Happenings in the Texas 88th Legislature Audubon Texas’s legislative priorities are focused on three primary areas: habitat preservation for an endangered species, the creation of a historic state land and water conservation fund, and the future of the Texas energy grid. There is one thread that connects the policy work of Audubon Texas this Spring—more than 1,000 people are estimated to be moving to Texas every day. The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute estimates that 240,000 acres of working lands are lost to development every year. With more people moving to Texas (and who can blame them, it’s a great place to live!) and more land needed to accommodate our growing population, we are seeing historic changes in land use. That means greater potential for degradation and fragmentation of the remaining natural habitats on which birds rely. It also means that we have an opportunity to create significant benefits for birds. READ MORE
Urban Conservation UpdateLights Out, Texas!
More than 150 million birds were in flight over the United States at midnight central time on Monday, April 17th. This number will increase as we reach peak migration starting this Saturday, April 22nd through May 12th. Sign up for BirdCast Alerts to know when your community is experiencing peak migration nights and do your part to turn off the lights. READ MORE
During peak migration, it is critical for us to turn off lights, close curtains, and remove or adjust landscape lighting to point downwards, helping our feathered friends travel safely at night. You can also spread awareness by connecting your network and sharing #LightsOutTexas on social media. In March, more than 80 posts were shared online reaching an audience of 163,000 people. Let’s keep spreading the good work! Find our full guide of social media resources here
Bird City Texas
Our newest communities to join the Bird City Texas flock, Cedar Hill and Austin, were both recognized this past week at their respective city’s council meetings. Congratulations to all 10 of the Bird City Texas communities for excelling at education, outreach and habitat protection!
On Tuesday, April 11th, partners Texas Parks and Wildlife, Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, and City of Cedar Hill Parks Department were honored and celebrated for their hard work to make Cedar Hill a place where birds thrive and people prosper. Austin partners including Travis Audubon Society and City of Austin Parks Department were honored Thursday, April 20th with a proclamation to uplift the work being done to keep Austin a sanctuary for people and birds alike.
Plants for Birds
April is National Native Plant Month! Bring birds to your home by growing native plants. You can find the best plants for the birds in your area with Audubon’s Native Plant Database. Whether you have a patio or yard, growing bird-friendly plants will attract and help the birds you love, make spaces more enjoyable, and benefit the environment. Don’t forget to also remove invasive species to make room for your natives to grow. Happy gardens lead to happy birds.
Education Update
Audubon’s Conservation Leaders Program for Young Women (ACL) is an exciting partnership between schools in the Young Women’s Preparatory Network and Audubon State staff, Texas Centers, and local Audubon Chapters. Each year, the Audubon's Conservation Leaders program tackles the science, conservation, and the broad career options within the areas of Climate Change, Water, Coasts, Working Lands, and Bird-friendly Communities. We are wrapping our 3rd cohort this spring with participants from Dallas and San Antonio. Stay tuned for highlights from this year and our summer camp in our July newsletter!
Coastal Conservation Program Update
It’s nesting season on the Texas coast!
Coastal waterbirds are hard at work building nests on Audubon-leased islands across the Texas Coast. Audubon’s Coastal Wardens are monitoring islands and reducing disturbance to help achieve another productive nesting season. As we celebrate 100 years of coastal conservation, Audubon Coastal Wardens have been a connective thread throughout our history. Today we lease 177 islands from the Texas General Land Office, and with the help of our partners at Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program we manage these islands as bird sanctuaries. During the nesting season (February through September) the islands are closed to visitors to give the birds the space they need to nest and raise their chicks. READ MORE
In addition to our coastal islands work, our team has been working to bring the joy of birds to students in Harris County. Through a partnership with Harris County Department of Education and funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Audubon implemented the Observe a Bird afterschool program at nine schools. We were excited to hire Alexandrea Sands, a graduate of the Audubon Conservation Leaders program, as our education intern. Students learned how to use binoculars, identify birds, nature journal, and gained hands on experience at green spaces near their schools. |
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