Highlights of Media CoverageFebruary-April 2013

Henslow’s Sparrow/Joshua Clark

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Audubon As the Voice for Gulf Coast Justice

Make BP pay to restore Gulf

By David Yarnold March 5, 2013

BP showed up in court last week, finally, nearly three years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the hell it unleashed on the Gulf Coast. It's a huge, high-stakes trial, and BP is taking the beating it's earned. Here's what's at stake for America if there is a judgment: potentially tens of billions of dollars that will be used to create jobs while restoring some of our most productive and vulnerable natural places.

Whether the trial results in a decision or a settlement, the outcome will send a signal about how serious this country is about enforcing its common-sense rules that guarantee clean air and waters…. Oil is still present on the Gulf's beaches, in the marshes and under the water. It is working its way through the food chain, so it will be years before we understand the full extent of the disaster. Just Wednesday, in fact, the Gulf Restoration Network documented a fresh rash of tarballs on a Louisiana beach known as Elmer's Island -- a spot that gets re-oiled every time a storm stirs up BP's submerged goo. We're nearly three years in, and there's no end in sight.

That's why our justice system must hold BP and other polluters fully responsible under the law for the worst offshore oil disaster in history. How much could BP end up paying? BP is liable for up to $17.6 billion in penalties under the Clean Water Act if it is found grossly negligent. (And if this isn't gross negligence, it's hard to imagine what is.) Add to that figure the potential for tens of billions more in fines under the Oil Pollution Act. This much is clear: The rules were put in place to deter and, if needed, to penalize the offenders. The Deepwater Horizon was the kind of disaster that was envisioned when the full force of these penalties was contemplated. Those penalties -- and nothing short -- are the fair outcome….

If Justice Department lawyers agree to a weak settlement, the burden of rebuilding from this disaster will be transferred from a foreign corporation to American taxpayers. Worse, it will send a message to polluters that we don't take seriously our air, water, wildlife, communities or economic health.

What's the difference between a $15 billion settlement and a $35 billion dollar judgment? The ability to rebuild the Louisiana wetlands -- America's delta-- for generations to come. A healthy, productive Gulf Coast where people and wildlife thrive. The principle that if you break it, you buy it.

Under the terms of the RESTORE Act -- passed last year with historic bipartisan support -- 80% of Clean Water Act civil penalties will go back to restore the environment and economies of the Gulf Coast states. That's right and fair…. Two weeks ago, we and our partners hand-delivered more than 133,000 petitions to the Department of Justice, calling for full and complete accountability under the law for BP and its partners. The point of the petitions was pretty straightforward: These rules matter to Americans, and everyone needs to play and -- in this case -- pay fully.

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February 25, 2013

“The damage done here is real, both to the environment and to the people,” said Brian Moore, of the National Audubon Society. “And BP should not have the chance to get off cheaply on this.”

US court begins BP trial over Gulf oil spill February 26, 2013

Environmentalists and those affected by the spill hope that Judge Carl Barbier will assess the maximum penalties possible under the law.

“We would all like to avoid trial and get the money flowing to Gulf states, and we understand that a reduction of liability is necessary to reach a settlement,” said Brian Moore, legislative director for the National Audubon Society. “But the Gulf Coast is still reeling, and people are still waiting for BP to be held accountable for the largest environmental disaster in our nation’s history. The people of the Gulf Coast don’t feel justice has been served. There is much work to be done.”

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February 25, 2013

“This is a living disaster. It’s ongoing, and it will be potentially for decades…. We know that we need to be here for the long haul seeing what the overall impacts are.”

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February 25, 2013

“We want BP to pay. We want BP to be accountable for being grossly negligent, putting their bottom line ahead of human life, bird life, our seafood, our economy. It is a price the American people have paid. Now we want BP to pay that price.”

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Audubon Gala Coverage Reaches Top Influencers

Audubon Society Gala Honors Louis Bacon, Bette Midler Sings Birdie Tunes

By Erin Carlyle April 15, 2013

On January 17, at the Plaza Hotel in New York, billionaire hedge fund manager Louis Bacon was spotted among the crowd of 560 singing along to a raft of bird-themed numbers belted by Bette Midler, a.k.a. the Divine Miss M. Among the tunes: “Skylark,” “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along” and, of course, “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Bacon had good reason to feel elated. That night, at its gala dinner, the National Audubon Society presented the 54-year-old with its prestigious Audubon Medal….

Bacon charmed the crowd when he quoted from what he dubbed the Holy Book of the South: Gone With the Wind. “Scarlett’s father admonishes her for her disregard of her plantation home. He says, ‘Land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it’s the only thing that lasts,’ ” Bacon recited. “ Kind of sums up my philosophy,” Bacon said, to vigorous applause.

Recently, Bacon’s Moore Charitable Foundation gifted Audubon with money for a resource center that will focus on training advocates to fight heedless energy developments that would affect the environment, precisely what he did at Trinchera.

“All of us, in one fashion or another, are stewards of the most precious planet in the universe: Mother Earth,” said Tom Brokaw, the evening’s emcee.

The Audubon gala, which raised $2.4 million for the environmental group, drew a number of notable names. Uma Thurman, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Michael Bloomberg and Bacon’s billionaire buddy, Paul Tudor Jones–who founded the Robin Hood Foundation–were there to celebrate. Bacon was one of two honorees that night: Crane expert George Archibald, who founded the International Crane Foundation, received the Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership and its accompanying $100,000 award.

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March 2013

SNAPS: Big night for the environment as Audubon sets record

January 28, 2013

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Audubon Leaders in the News

Reinventing Audubon

Mark Jannot to craft new content, communications strategy

By Curtis Brainard May 2, 2013

There’s new vigor at the 108-year-old National Audubon Society, a nonprofit environmental group focused on birds, which is in the process of rolling out a more cohesive, mission-driven strategy for the 21st century.

On Tuesday, the society announced that it had hired industry vet Mark Jannot to run its award-winning magazine, Audubon, and revamp its content and communication strategy. Among other things, that will mean merging the society and magazine websites, building a stronger social media presence, and launching new digital products. But the changes actually run much deeper.

According to David Yarnold, the society’s president and CEO since 2010, Jannot’s hiring was the end of the first phase of Audubon’s “reinvention,” which began 32 months ago with the creation of “the first original, conservation-focused strategic plan” in more than 20 years. The goal is to unify the organization’s 22 state offices, 47 nature centers, and 465 chapters nationwide, in pursuit of the society’s mission “to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.”

“We’d never had a shared vision,” Yarnold explained, “and in its absence what you had was a set of terrific, but disconnected, state programs, and no common sense of purpose. So there was no way to drive large-scale conservation. No way to work with the big conservation funders. No way to have the kind of conservation impact at the scale that’s needed to meet the environmental threats that we face.”

The strategic plan, “Roadmap for Hemispheric Conservation,” runs through 2015 and aligns the society’s work along the four major flyways of the Americas: Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific. Audubon projects that the effort will save 64 bird species and conserve 118 million acres of natural habitat.

The society is scrapping a few things, like education programs that do not serve its conservation agenda and small-scale federal invasive species policy work. But a key part of the plan is to beef up public engagement.

A lot of what Audubon plans to do, such as merging the magazine and society websites and developing a centralized suite of digital products, isn’t terribly new, Yarnold conceded. “We all know that the big change over the last 20 years has been the emergence of cross-platform journalism,” he said. “Audubon somehow missed that

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wave and this is our chance to leapfrog everything that’s happened and stitch it all together in brilliant new ways.”

Last year, for example, the society launched its first digital newsletter, Wingspan, which is available in a national edition or in editions tailored to each of the four flyways. But it will be Jannot, who starts May 13, that does most of the stitching.

It’s too early to share specifics, but like Yarnold, Jannot’s goal is to unite the society’s vast network, which includes 4 million people reached through its state offices, nature centers, and local chapters, 1.8 million readers of the magazine, and more than 100,000 friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.

“What I want to do,” he said, “is create a really well-integrated content strategy where all our platforms are working together—magazine, unified website, social media, mobile—to engage the audience, to inform them, and to energize them in support of the Audubon Society’s mission.”

Though he admits he’s not yet a dedicated birder, in one way or another, Jannot has focused on environmental issues for most of his career. In the late 90s, he was a senior editor at Men’s Journal for two years and the executive editor of National Geographic Adventure for four years. From 2004 to 2012, he was editor-in-chief of Popular Science and during the last three of those years, he was editorial director of the Bonnier group, which owns Popular Science and number of other magazines. During that time, he led the development of Bonnier’s Mag+ tablet-publishing platform and launched a custom-built iPad edition of Popular Science called Popular Science+.

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Actress, ad exec among 7 new Audubon directors

Colin Sullivan, E&E reporter February 25, 2013

NEW YORK -- An actress, an advertising executive and two scientists were among those named to the National Audubon Society's board of directors today. The conservation group, which is based here, appointed seven new directors to an already diverse list of leaders, adding to more than two dozen national and regional directors who oversee Audubon's $90 million operation in 22 state offices.

The new directors include advertising executive Jeffrey Goodby, creator of the "Got Milk?" campaign; actress and wildlife advocate Jane Alexander; Maggie Walker, civic leader and chairwoman of the Seattle Foundation board; and Karim Al-Khafaji, a manager with the Bridgespan Group.

Alexander, a winner of Emmy and Tony awards, chaired the National Endowment for the Arts under President Clinton and served on boards at Panthera and BirdLife International. In 2012, she received the Indianapolis Prize's inaugural Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award.

Goodby, a well-known ad man and co-founder of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, graduated from Harvard University, where he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon.

The others on the new slate of directors are Terra Foundation President Constance Holsinger; Stephanie Little, an environmental scientist at California State Parks' Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area; and Jack Stewart, a former science educator for International Schools Services.

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NATURE: Audubon post ideal for bird lover Crotty

By Bill Buell February 13, 2013

“I’ve always believed that environmental issues are nonpartisan issues, and fortunately there have always been other people in New York who have felt the same way,” said [Erin] Crotty, former Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner for Gov. George Pataki and the new director of Audubon New York. “That’s the case with the Audubon Society. We’re about protecting birds and their habitat, and that’s just good science and makes good sense. It’s not about politics.”

Crotty is succeeding Albert E. Caccese, who became executive director of Audubon New York in 2007 when he replaced David J. Miller, the man responsible for creating the statewide chapter in 1988. State headquarters are at 200 Trillium Lane in Albany, and Crotty will be overseeing more than 30 employees staffing eight sanctuaries and education centers across the state. New York Audubon has more than 50,000 members.

Audubon Minnesota Appoints Matthew Anderson as Executive Director

April 5, 2013

National Audubon Society today announced the appointment of Matthew Anderson as Vice President and Executive Director of Audubon Minnesota. With a life-long commitment to conservation and the outdoors, Anderson will advance the Audubon mission to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, and their habitats.

Anderson brings a wealth of experience in leading national organizations and engaging diverse audiences for conservation. Prior to joining Audubon, Anderson served as executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, one of the oldest and largest faith-based environmental groups in the country. Over the past decade, Anderson worked for a number of leading faith-based environmental organizations. Anderson brings a strong conservation ethic and passion for Audubon’s work. He has served on a variety of boards, including as Board of Directors secretary for Appalachian Voices and as a representative to the Green Group, a council of national conservation CEOs.

In addition to leading the state organization, he will integrate the work of Audubon Minnesota into the overall strategies and programs of the Mississippi Flyway. The flyway is a key migratory pathway and system of important, interdependent bird habitats that spans from northernmost regions to Patagonia.

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Green Groups Must Embrace Latinos' Concern for Environment

By David Yarnold January 29, 2013

The numbers are consistent in survey after survey: When it comes to the environment, Latinos show far more interest in conservation issues and stronger pollution laws than their Anglo counterparts.

The annual poll of conservation attitudes in the western United States by Colorado College found that Hispanics strongly supported efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to improve clean air standards by a 21 percent margin over white voters: 69 percent of Hispanics voiced strong support compared to 48 percent of whites.

A survey by the University of Southern California and Los Angeles Times reported that 50 percent of Latino respondents said they “personally worry a great deal about global warming,” compared to 27 percent of whites polled.

One in six people in the U.S. – 50 million people – identify as Hispanic/Latino. In the Latino community, conservation is not an issue of the left or the right. It is a subject deeply entwined with family and cultural values. That concern for the environment and those growing demographic numbers give Latinos the potential to be one of America's most powerful voices for conservation, clean air and clean water.

The most recent elections demonstrated the clout of Latino communities in electing state and federal leaders and influencing the issues they expect those leaders to address. If the conservation efforts of the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that environmental groups have to do more to broaden our bases of support and make a greater effort to inform and engage all communities.

Today, perhaps more than at any time in our past, Audubon and other conservation groups need to engage the next generation of community advocates and conservationists to join the effort in protecting the environment for wildlife and humans.

Audubon's work on behalf of birds, other wildlife and the environment depends a broad-based approach. While our legacy is built on science, education and advocacy, our greatest strength always has been the power of the Audubon network to unite states and hemispheric partners in on-the-ground conservation.

We recently launched Audubon en español, including social media outreach, as the digital face of Audubon in the Spanish-speaking community to better serve our growing partnerships in the U.S. Latino community and to promote our efforts to protect the environment for birds and people across the Americas.

We hope to expand the passion for the environment that we see every day in the Latino communities where we work, from South Phoenix to East L.A. to Lawrence, Mass. For example, in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods of East Austin, Texas, local residents worked to transform Blair Woods, a 10-acre wetland that had become overtaken by litter and invasive plants, into a healthy habitat for birds, other wildlife and people.

It also became an outdoor classroom for students from nearby Norman Elementary School where we helped develop an experimental curriculum to raise awareness of the value of wetlands, habitat restoration and species

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management. That project, and others throughout the country, is supported by our Toyota TogetherGreen program, which identifies and invests in emerging conservation leaders, including many who are Hispanic and Latino.

There’s another major component of our partnership with Latino communities. Birds know no borders. They traverse the entire length of the Americas from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina. Audubon is expanding its focus throughout the hemisphere, working to protect the birds that spend their summers in the United States and Canada and their winters in Central and South America.

Latin American participation in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count -- which has become an invaluable scientific tool in measuring the health of bird populations and the effects of climate change -- is growing rapidly, particularly in Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador. These partnerships will be even more critical in the coming decades as we work to preserve and protect our communities and the planet for future generations.

What do you think? Check out http://espanol.audubon.org, join us on Facebook and send me your thoughts at espanol@audubon.org.

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Audubon’s Citizen Science Drives National Science and Climate Conversations

What Do the Birders Know?

By Brian Kimberling April 19, 2013

And what are today’s birds telling us? The Audubon Society estimates that nearly 60 percent of 305 bird species found in North America in winter are shifting northward and to higher elevations in response to climate change. For comparison, imagine the inhabitants of 30 states — using state residence as a proxy for species of American human — becoming disgruntled with forest fires and drought and severe weather events, and seeking out suitable new habitat.

The Audubon Society’s estimates rest largely on data supplied by volunteers in citizen-science projects like the Christmas Bird Count (first proposed in 1900, nine years after the first known use of the word “bird-watcher,” to set the hobby apart from the more traditional Christmas pastime of shooting birds). The birds in question have shifted an average of 35 miles north over a period of about 40 years — seemingly insignificant in human terms, but a major move ecologically.

Great Backyard Bird Count Goes Global, Shatters Records February 21, 2013

From Antarctica to Afghanistan, bird watchers from 103 countries made history in the first global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). In the largest worldwide bird count ever, bird watchers set new records, counting more than 25.5 million birds on 120,000+ checklists in four days -- and recording 3,144 species, nearly one-third of the world's total bird species….

"People who care about birds can change the world," said Audubon chief scientist Gary Langham. "That's why this year's record-setting global participation is so exciting. Technology has made it possible for people everywhere to unite around a shared love of birds and a commitment to protecting them."

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2013 Great Backyard Bird Count goes global By Deanna Conners February 12, 2013

For the first time ever, people from around the world are invited to participate in the event. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon and Bird Studies Canada….

The data collected during the Great Backyard Bird Count are used by scientists to help them understand what is happening to bird populations. For example, the data can be used to determine what areas have high levels of biodiversity and to evaluate how birds are responding to diseases and changes in their habitat and climate.

Birders tally 'huge' numbers in global count By John Roach February 21, 2013

Birdwatchers counted more than 25.5 million birds during the largest worldwide bird count ever conducted …."It was huge," Geoff LeBaron, an ornithologist with the National Audubon Society, told NBC News…. Most importantly, said LeBaron, the new global nature of the GBCC is proving a great tool to get people outside enjoying nature and collecting data that will eventually help scientists learn more about birds.

Familiar robins still harbor mysteries By Sandi Doughton April 15, 2013

….Found only in North America, robins are woven into popular culture. But some of the common conceptions about the bird have proved wrong. Take the species’ reputation as a harbinger of spring, for example…. But today, there are few parts of the country where robins don’t hang around all year….

The main reason seems to be a warming climate, said Geoff LeBaron, director of the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. Nearly five decades of data from the surveys show a northward creep in the winter ranges of most North American birds, including robins, for whom the shift is about 200 miles.

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Bird-Counting App Helps Charity Collect Data By Nicole Wallace March 10, 2013

The National Audubon Society is adding a decidedly modern twist to the bird counts it’s held for the last 113 years.

This spring the charity’s Hummingbirds at Home project features a mobile application and a Web site designed for smartphones to let participants log sightings of the endangered birds as they occur.

“Mobile is going to make it more immediate and more relevant,” says Jessica Green, Audubon’s vice president for engagement. “They’ll be on a hike or a picnic, they’ll see a hummingbird, and they can immediately record it in the app.”

A Model for Other Groups

The organization hopes that the observations will offer clues to how global warming, changes in vegetation, and even backyard bird feeders are affecting the birds.

“We’re going to use that to shape our policy and our advocacy efforts to make sure that hummingbirds don’t disappear completely,” Ms. Green says.

The effort offers a model to other groups that are looking for opportunities to use mobile technology to collect information related to their causes.

Reaching New Supporters

The hummingbird app isn’t Audubon’s first foray into mobile applications. A series of Audubon field guides has been converted into apps through a partnership with a company called NatureShare. The guides, which nature lovers can use to identify birds, trees, wildflowers, butterflies, and animals, have been downloaded more than 500,000 times.

“They let us reach a new audience,” says Ms. Green, “an audience that might not currently be donors or members of Audubon but are still really involved and engaged with birding and conservation.”

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Hummingbirds @ Home

April 2013 Hummingbirds at Home is a new citizen science project from the National Audubon Society designed to help scientists understand how climate change, flowering patterns and feeding by people are impacting hummingbirds. On the Hummingbirds at Home website citizen scientists can track, report on and follow the spring hummingbird migration in real time. There is also a free mobile app to make it easy to report sightings, share photos and learn more about these birds. Citizen Scientists can participate on a number of levels--reporting a single sighting or documenting hummingbird activity in their community throughout the life of the project, for example. Help Audubon scientists document the hummingbirds' journey and direct change in the future to ensure these birds do not disappear.

Hummingbird watching goes high tech By Brenda Rees April 20, 2013

A new program from the National Audubon Society wants Americans to take our universal love of hummingbirds to new heights. “Hummingbirds at Home” is a citizen science project that invites not only hardcore birders but newcomers to help researchers understand the daily life of the zippiest bird of the Western world. A new free mobile app (Android app available now; iPhone version coming soon) will help users specifically identify both birds and flowers they hummers enjoy.

“This is the first foray [by Audubon] into a project that targets a specific bird where information can be tallied via web or through a new mobile App,” says Jeff Chapman, director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park. Rest assured, continues Chapman, this seemingly simple feel-good project has important implications. Flowers are blooming earlier because of warmer temperatures and this shift could impact hummingbirds which rely on the nectar for survival.

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Audubon Shapes the Debate on Energy and Conservation

President has opportunity to leave a lasting legacy on environment

By David Yarnold February 12, 2013

After telling the world that he intends to “respond to the threat of climate change,” President Obama set high expectations for his upcoming State of the Union address. Here are three significant steps to watch for as the President takes his case to the people. All can be done without a dysfunctional Congress:

• Reduce domestic carbon emissions 20 percent by requiring modernization of all existing power facilities, most of which are carbon-belching coal-fired plants.

• Halt construction of the Keystone pipeline from the United States to Canada that would support the dirtiest types of oil and gas extraction.

• Ban oil and gas drilling in Arctic Alaska’s most environmentally sensitive areas.

Yes, there will be pushback from industry and its legions of lobbyists. Obama will be hammered by opponents warning of massive job losses and threats to energy security. But the voters spoke clearly in November. Americans gave Obama a mandate to continue his agenda. Opinion polls show his approval rating is more than three times that of Congress: Recent Gallup surveys show Obama’s approval rating at 51 percent and Congress eking out 14 percent.

President Obama made some ground-breaking strides in his first term. He enacted new car mileage standards that will cut carbon emissions from cars in half. He boldly put a stake in the ground in his inaugural address. He knows what we know: the science isn’t a mystery, nor is the path to a solution. Carbon dioxide emissions are the greatest contributors to climate change, and not coincidentally are also major causes of health-damaging air pollution. And coal-fired power plants account for nearly 30 percent of America's carbon pollution.

The administration already is preparing to tighten regulations on new coal plants. But more important, it also should mandate the modernization of existing power plants, many of which are aging cash cows for the big coal burners. Those plants should be retrofitted with new clean technology or converted to natural gas. That would slash their carbon emissions in half.

Next, the Obama administration should halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline which will turn on the spigots for oil from Canada’s tar sands, one of the dirtiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel sources on the planet….

Obama’s third immediate option for action is refusing to expand oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s Arctic seas where an estimated 1.5 million birds nest and raise their young. There are cheaper, more plentiful sources. Shell Oil's attempts at Arctic exploration in recent months adds up to a flashing red light….

President Obama has the chance to not only change the course of history in the next four years; he can change the course of the lives of Americans for generations to come. And, after all, he promised.

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Shell halts 2013 drilling plans in Alaska's Arctic seas By Yereth Rosen, Reuters February 28, 2013

Royal Dutch Shell will not drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic seas this year, the company said Wednesday in a widely

expected decision that follows a series of high-profile setbacks in 2012. Both critics and supporters of Shell's

controversial Arctic offshore foray welcomed its decision to give up on drilling there for 2013 while the company

tries to get its drill ships ready and answers to U.S. investigators….

David Yarnold, of environmental group Audubon, said Shell had "come to its senses," since drilling amid ice floes

near the nurseries of threatened wildlife was not "smart or safe."

Obama Pledges U.S. Action on Climate, With or Without Congress By Daniel Stone February 12, 2013

Following his strong statements in his inaugural address about the ripeness of the moment to address a changing climate, Obama outlined a series of proposals to do it…. Noticeably unmentioned in the speech was the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil from Canadian tar sands to the refining centers of Texas. Other environmental analysts took Obama's remarks as simple talk, so far not backed by action.

“How many times do we have to have the problem described?” David Yarnold, president of the Audubon Society said after the speech. “Smarter standards for coal-fired power plants are the quickest path to a cleaner future, and the president can make that happen right now.”

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Eric Draper: Floridians must protect very special environment

By Eric Draper April 22, 2013

I remember the first Earth Day in 1970, when Hillsborough Bay in Tampa gave off a choking smell of sewage, and the city's sky tinted with the brown haze of smog. That day, and its reverberation of hope and change, helped set me and millions of others on a path of support for stronger laws to conserve our land and water, and toward more sustainable lifestyles….

Now we face a set of challenges just as daunting as those confronting us in 1970. Growth is picking up, so more green spaces are being lost to development. Most waterways are showing the effects of pollution from fertilizer and treated sewage. Our native birds and other wildlife are clinging to smaller fragments of habitat while foreign invaders such as pythons dominate key landscapes. Expansion of farming is bringing new demands for land and for irrigation water. Our coastal shores are eroding in face of sea level rise.

Despite being fully aware of these environmental problems, the anti-government Florida Legislature has severely limited state oversight of land-use decisions. Overdue policies to conserve water and reduce pollution continue to face stiff opposition from developers and agriculture. And Florida's award winning network of parks and public lands is threatened with a sell-off….

Today, while nearly everyone wants a cleaner, safer environment, the job seems to be outsourced to government agencies and advocacy groups. But the responsibility belongs to us all. And while Earth Day 2013 (today) bears witness to events all over the state, the kind of large scale attention and response that jolted the nation toward supporting programs to conserve land and water seems missing.

As President of Florida's oldest wildlife conservation organization, I start every day with the question of how to get people involved, get them to care, and move them toward action. Gov. Scott calls Florida an "affordable" place to work and retire, but I hold the view that people value our state for more than being cheap place to live…. To call Florida home is to be obligated to be a good steward.

Just like 33 years ago, Florida needs an army of people who love the place, who love the coasts, springs, forests, rivers and swamps. We need people to get mud on their boots, sand between their toes, and jump in the water. I have learned that people get engaged only with what they know and care about. That is why in every talk I ask people to Take Five For Florida's Special Places. I challenge people to, "Take yourself to a park or waterway, take friends and family, take notes and pictures, take a moment to tell others about the experience, and then take action – be a good steward to that place or become an advocate for wildlife and water."

As Floridians, we can make every day Earth Day. So put on your boots, shoes, or sandals, and commit to both enjoy and protect this very special place we call home.

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Wind Farm Faces Fine Over Golden Eagle’s Death

By Christina Nunez April 3, 2013

When a golden eagle was killed at the 66-turbine Spring Valley Wind Farm near Ely, Nevada, in February, wind farm operator Pattern Energy reportedly was prompt in notifying authorities of the death and already had mitigation measures in place to protect birds and bats….

Garry George, renewable energy director of Audubon California, which is a National Audubon Society state program, answered our questions via email about golden eagles and the Spring Valley incident.

The Spring Valley Wind Farm now faces a potential fine of $200,000 for the eagle death. What should the role of fines be in preventing and managing bird deaths from wind farms, and how should such fines be set?

The possibility of large fines and the possibility of prosecution for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act should encourage wind developers to focus on the conservation of eagles and other birds and to work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in planning their projects. Every effort should be made by the wind industry to avoid impacts to eagles and other birds, even to the extent of abandoning a project because it is too risky. Every effort should be made by the wind industry to voluntarily invest in the latest science and technology to site turbines appropriately, detect eagles and other birds, and even curtail turbines to avoid collisions. These efforts to conserve eagles need to be a wise investment compared to fines and prosecution.

Altamont Pass turbines kill fewer birds

By David R. Baker January 28, 2013

But Michael Lynes, executive director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society, said he wants to keep pushing the numbers lower. "We're not celebrating, put it that way," said Lynes, whose Audubon chapter was one of four filing the suit. "Because as long as wind turbines are operating out there, there's going to be mortality to wildlife. We see this as a good step toward reducing mortality."

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Wood Stork's Endangered Status Is Up In The Air

By Greg Allen February 3, 2013

The last few years have been especially tough in South Florida for wading birds…. Despite that, the federal government says one wading bird, the wood stork, is doing well enough that it may soon be removed from the endangered list. In December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it planned to upgrade the wood stork's status — moving it from "endangered" to "threatened." Yet the Audubon Society says that in South Florida, there are still multiple conditions that threaten the bird's recovery….

Audubon and other conservation groups are happy that the wood stork population has increased in recent years.

But Audubon officials say they believe wood storks should stay on the endangered list. They say that until Florida improves its protection of wetlands and finishes restoring the Everglades, the long-term survival of the wood stork is still very much up in the air.

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The Fight To Save Old Logger’s Path

By Reid Frazier February 1, 2013

CURWOOD: In Pennsylvania, the arrival of white pickup trucks is often the first sign that hydraulic fracturing will take place nearby. The DCNR counters that the state simply doesn’t do public reviews of drilling plans on public land. The debate is only heightened because the state has already leased 700,000 acres of forest land – that’s a third of the entire state forest system. That means that places like the Old Loggers’ Path are becoming increasingly rare, says Paul Zeph, of the Audubon Society.

ZEPH: This is one of the places in the state that should be off limits.

FRAZIER: Zeph says this in spite of the fact that the Old Loggers’ Path has been mined and timbered in the past. But the forest is unique because numerous springs and seeps keep it wet. That’s good for bugs, and the bugs are good food for migratory songbirds who nest there. Plus the forest is quiet, and the birds like that. No matter how careful DCNR and Anadarko plan the development, drilling is loud and disruptive. And Zeph says, it would chase away some of these birds.

ZEPH: ...and there’s nowhere else in Pennsylvania for them to go….

24

Colorado River called endangered

April 18, 2013

Audubon Arizona Executive Director Sarah Porter said the report confirmed what the conservation organization has professed since forming a network to protect Western rivers.

“We are finally being forced to face up to what years of drought, over-allocation and mismanagement have done to the Colorado River and its Arizona tributaries such as the Verde and the San Pedro,” Porter said in a statement released Wednesday.

By Doug Fernandez April 17, 2013

The Colorado River just made the top of a list no one wants to be on: America’s Most Endangered Rivers. But it may not be a surprise to anyone living there who has seen how drought affects the area. The Audubon Society of New Mexico says the Rio Grande is suffering under the same stress, a combination of drought, over-allocation and unsustainable management that is basically running the river dry. The society hopes this new information brings attention to the dire condition of our state’s rivers.

By Brian Rutledge April 21, 2013

Dear Editor:

Thank you for highlighting American Rivers' annual report, “America's Most Endangered Rivers,” which selected the Colorado River as the most imperiled in the nation (“Colorado River at the top of 2013 ‘most endangered' list,” April 18, Glenwood Springs Post Independent)….

Audubon's Western Rivers Action Network hit the ground running in state legislatures in New Mexico and Colorado and with outreach at events in Arizona. More than 800 Audubon supporters around Colorado took action in opposition to proposed state legislation (Senate Bill 41)…. In large part due to Audubon's outreach, this bill was amended by state legislators, resulting in improvements.

25

Pelicans steal the show at Audubon donation ceremony in Moss Point

By Karen Nelson March 21, 2013

The general manager of Chevron's Pascagoula Refinery paused mid-speech on the grounds of the future Pascagoula River Audubon Center on Thursday to watch the show overhead. More than 40 white pelicans flying in three V formations appeared and began circling. They created a vortex that looked like chaos for a few seconds, then they fell back into formation and lazily flew away.

It awed the crowd of bird lovers celebrating Chevron’s donation of $1 million earmarked for the operation of the center and support of the Mississippi Flyway. Refinery Manager Tom Kovar smiled, said, "We planned that," and resumed his speech.

The next speaker, National Audubon Society’s CEO David Yarnold, called the river center one of the society's "little miracles" and hailed the significance of the center and its corporate partnership with the refinery. "You sit here at the gateway to the Mississippi Flyway, one of the most important places on the planet for birds," Yarnold said. "There are birds that come here after flying nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico and this is the first land that they see."

Chris Canfield, Audubon vice president for the Coast and Mississippi Flyway, said, "If you need any indication of how special this place is, that flyover we just saw was it." Canfield's operation will receive $250,000 of the $1 million donation and he said it will use it to help connect the Audubon Center with the rest of the Gulf states….

March 29, 2013

Endangered California condors being poisoned

The Audubon Society wants to go a step further. It's supporting a bill that would ban all lead ammunition statewide.

“The bottom line is lead is toxic, lead is toxic to birds, lead is toxic to humans, and we’re really concerned about that, and we believe that not enough has been done,” Brigid McCormack, of Audubon California, said.

26

Toyota TogetherGreen Supports Conservation Nationwide

Charleston, SC

Toyota and the National Audubon Society have announced that a TogetherGreen Fellowship award will be given to the St. Helena Island-based chieftess and head of state for the Gullah/Geechee Nation... TogetherGreen, a conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society, and Toyota, select 40 high-potential local leaders annually to receive a $10,000 grant. With the funds, fellows conduct community projects to engage diverse audiences in habitat, water or energy conservation.

Charleston, SC

But Queen Quet's work on behalf of her culture stretches beyond her books on the shelves of the library and St. Helena Island. She has received numerous recognitions and awards from around the globe, including the Audobon/Toyota TogetherGreen fellowship for environmental stewardship.

Des Moines, IA

Lauren Sullivan works to make it a community project, and that is possible thanks to a $10,000 fellowship from the National Audubon Society and Toyota. One of 40 students nationwide named a TogetherGreen fellow.

National

Working here at the National Audubon Society…I was able to get funding through a TogetherGreen program funded by Toyota where they encourage all nature centers like myself to find programs to reach new and underserved audiences.