Saltmarsh

Audubon Maryland-DC and its partners are working to help imperiled saltmarsh birds adapt to sea-level rise threatening coastal marshes along Chesapeake Bay. Audubon’s 205,891-acre Southern Dorchester County Important Bird Area is globally significant for Saltmarsh Sparrows and provides habitat for Seaside Sparrows. It is anchored by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, several state wildlife management areas, and private landholdings, including the Chesapeake Audubon Society’s 750-acre Farm Creek Marsh Sanctuary. Audubon identifies appropriate sites for protection and restoration to keep marsh migration corridors free of development, and protects existing high-quality marshes to bolster bird populations especially susceptible to sea-level rise. This project will also guide efforts at other Atlantic Flyway sites.

Theory of Victory: Audubon will manage and protect a network of saltmarsh landscapes across the Atlantic Flyway to sustain priority bird species in the face of sea-level rise and other threats.