Bird City Oregon—May Update

Birds are awesome. They’re beautiful. They lift our spirits and spark our imagination. They contribute to functional ecosystems and act as indicators of healthy environments. But, alas, their populations are declining all over the world due to a variety of threats. Birds need our help.

As our landscape becomes more developed, urban and suburban landscapes play an increasingly important role in the survival of wild birds. Nearly 500 species of wild birds utilize Oregon for some portion of their life cycle, and many of these birds pass through our cities and towns.

This was our motivation for working to create Bird City Oregon, a designation program that emphasizes the important role that local communities can play in protecting wild birds. It is both an education and a recognition program. Lane Audubon is the lead organization of this statewide program, developed in partnership with the late Bob Sallinger of Bird Conservation Oregon, along with input from Audubon chapters around the state and other organizations. Bird City Oregon has joined the Bird City Network, a hemispheric network containing more than 200 bird-friendly communities across four countries working to make their environments healthier for birds and people. FMI see the Bird City Network website.

Interested communities start by forming a coalition of bird-friendly partners and obtaining a resolution from their city officials in support of joining. The application includes a menu of impactful actions that communities can take, and each city decides which actions to focus on.

Actions fall into four categories: (1) Creating and Protecting Habitat, (2) Reducing Threats, (3) Engagement and Education, and (4) Sustainability.

Our Lane County chapter secured a grant from National Audubon to pilot the program and help support the first certified communities designated in Oregon. In Eugene and a few other cities, we are currently working through the application process required to join. Joining will provide communities the opportunity to:

• Partner with like-minded organizations to create and enhance healthy native habitats and adopt sustainable bird-friendly practices.
• Raise awareness about the threats birds face and provide actionable solutions for the public.
• Help pollinators and human health. When you do good things for birds, you are also improving the environmental health of your local community.
• Support economic development. Becoming certified as a Bird City can promote local tourism and local businesses.
• Become part of an interconnected, growing network of Bird Friendly Communities in Oregon.
• Celebrate and educate through community events!