From a morning of birding in Central Park to discussions on clean energy, conservation careers, and the future of nature, birds provided a common thread throughout Audubon’s Climate Week NYC activities this year. They grounded conversations about how we respond to a changing climate, support emerging leaders, and turn challenges into opportunities for action.
Birds are among the most visible indicators of environmental change. Because they live in nearly every habitat, what we learn from how birds respond to a changing climate can help us understand the challenges and opportunities to act. At Climate Week, Audubon brought that perspective to multiple events while highlighting the importance of building community and collaboration across sectors.
Advancing energy and nature-based solutions
At this year’s Climate Week, Audubon brought industry, conservation, government, philanthropy, and other leaders together to explore some of the challenges and opportunities ahead. Audubon staff led discussions on responsible clean energy and transmission planning, including co-hosting “Innovative Alternative Financing Models to Promote Transmission” with Clean Air Task Force, which explored new approaches to financing the transmission infrastructure needed for a clean energy future. Audubon also convened a closed-door discussion with industry, conservation, and government leaders building alignment to support effective government and responsible development.
Audubon also advanced conversations about natural climate solutions, co-hosting and speaking at the Nature4Climate plenary session “From Risk to Resilience: Using Nature Intelligence to Guide Investment” and co-hosting the roundtable “Creating a Forest Policy Agenda for 2028 and Beyond” at the Doris Duke Foundation Treehouse. These conversations highlighted how better information, thoughtful policy, and investment in nature can support healthy ecosystems, climate resilience, and thriving communities.
Looking beyond the United States, Audubon engaged in a series of discussions with leaders from governments, Indigenous peoples, foundations, investors, and civil society focused on accelerating global progress towards the collective goal of ending deforestation by 2030 and restoring ecosystems at scale, recognizing the economic value of healthy ecosystems, improving forest data, and institutionalizing financing mechanisms like the Tropical Forests Forever Facility and forest carbon markets.
Supporting the next generation
Birding is having a moment, and young people are helping shape what comes next. At Solutions House, Audubon brought together students and educators from Audubon on Campus to explore why young people are turning to birds and conservation and how they are translating that passion into action.
Panelists from the Yale Birding Student Association, Howard University Green Coalition, HWS Birding Club, and Binghamton University Audubon Society spoke about the power of community, their hopes for the movement, and the importance of creating opportunities for young people to participate and lead. Their enthusiasm was a reminder that the next generation is ready to engage, and that creating pathways for them to do so is essential to the future of conservation.
Those pathways extend into the workforce. At the Green Jobs Pavilion, Audubon connected with people interested in careers, internships, and other opportunities to make a difference through their work, while joining conversations about career opportunities in climate and conservation. A Conservation Jobs panel drew such a large crowd that people were sitting on the floor, which reflects the strong interest in careers that connect people, nature, and climate solutions.
Connecting people through birds
During Climate Week, bird lovers joined Audubon, BirdLife International, and NYC Bird Alliance for a morning of birding in Central Park’s Ramble. Participants observed thrushes, warblers, hummingbirds, and grosbeaks while considering the importance of local, hemispheric, and international coordination in protecting these birds across their ranges. A walking tour of the Audubon Mural Project offered another way to experience these connections. Murals feature different bird species that are vulnerable to extinction from climate change, illustrating the scale of the challenge through public art.
Audubon also brought birds to New Yorkers with a Birds and Brews themed happy hour reception, as well as a hummingbird displayed on a 10,000-square-foot digital billboard in Times Square. Against the backdrop of one of the world’s busiest intersections, the hummingbird billboard offered a moment of beauty and a reminder of the extraordinary wildlife we have an opportunity to protect.
Birds help us see the connections between climate, biodiversity, and communities. And when we work to protect the places they depend on, we can help build a healthier, more resilient future for people and the planet. From advancing responsible clean energy and natural climate solutions to creating pathways for the next generation of conservation leaders, Climate Week 2026 demonstrated the many ways people can come together to create meaningful change.
