Because the yr ends, it’s essential to look again and replicate upon one’s accomplishments. That is arduous to do once you’re a hemispheric group with greater than 890 workers, 500 group and campus chapters, and 1.9 million supporters working in 11 international locations. All of the essential issues we’ve achieved for birds are far too quite a few to digest in a single sitting, however this overview provides you a pattern of them.
To fulfill the mounting challenges that birds face, now we have aligned our work round the best methods for addressing them: conserving tens of millions of acres of habitat, lowering greenhouse fuel emissions and growing carbon sequestration, advancing insurance policies that fund conservation, and increasing the group of fowl lovers. Throughout each panorama the place we work, Audubon is exhibiting that after we create a greater world for birds, we create a greater world for individuals too. Listed below are only a few examples of how we did that in 2025.
Habitat Conservation
Audubon is defending and restoring the habitats that birds want. By creating an enormous community of conserved lands and waters throughout the Americas, Audubon helps present secure passage and a wholesome house for birds and folks.
In March, a 12.5-million-acre watershed in Canada that’s important to birdlife all through the hemisphere got here one step nearer to being completely protected. A feasibility study was performed by the Seal River Watershed Alliance and governments in Canada. The research lasted greater than a yr, and the outcomes concluded that conserving the watershed is each achievable and common, clearing the trail for negotiating its safety. Audubon has been collaborating with the First Nations of the Seal River Watershed Alliance for a number of years, serving to to conduct acoustic monitoring of birdlife and to showcase the area’s international significance at occasions just like the 2025 World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. In July, Audubon acknowledged the Seal River Watershed Alliance’s unbelievable work with our 2025 Hemispheric Conservation Award.
In June, the declaration of the Loma Santa Indigenous Conservation Space in Bolivia marked one other historic milestone. This swath of newly protected territory spans almost 495,000 acres, shelters 252 fowl species, and safeguards the cultural heritage of 5 Indigenous teams. It’s the largest nationwide protected space to be established by means of Conserva Aves, an progressive partnership cofounded by Audubon that goals to catalyze the institution of greater than 80 new protected areas overlaying 4.9 million acres (2 million hectares) and enhance the administration of an extra 4.9 million acres (2 million hectares) in Latin America and the Caribbean. By collaborating with native communities and stakeholders, Conserva Aves has linked and conserved ecosystems throughout 164 protected areas in Latin America, together with greater than 660,000 acres in 2025 alone.
These are simply two examples of our work in 11 international locations to preserve fowl habitat all through their lifecycles. Along with them, here’s a pattern of a few of our different habitat conservation accomplishments throughout the hemisphere in 2025:
- The Picayune Strand Restoration Project within the Western Everglades of Florida is undoing the disastrous results of canals and roadbeds constructed within the mid-1900s. A 20-year-long effort, supported by Audubon Florida, to plug the canals and take away the roads is now hydrologically full. New water flows from the mission are starting to rejuvenate greater than 70,000 acres of prime Everglades wetlands and profit birds like Wooden Storks and Purple-cockaded Woodpeckers, each inside and downstream of the mission space.
- To enhance the well being of fowl habitat for some 12 million migratory birds that depend on Nice Salt Lake yearly, we secured roughly 72,000 acre-feet of water for Great Salt Lake in 2025 by means of the Nice Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Belief, collectively managed by Audubon and The Nature Conservancy. This consists of an progressive mission to ship water down the Jordan River into the lake’s precedence bays.
- Via the Audubon Nice Plains Conservation Forage Program, greater than 10,000 acres in North Dakota have been restored to native grassland. And by partnering with Geese Limitless, we expanded this system into South Dakota and elevated enrolled grassland to greater than 24,000 acres.
- Audubon North Carolina’s coastal program had a record-breaking number of volunteer coastal bird stewards and banded a document variety of American Oystercatchers, along with our common conservation work that protects habitat for 40 % of the state’s coastal nesting waterbirds.
- Audubon Mid-Atlantic accomplished the Marshes for Tomorrow technical report, a landscape-scale plan to revive 29,140 acres of Maryland’s salt marshes, defending crucial breeding habitat for Saltmarsh Sparrows within the course of.
- An progressive partnership between Audubon Rockies, Water for Colorado, and a bunch of College of Colorado college students goals to map Colorado’s restoration landscape and establish alternatives for scaling impacts for functioning and wholesome riverscapes. This work builds on Audubon’s ongoing stream restoration assist efforts in Colorado.
- On Lengthy Island, Audubon New York’s coast group is utilizing know-how to guard seashore and marsh-nesting birds. Via the American Oystercatcher Area Digicam Undertaking, the group noticed 24 oystercatcher nests with the purpose of figuring out predators massive and small, from ghost crabs to raccoons. With the leads to hand, we are able to associate with municipalities to raised handle the problem.
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Audubon’s Seabird Institute labored with companions to create Oregon’s first Conservation Action Plan for Tufted Puffins. This new collaborative plan supplies a complete and coordinated path to guard lively Tufted Puffin colonies, establish and cut back threats, and restore and preserve a viable and resilient Tufted Puffin inhabitants in Oregon.
Local weather
To fulfill the crucial risk of local weather change, Audubon is pursuing a swift, accountable transition to renewable power and conserving ecosystems that preserve carbon within the floor. Mangroves, wealthy in biodiversity and resilient in nature, are exceptionally adept at capturing and storing atmospheric carbon and kind the premise of the Blue Natural Heritage project, a joint mission established by Audubon and the Panama Audubon Society in 2021. A 2025 evaluation by scientists related to the mission discovered that over the following century, mangroves in Panama are projected to sequester 26.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, yielding $155 million in financial advantages whereas stabilizing coastlines and mitigating the results of sea-level rise.
Along with carbon sequestration, we additionally had a number of developments in lowering carbon emissions. Within the Nice Lakes area, we superior a number of win-win renewable power initiatives. Audubon Nice Lakes labored to maneuver a number of utility-scale renewable power initiatives ahead, together with Vista Sands Solar, which is about to be the biggest photo voltaic farm in Wisconsin, and one of many largest ever in-built america. Audubon labored carefully with the developer of this 1.3 megawatt mission to make sure that vital commitments have been made to guard the threatened Higher Prairie Rooster, together with greater than $2 million in habitat conservation {dollars}. Audubon workers and members additionally spoke up to make sure a robust environmental evaluation throughout assessment of the Badger Hollow Wind Project in Wisconsin, which is able to generate as much as 118 megawatts of unpolluted power. Audubon additionally offered experience and mobilized members in Ohio on the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project and the Frasier Solar Project to make sure fowl‑pleasant siting and mitigation measures to cut back impacts on habitat. These initiatives reveal how we are able to work collaboratively to make sure that clear power initiatives are deliberate with birds and folks in thoughts.
Audubon additionally contributed to high-level local weather technique within the following methods:
- In January, Audubon launched the report Birds and Offshore Wind: Developing the Offshore Wind that Birds Need, which makes the case for responsibly sited offshore wind improvement that addresses potential dangers to birds based mostly on the most effective accessible science. The report shares clear methods and proposals for working with communities to stability clear power demand with conservation with the intention to fight local weather change whereas defending birds and their habitats.
- At New York Climate Week, Audubon workers appeared on panels discussing our conservation ranching program and a brand new science report on local weather and communities.
- In Abu Dhabi, Audubon workers attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress spoke concerning the growth of the Survival by Levels local weather report back to forest birds in South America. Each stories have been additionally highlighted at COP30 in Belem, Brazil.
Coverage
To fulfill the dimensions of at this time’s challenges, Audubon helps the passage of efficient legal guidelines and insurance policies that profit birds and folks. By constructing belief and dealing with leaders throughout the political spectrum, we construct assist for public coverage and funding for conservation. This yr was an essential one for that method. Amid a altering presidential administration in america, Audubon continued to convene individuals to guard the insurance policies that birds want.
We defended two important United States federal programs this yr: the Fowl Banding Lab and the North American Breeding Fowl Survey, which have lengthy obtained bipartisan assist. These packages have quietly powered fowl conservation within the U.S. for many years, offering the information that reveal the well being of our pure world and underpin environmental selections. When their funding was threatened earlier this yr, we rallied our members to submit 82,000 messages to Congress and hosted a webinar for 1,000 members. Via these efforts and extra, we introduced elevated consideration to how essential these packages are and generated a groundswell of assist for them.
In January, the Biden administration designated 624,000 acres of Mojave desert in California south of Joshua Tree Nationwide Park because the Chuckwalla National Monument. Audubon California performed a key position within the coalition of tribes, group teams, native companies, and conservation teams that advocated for the monument. Greater than 55,000 Audubon members contacted choice makers in assist and Audubon’s Salton Sea and Deserts senior program affiliate, Rhian Reyes, launched President Biden on the White Home for the celebration occasion. The monument’s designation delivers advantages to birds, individuals, and close by communities, together with the preservation of biodiversity, stimulation of native economies, and much-needed equitable entry to nature for residents of the Jap Coachella and Imperial Valleys.
Throughout Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session, Audubon Higher Mississippi River workers, chapters, and supporters advocated strongly for the passage of the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund and Legacy (Outdoor Heritage Fund) appropriations bills. Via bipartisan efforts and a particular legislative session—bolstered by Audubon’s assist—the Minnesota legislature handed the payments, directing tens of millions of {dollars} in lottery and gross sales tax proceeds to environmental initiatives statewide, together with Audubon’s Secretive Marshbirds Survey and habitat restoration in northwest Minnesota.
Throughout this busy yr, Audubon’s workers and supporters have been engaged in lots of different initiatives. Listed below are just a few of them:
- To assist secure $16 billion for agricultural conservation programs, Audubon introduced farmers and ranchers from seven states to Washington, D.C., in June, the place they met with 38 congressional workplaces. The next month, packages key to bettering habitat, entry, and soil and water high quality on personal lands all obtained renewed funding.
- Audubon Vermont performed a key position in shaping the U.S. Forest Service’s precedent-setting Telephone Gap project, which is able to apply ecological forestry and climate-smart practices to guard outdated forests and improve fowl habitat within the Inexperienced Mountain Nationwide Forest. In June, the Forest Service signed a ultimate administration choice that was based mostly largely on our coalition’s feedback. Audubon was broadly acknowledged as a associate within the advocacy resulting in the choice..
- As new residents flock to North Carolina, Audubon and allies launched an effort to assist communities save fast-disappearing city trees from development. Audubon North Carolina helped native Audubon chapters and different teams safe insurance policies that promote environmentally pleasant improvement. In 2026, we plan to launch a coverage toolkit that may assist native advocates launch city forestry campaigns of their communities.
- Audubon Southwest advanced legislation to facilitate accountable and water-wise housing by means of the “Ag to City” program. This system now helps the Phoenix and Pinal areas preserve their groundwater by transitioning agricultural lands to housing developments, which use much less water.
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The South Carolina Common Meeting passed a resolution urging individuals to close off non-essential lights throughout migration, citing their impression on migratory birds. Audubon South Carolina drafted the Home and Senate resolutions, recognized and secured invoice sponsors, and lobbied to get them launched and handed.
Neighborhood Constructing
Increasing and fascinating a group of fowl lovers allows Audubon to drive transformative change all through the hemisphere. In 2025, we linked throughout packages and borders to work collectively on the conservation considerations that have an effect on us all. As our group grows, so do the methods through which we interact with conservation.
The Audubon on Campus program reached a brand new milestone this yr when the Howard College Inexperienced Coalition became the 100th campus chapter. Audubon on Campus supplies assist to scholar organizations at universities and schools throughout america and helps college students discover the intersections between their tutorial pursuits and fowl conservation.
Rising the group of fowl lovers isn’t our solely measure of success; we additionally want to attach them throughout the large geographies that birds inhabit. Coordinating our work throughout the borders that birds inhabit led us to new collaborations this yr. Final August, the Ciénaga de Mallorquín Ecopark in Barranquilla, Colombia, inaugurated its first academic fowl gallery, made attainable with assist from Audubon. The collection of fifty informational plaques spotlight the ecological richness of the wetland space, which is house to greater than 150 fowl species, and promotes environmental training and conservation amongst its greater than 300,000 annual guests. The EcoPark—a “sister heart” to the Audubon Middle & Sanctuary at Francis Beidler Forest in South Carolina—additionally supplies financial advantages to area people members, who work as docents and function companies alongside the boardwalk.
Audubon’s first-ever worldwide Leadership Conference demonstrated the progress we’ve made in rising a hemispheric flock. Greater than 450 chapter leaders, companions, and workers gathered in Montréal, Canada, final July. Attendees from 11 international locations, 48 states, and 22 faculty and college campuses gathered to make this convention a multigenerational and multicultural success. Audubon commissioned an artist to color a mural of a Lesser Yellowlegs in Montréal in the course of the convention, one among 34 murals that artists painted this yr by means of the Audubon Mural Undertaking, a public artwork initiative to attract consideration to birds threatened by local weather change.
With greater than 500 Audubon chapters, 15 state and regional workplaces, 32 facilities, and 1.9 million supporters throughout North and South America, native efforts to guard birds are too quite a few to record. Here’s a pattern of only a few of them:
- Via a collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Division of Fish and Recreation, Ilisaġvik School, Iñupiat Heritage Middle, North Slope Borough Division of Wildlife Administration, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Company Science, and Tuzzy Consortium Library, Audubon Alaska launched the Utqiaġvik Birding Trail on the 2025 Utqiaġvik Migratory Fowl Competition. This information is designed to have a good time and assist fowl tourism, training, group stewardship, cultural traditions, and the connection between elders and youth in Alaska’s North Slope.
- For the primary time within the Christmas Fowl Rely’s historical past, traits for choose Latin American species will probably be accessible by the top of this yr, increasing our understanding of fowl populations throughout the hemisphere. Moreover, the Christmas Bird Count Trends Viewer now options up to date species traits for america and Canada utilizing the most recent information and improved statistical strategies.
- This yr, the Audubon Pictures Awards expanded to Colombia and Chile, alongside individuals from america and Canada, with new prizes specializing in migratory species, habitats, and conservation. Via this thrilling growth, the winners and honorable mentions assist inform the story of hemispheric fowl conservation and spotlight how birds join individuals throughout geographies and ecosystems.
- Zumbro Valley Audubon Society, a chapter in Rochester, Minnesota, hosted a group of Guatemalan researchers as a part of their ongoing partnership of 5 years that hyperlinks Rochester to northern Guatemala and helps migratory science for a number of species that join each locations.
- Seward Park Audubon Middle in Washington launched a new teen engagement program, Elevation, that connects underrepresented highschool college students to conservation careers by means of immersive subject experiences. We linked 19 teenagers throughout 5 faculties with a various suite of mentors for an impactful yr of profession and management improvement. Via Elevation, a brand new era of younger individuals is poised to take up the duty of advancing environmental justice, defending key ecosystems, and combating local weather change.
- Audubon Delta’s GRITS Teen Program (Inexperienced Resilient Infrastructure and Technological Options), hosted on the Pascagoula River Audubon Middle in partnership with Mississippi State College Extension Coastal Conservation and Restoration Program, offered highschool college students from throughout the Gulf Coast with immersive coaching in conservation science, coastal resilience, and utilized know-how. Via hands-on experiences and mentorship, GRITS prepares the following era of environmental stewards to handle complicated ecological challenges of their communities.
