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Audubon Minnesota is the headquarters for Audubon’s work on the Upper Mississippi River. Audubon strives to improve the function, ecological health, and viability of the Mississippi River System, measuring success through the status of selected declining and vulnerable bird species in key habitats: bottomland forests, coastal zones, emergent wetlands, and urban areas. Major program areas include:

Birds and Conservation:
Currently five Important Bird Areas in Minnesota are located on the Mississippi River: Itasca State Park, Twin Cities Mississippi River, Vermillion Bottoms, Lake Pepin, and the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge.

Education:
Audubon is developing educational programs and field trip opportunities along the Mississippi River with the Mississippi River Field Institute and local state chapters.

Public Policy:
Two great opportunities exist to restore and protect bird habitat on the Mississippi River in Minnesota: the Upper Mississippi River Environmental Management Program and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge. Take action to support annual appropriations for these programs.