National Audubon Society

Monthly Newsletter Summer, 2021

Indigo Bunting Photo: Julie Torkomian/Audubon Photography Awards

Happy Summer Solstice! Migratory birds have settled in across the Great Lakes region and are filling the air with their melodic songs as they establish breeding territories and search for a mate. Over 350 bird species breed throughout the Great Lakes each summer. These birds are easier to identify in summer because many of them have swapped their drab winter colors for brighter and more decorative summer breeding plumage. Learn more about birding hotspots around the region!Read more

Indigo Bunting Photo: Julie Torkomian/Audubon Photography Awards

Audubon Great Lakes Reminds Beachgoers to #ShareTheShore and Look out for Birds This Summer

Will you be spending time on the beach or the water this Fourth of July weekend? Share the love and share the shore with our Great Lakes coastal birds by giving them the space they need to nest and raise their little chicks/rest and fuel up for their long migration. Birds like Piping Plovers can be found on our beaches this summer and throughout the year. Whether you love the beach for sunbathing, walking your dog, fishing, kayaking or boating, please remember to share the love with our coastal birds by sharing the shore. Help us #ShareTheShore with coastal birds – use our social media toolkit to spread the word! You can also read more stories here:

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#ShareTheShore

Yellow-throated Warbler, Leesylvania State Park, Virginia

Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021 will help farmers and foresters implement climate-friendly practices

The Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021 passed the Senate last week, this bipartisan legislation will help farmers and foresters implement climate-friendly practices to reduce emissions from working lands for the benefit of birds and people and Championed by Great Lakes Senators.

It is now up to the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the bill.

>>>Tap or click here to ask your U.S. Representative to support the Growing Climate Solutions Act. <<<

“Climate change is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Our Senate leaders across the Great Lakes region have recognized the power that our hardworking agricultural and forestry sectors have to address the threat of climate change,” said Michelle Parker, Executive Director of Audubon Great Lakes. “With more than 80 percent of land devoted to farms, forests and woodlands in Indiana alone — this bill will give landowners the support they need to implement climate-friendly practices to stave off the worst effects of climate change for the benefit of birds and people.”

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Yellow-throated Warbler, Leesylvania State Park, Virginia

Audubon Great Lakes took Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02) on a bird walk through Potato Creek State Park in north-central Indiana to discuss the importance of conserving the Great Lakes for the benefit of Indiana’s birds and Hoosiers.

Rep. Walorski Joined Audubon for Bird Walk, Discussion on Importance of Great Lakes Conservation

This month, Audubon Great Lakes took Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02) on a bird walk through Potato Creek State Park in north-central Indiana to discuss the importance of conserving the Great Lakes and taking action on climate change for the benefit of Indiana’s birds and Hoosiers.

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Nish the Piping Plover attempts to court Nellie in Maumee Bay State Park, May, 2021. Photo: Christy Frank

Meet Nish and Nellie, Ohio's First Nesting Piping Plovers In 83 Years

This summer has brought exciting news for Great Lakes Piping Plovers! Meet Nish and Nellie, Ohio's first nesting Piping Plovers in 83 years. With a full clutch of four eggs that just hatched on July 1, the pair are yet another sign of the endangered species' rebound in the Great Lakes region.

From only 30 pairs in the Great Lakes population in 2000, the number grew to 76 by 2017, the highest number recorded since the program started. This year, 72 unique pairs have already been identified—8 more than 2020—and nests have been documented in Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Ontario. Learn more about the great work from Black Swamp Bird Observatory and US Fish and Wildlife.

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Nish the Piping Plover attempts to court Nellie in Maumee Bay State Park, May, 2021. Photo: Christy Frank

Connect with Audubon Great Lakes Virtually

Mapping Migraciones: Mujeres in Conservation

Navigating the world of conservation as a person of color is one thing. However, identifying as a woman (or mujer) creates additional complexity. Audubon Great Lakes Community Engagement Manager, Carina Ruiz joined Audubon California and Latino Outdoors for a dialogue between women in conservation around the world. Our panelists discussed their experiences as Latinx women in the conservation field, the barriers they face, and the incredible mujeres at the forefront of conservation. Watch

Christian Cooper in Conversation: Celebrating Diversity in Birding and People.

The Freeport Art Museum, Northwest Illinois Audubon Society Kids & Families Activities, Audubon Great Lakes and The Boys and Girls Club of Citizen County presented a virtual program, Christian Cooper in Conversation: Celebrating Diversity in Birding and People. Christian Cooper is a writer and a board member of New York City Audubon. After a video of a racist confrontation while he was birding in Central Park went viral, he drew on that experience to author the Black Lives Matter comic “It’s a Bird” for DC Comics. Learn more about his experience with birding, nature and reflections on social justice and anti-racism efforts within the conservation community.

Watch

We Want To See YOU Birding in the Great Lakes!

We have enjoyed celebrating Great Lakes birds with all of you over the past year! You’ve had a chance to see Audubon employees, our partners, and other bird friends in action all around the Great Lakes region, and now we want to see you in action too!

Send us a photo or a short video clip (under 15 seconds) of you, your friends, and/or your family out birding—we want to see YOU, not just the birds you're seeing. We may use your photo or video on social or in an upcoming video.

To participate, email your photo or video clip to AudubonGreatLakes@audubon.org  with the subject line "Great Lakes Birding" along with your name, where you’re from, and where you were while the photo or video was taken.

Help us share the love of Great Lakes birds and all the joy we’ve shared together. Happy birding and hope to see you online!

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