Many of the places that serve as critical bird habitat also have the potential to absorb greenhouse gases and naturally store carbon. These forests, grasslands, working lands, coastal ecosystems, and other landscapes can also help protect drinking water sources, make food systems more resilient, and reduce climate risks like flooding, drought, and extreme heat. That is why Audubon is working to conserve and maintain more lands and water bodies across the Americas to combat the climate and biodiversity crises.
Investing in the integrity and resilience of farms, fields, wetlands, mangroves, and other key ecosystems will help achieve this goal. Landowner and community engagement play a vital role in management and stewardship.
Audubon is working with partners to bring nature-based solutions and bird-friendly practices to these landscapes to achieve conservation and sustainable-development impacts at a significant scale. This work includes the Conservation Ranching initiative, which offers incentives for good grassland stewardship through a certification label on beef products in the U.S., and the Americas Flyways Initiative, which is building strategic partnerships to mobilize private and public funding for natural climate solutions and bird-friendly infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean. Staff are also engaged in local and regional projects like the conservation of mangroves and salt marshes, some of the most carbon-rich ecosystems.
