rosabel MiroExecutive DirectorPanama Audubon SocietyA Panama City native,Rosabel’s interest was inmeeting other young people,not protecting birds, whenshe attended her first PanamaAudubon Society (PAS) out-ing in 1995. But it didn’t takelong for Panama’s incrediblebirdlife to capture her heartand for her leadership totransform the organizationinto one of the driving forcesbehind the emergentPanamanian environmentalmovement. As ExecutiveDirector of PAS, she is raisingawareness of the importanceof Panama Bay to both glob-al shorebirds and local liveli-The ConservationPlan for the Bay, recentlycompleted with guidancefrom Audubon’sInternationalAlliances Program, will guidePAS’s work to protect thisGlobal IBA in the face ofmultiple threats, includinguncontrolled urban develop-ment, agricultural encroach-ment, pollution, and poorgovernment oversight. 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 17 AUDUBON ANNUAL REPORT 2010COLORADOAudubon ColoradoChapters are leading the chargeto ensure wildlife-friendly wind-energy development in the state,working with a coalition of con-servation groups and wind-ener-gy representatives. Understandingthe habitat needs of target birdspecies provides a framework forsound energy-siting decisions.This spring, the coalition rolledout its first three sets of species-based Best ManagementPractices for Mountain Plovers,Sharp-tailed Grouse, and GreaterPrairie-Chickens. By providingwind developers with clear guid-ance on wildlife impacts, thisapproach will not only help pro-tect wildlife but also speedrenewable energy development.DAKOTASSustainable wind development inthe region also received a boostfrom Audubon Dakota’s leader-ship in the American WindWildlife Institute, a collaborativeinitiative that brings conservationorganizations together withwind-industry representatives toadvance both wind-energy devel-opment and wildlife protection.The group’s web-based land-scape-scale information systemand other resources will providedevelopers and conservationistsalike with much-needed informa-tion to guide siting decisions thatalso safeguard habitat.NEBRASKAAudubon’s Lillian Annette Rowe, home to federallyendangered Whooping Cranes,Interior Least Terns, and threat-ened Piping Plovers, has earned itdesignation as a GloballySignificant IBA. The Big BendAudubon Chapter has fought toprotect the river from harmfuldevelopment since 1974. Togetherwith sanctuary staff, the Chapteralso launched a restoration effortthat now enlists other organiza-tions and agencies to clear nearly30 miles of the Platte River chan-nel for cranes and other birdseach year. Come spring, the sanc-tuary hosts thousands of visitorsfrom around the globe who cometo witness the inspiring spectacleof crane migration. SometimesreferredtoastheFlywayoftheRockyMountainsandtheGreatPlains,theCentralFlywayencompassessomeofournationsmostproductivehabitatforwaterfowl,includingNebraskasPlatteRiver,wherehundredsofthousandsofSandhillCranesgatherearlyeachspringenroutetotheArctic.Energydevelop-mentbothrenewableandnothasbigenvironmentalimplicationsfortheGreatPlainsregion.Thatswhyfindingwildlife-friendlygreenenergyisa priorityforAudubonsnetworkofstaff,Chapters,andstakeholders.Snow Geese Sandhill Cranes along the Platte River 17708 12_21 Flyways r1.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/14/11 11:18 AM Page 18 ANNUAL REPORT 2010 AUDUBON TEXASThe western coast of the Gulfof Mexico lies along the CentralFlyway, and provides vital nest-ing and wintering habitat for awide array of waterbirds. Thissummer’s Gulf oil disaster madeAudubon Texas’s coastal stew-ardship program even moreimportant. Texas nesting sitesproved to be healthy and pro-ductive for birds like BrownPelicans, Roseate Spoonbills,and Reddish Egrets—no smalltribute to decades of conserva-tion action from Audubon’steam of coastal wardens, volun-teers, and the essential work oflocal Chapters. Ernie RousekBoard Member, Spring Creek PrairieAudubon CenterAfter learning in 1978 that230 acres of native tallgrassprairie near Lincoln,Nebraska were scheduledfor sale as a developmentarea, Ernie launched a per-sonal crusade. In concertwith the Wachiska AudubonSociety (of which he wasstate legislature and theUniversity of NebraskaBoard of Regents to helpprotect the pristine stretchof Nine Mile Prairie, home tomore than 80 bird species(including Upland Sandpipersand meadowlarks) and 392plant species. As a result,this vital piece of theregion’s natural heritagewas spared, and hasbecome a site for nativegrassland research and student field trips. A steward-shipboard member of the800-acre Spring CreekPrairie Audubon Center,Ernie is something of a forceof nature himself—assistingwith native seed gatheringand prescribed burns (necessary to replicate the natural prairie burn cycle),among other acts of volun-teerism. “It’s easy to overlook howcritical prairie land is to birdsand other wildlife,” heexplained. “I was thrilled tofind that Audubon recog-nized the importance of itspreservation.” 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 19 AUDUBON ANNUAL REPORT 2010ALASKAAudubon Alaska’s leadership inprotecting the Teshekpuk LakeSpecial Area, a GloballySignificant IBA, from oil andgas development paid off thisyear. The Bureau of LandManagement deferred the saleof leases, pending further studyof the needs of caribou herdsthat calve there. Located in theNational Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, Teshekpuk Lake alsohosts millions of breedingwaterbirds each summer. In addition, efforts to protectkey watersheds in the TongassNational Forest gained tractionwhen the U.S. Forest Serviceannounced that it would transi-away from old-growth log-ging toward more sustainableforest management.Arizona’s grasslands are hometo a wide range of birds andother wildlife, including Baird’sSparrow, which has been desig-nated a species of special con-cern. The region is also impor-tant to ranchers and otherlandowners, small and large,and its list of environmentalchallenges includes water man-agement and development.Audubon staff at the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranchareleading efforts to bridge the gapthat sometimes exists betweenconservationists and otherstakeholders, through commu-nity outreach like the Scienceon the Sonoita Plain sympo-sium it hosted this summer.OREGONSauvie Island Wildlife Area, anIBA located just 15 miles fromdowntown Portland, is home towintering waterfowl, TundraSwans, Sandhill Cranes, BaldEagles, and more than 250PortlandAudubonpartnered with statewildlife and parks agencies torestore more than 25 acres ofshorebird habitat and engagevolunteers in ongoing invasivespecies-removal projects.destination for its field trips,including the annual RaptorRoad Trip, which last year intro-duced more than 1,500 partici-pants to the region’s wintering raptors. Millionsofbirdsmorethan350speciesfollowthePacificFlywayeachyear,fromtheBeringStraittoSouthAmerica.Manyshorebirds,liketheWesternSandpiper,travelalongtheWestCoastfromAlaskatoSouthAmerica,whilelandbirdsliketheFerruginousHawksoarovertheinte-riorofCaliforniaandArizonaintoMexico.Theflywayslandscapesareasdiverseasitsbirds,fromurbanparksandbackyardstodesertsandmountains.AudubonsChapters,citizenscientists,andvolunteersareprotectingandrestoringthevitallinksalongtheway.Western Sandpipers in Alaska 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 20 ANNUAL REPORT 2008 AUDUBON CALIFORNIAAudubon California’s ongoingwork to conserve vital TejonRanch habitat reached a majormilestone with the state’sapproval of $15.8 million to pur-chase conservation easementsprotecting some of the bestwildlife habitat on the ranch.Bald Eagles, Burrowing Owls,Swainson’s Hawks, TricoloredBlackbirds, and LoggerheadShrike are only some of thebirds that call these areashome, as does the federallyendangered San Joaquin KitFox. This funding was animportant step in the imple-mentation of the 2008 TejonRanch Conservation Agreementled by Audubon California andfour other conservation organi-zations, which provided protec-tion for up to 240,000 acres ofspectacular California wild-lands. The Tejon Ranch is partof two Globally SignificantImportant Bird Areas.Rene Altamirano AcostaPartner, InternationalAlliances ProgramThrough the 1990s, Renenoticed that less rain wasfalling on his 500-acre cattleranch in Veracruz, Mexico—and its grasslands werebecoming less fertile, mak-from them less predictable.So, assisted by Audubon’sInternational AlliancesProgram and partnerPronatura (Mexico’s largestin-country conservationorganization), he reducedhis herd to allow most of theland to revert to a naturallyfunctioning ecosystem. As a result, much of theacreage is being transformedto dense forest, regaining thehabitat’s vital role as roostingand feeding habitat for someof the millions of migratoryraptors that pass through the area twice each year. As he converts his operationto a balance of sustainableagriculture and forest conservation, Rene is chart-ing the course for a neweconomy in the region. 17708 12_21 Flyways.qxd:Feature_4Col_AR08 1/11/11 10:27 AM Page 21