What's at Stake
Profiles of people, places, wildlife, and conservation programs threatened by federal budget cuts and environmental policy rollbacks. A new story series by Audubon.
Fall 2017
The only hope to save the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow: a high-stakes rescue before summer's end. The Gulf's first line of defense is worth $500 million—and countless human and avian lives. What we learned from the lost birds of the DuPont mercury case. Debunking Ryan Zinke's new sage-grouse conservation plans, mapping fall migration through radar, preserving estuaries and everything else that's at risk with federal rollbacks, and soldiering on to help injured raptors and veterans.
Read on for the full contents of our fall issue.
The Race to Save North America’s Most Endangered Bird Species
This summer scientists rushed to collect enough Florida Grasshopper Sparrows before the breeding season’s end to fend off extinction.
Louisiana Is Restoring Barrier Islands to Defend Against Hurricanes and Rising Seas
Funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are flowing into the state, financing unprecedented restoration work along its beleaguered coast—just in the nick of time.
A Soldier Who Found Solace in Raptors, Now Works to Help Hurting Veterans
After the Persian Gulf War, Robert Vallières grappled with aneurysms, PTSD, and more. Birds are the ones that brought him back.
Zinke's New Conservation Plans Will Hurt, Not Help, Sage-Grouse Recovery Efforts
As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
This Japanese Woodcarver Helps the Blind See Birds Through Touch
Haruo Uchiyama sculpts intricate, life-size birds to teach the world about evolution and extinction. His current mission: modeling 40 species of Hawaiian honeycreepers.
Once a Toxic Stew, New York’s Onondaga Lake Shows Signs of Life
Thanks to hundred of volunteers, a vast cleanup of the poisoned watershed is wrapping up—and the birds are beginning to return.
Greater Sage-Grouse Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before
In his new book, photographer Noppadol Paothong focuses his lens on the iconic bird throughout its life cycle.
Scientists Want to Start Forecasting When Certain Species Are Migrating Your Way
Weather maps are essential for researchers shadowing birds on the move. Pairing radar with eBird data will take migration tracking to the next level.
How Much Should Major Polluters Pay? A DuPont Settlement Provides a Model
A biologist traced mercury from a company spill to contamination in songbirds, and devised a new way to hold polluters financially accountable.
Inside Audubon’s New Decoy Workshop, Where Saving Seabirds Is the Mission
Mad River Decoys by Audubon is one of the only decoy manufacturers in the country focused on conservation.
Eastern Bluebird
Dianne Bennett drops her bucolic bluebirds into an environment humming with human activity.
The Alarming Decline of the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow Is a Wake-Up Call
These birds are barely hanging on in the wild, but there’s still hope.
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