Celebrate Year of the Bird through Action!

Cindy Ferguson
Cindy Ferguson

Those who know me are not surprised when they learn that my path to PEC and the conservation sector was sparked by my love of birds. Some might call it an obsession, but that’s a story for another day.

2018 marks the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. To act on this milestone, nature lovers and organizations around the world are joining forces to celebrate 2018 as Year of the Bird and commit to protecting birds.

Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron

Over the course of 12 months, the National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic and 50 other partners will examine how our changing environment is leading to dramatic losses among bird species and document what we can do about it. Through storytelling, science, and conservation, Year of the Bird aims to heighten public awareness of the importance of protecting these critical species.

To help launch Year of the Bird National Geographic is featuring in its January issue “Why Birds Matter,” an essay by best-selling author Jonathan Franzen. Paired with Joel Sartore’s gorgeous photography, Franzen makes the case that birds are “our last, best connection to a natural world that is otherwise receding.

John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, writes that three things are necessary in marking this milestone:

First is recognizing the power of birds—as global indicators of biodiversity, as heartbeats of the earth’s annual cycle, and as the most captivating window we have into nature. Second is the essential power of partnerships—among con­servation organizations of every scale and every country, and among indi­viduals, families, schools, and commu­nity groups, all uniting for a common purpose across the globe. Third is that 100 years after passage of the Migra­tory Bird Treaty Act, birds all over the world are facing unprecedented threats to their existence. They need our atten­tion and help now more than ever.

Red Shouldered Hawk
Red Shouldered Hawk

Building a better world for birds starts with specific conser­vation actions – both personal and collec­tive – that anyone can take. You can make a difference in revers­ing declines among bird populations by buying shade-grown coffee to help provide vital habitat for migratory songbirds, participating in a citizen-science project to help monitor bird populations, or volunteering for a tree-planting to create good habitat for threatened bird species.

Among the many activities coming up are the Great Backyard Bird Count (February 16-19), PEC’s Earth Day tree-planting events (April 20-21), and the Global Big Day (May 5).

Just imagine… nature lovers around the globe working together to build a better world for birds. If this sounds like a worthy new year’s resolution, visit www.BirdYourWorld.org for information and to sign a pledge to participate in a year of action for birds.

 


 

In addition to being an avid birder, Cindy Ferguson is the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s Director of Development.