Top Stories Around Audubon in 2025

As the year ends, it’s important to look back and reflect upon one’s accomplishments. This is hard to do when you’re a hemispheric organization with more than 890 staff, 500 community and campus chapters, and 1.9 million supporters working in 11 countries. All the important things we’ve done for birds are far too numerous to digest in one sitting, but this overview gives you a sample of them.

To meet the mounting challenges that birds face, we have aligned our work around the most effective strategies for addressing them: conserving millions of acres of habitat, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration, advancing policies that fund conservation, and expanding the community of bird lovers. Across every landscape where we work, Audubon is showing that when we create a better world for birds, we create a better world for people too. Here are just a few examples of how we did that in 2025.

Habitat Conservation

Audubon is protecting and restoring the habitats that birds need. By creating a vast network of conserved lands and waters across the Americas, Audubon helps provide safe passage and a healthy home for birds and people.

In March, a 12.5-million-acre watershed in Canada that’s essential to birdlife throughout the hemisphere came one step closer to being permanently protected. A feasibility study was conducted by the Seal River Watershed Alliance and governments in Canada. The study lasted more than a year, and the results concluded that conserving the watershed is both achievable and popular, clearing the path for negotiating its protection. Audubon has been collaborating with the First Nations of the Seal River Watershed Alliance for several years, helping to conduct acoustic monitoring of birdlife and to showcase the region’s global importance at events like the 2025 World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. In July, Audubon recognized the Seal River Watershed Alliance’s incredible work with our 2025 Hemispheric Conservation Award.

In June, the declaration of the Loma Santa Indigenous Conservation Area in Bolivia marked another historic milestone. This swath of newly protected territory spans nearly 495,000 acres, shelters 252 bird species, and safeguards the cultural heritage of five Indigenous groups. It is the largest national protected area to be established through Conserva Aves, an innovative partnership cofounded by Audubon that aims to catalyze the establishment of more than 80 new protected areas covering 4.9 million acres (2 million hectares) and improve the management of an additional 4.9 million acres (2 million hectares) in Latin America and the Caribbean. By collaborating with local communities and stakeholders, Conserva Aves has connected and conserved ecosystems across 164 protected areas in Latin America, including more than 660,000 acres in 2025 alone.

These are just two examples of our work in 11 countries to conserve bird habitat throughout their lifecycles. In addition to them, here is a sample of some of our other habitat conservation accomplishments across the hemisphere in 2025:

• The Picayune Strand Restoration Project in the Western Everglades of Florida is undoing the disastrous effects of canals and roadbeds built in the mid-1900s. A 20-year-long effort, supported by Audubon Florida, to plug the canals and remove the roads is now hydrologically complete. New water flows from the project are beginning to rejuvenate more than 70,000 acres of prime Everglades wetlands and benefit birds like Wood Storks and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, both inside and downstream of the project area.
• To improve the health of bird habitat for some 12 million migratory birds that rely on Great Salt Lake annually, we secured approximately 72,000 acre-feet of water for Great Salt Lake in 2025 through the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, jointly managed by Audubon and The Nature Conservancy. This includes an innovative project to deliver water down the Jordan River into the lake’s priority bays.
• Through the Audubon Great Plains Conservation Forage Program, more than 10,000 acres in North Dakota have been restored to native grassland. And by partnering with Ducks Unlimited, we expanded the program into South Dakota and increased enrolled grassland to more than 24,000 acres.
• Audubon North Carolina’s coastal program had a record-breaking number of volunteer coastal bird stewards and banded a record number of American Oystercatchers, in addition to our regular conservation work that protects habitat for 40 percent of the state’s coastal nesting waterbirds.
• Audubon Mid-Atlantic completed the Marshes for Tomorrow technical report, a landscape-scale plan to restore 29,140 acres of Maryland’s salt marshes, protecting critical breeding habitat for Saltmarsh Sparrows in the process.
• An innovative partnership between Audubon Rockies, Water for Colorado, and a group of University of Colorado students aims to map Colorado’s restoration landscape and identify opportunities for scaling impacts for functioning and healthy riverscapes. This work builds on Audubon’s ongoing stream restoration support efforts in Colorado.
• On Long Island, Audubon New York’s coast team is using technology to protect beach and marsh-nesting birds. Through the American Oystercatcher Field Camera Project, the team observed 24 oystercatcher nests with the goal of identifying predators big and small, from ghost crabs to raccoons. With the results in hand, we can partner with municipalities to better address the issue.

• Audubon's Seabird Institute worked with partners to create Oregon's first Conservation Action Plan for Tufted Puffins. This new collaborative plan provides a comprehensive and coordinated path to protect active Tufted Puffin colonies, identify and reduce threats, and restore and maintain a viable and resilient Tufted Puffin population in Oregon. 

Climate

To meet the critical threat of climate change, Audubon is pursuing a swift, responsible transition to renewable energy and conserving ecosystems that keep carbon in the ground. Mangroves, rich in biodiversity and resilient in nature, are exceptionally adept at capturing and storing atmospheric carbon and form the basis of the Blue Natural Heritage project, a joint project established by Audubon and the Panama Audubon Society in 2021. A 2025 analysis by scientists associated with the project found that over the next century, mangroves in Panama are projected to sequester 26.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, yielding $155 million in economic benefits while stabilizing coastlines and mitigating the effects of sea-level rise.

In addition to carbon sequestration, we also had several advancements in reducing carbon emissions. In the Great Lakes region, we advanced multiple win-win renewable energy projects. Audubon Great Lakes worked to move multiple utility-scale renewable energy projects forward, including Vista Sands Solar, which is set to be the largest solar farm in Wisconsin, and one of the largest ever built in the United States. Audubon worked closely with the developer of this 1.3 megawatt project to ensure that significant commitments were made to protect the threatened Greater Prairie Chicken, including more than $2 million in habitat conservation dollars. Audubon staff and members also spoke up to ensure a strong environmental assessment during review of the Badger Hollow Wind Project in Wisconsin, which will generate up to 118 megawatts of clean energy. Audubon also provided expertise and mobilized members in Ohio on the Eastern Cottontail Solar Project and the Frasier Solar Project to ensure bird‑friendly siting and mitigation measures to reduce impacts on habitat. These projects demonstrate how we can work collaboratively to ensure that clean energy projects are planned with birds and people in mind.

Audubon also contributed to high-level climate strategy in the following ways:

• In January, Audubon released the report Birds and Offshore Wind: Developing the Offshore Wind that Birds Need, which makes the case for responsibly sited offshore wind development that addresses potential risks to birds based on the best available science. The report shares clear strategies and recommendations for working with communities to balance clean energy demand with conservation in order to combat climate change while protecting birds and their habitats. 
• At New York Climate Week, Audubon staff appeared on panels discussing our conservation ranching program and a new science report on climate and communities.
• In Abu Dhabi, Audubon staff attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress spoke about the expansion of the Survival by Degrees climate report to forest birds in South America. Both reports were also highlighted at COP30 in Belem, Brazil.

Policy

To meet the scale of today’s challenges, Audubon supports the passage of effective laws and policies that benefit birds and people. By building trust and working with leaders across the political spectrum, we build support for public policy and funding for conservation. This year was an important one for that approach. Amid a changing presidential administration in the United States, Audubon continued to convene people to protect the policies that birds need.

We defended two important United States federal programs this year: the Bird Banding Lab and the North American Breeding Bird Survey, which have long received bipartisan support. These programs have quietly powered bird conservation in the U.S. for decades, providing the data that reveal the health of our natural world and underpin environmental decisions. When their funding was threatened earlier this year, we rallied our members to submit 82,000 messages to Congress and hosted a webinar for 1,000 members. Through these efforts and more, we brought increased attention to how important these programs are and generated a groundswell of support for them.

In January, the Biden administration designated 624,000 acres of Mojave desert in California south of Joshua Tree National Park as the Chuckwalla National Monument. Audubon California played a key role in the coalition of tribes, community groups, local businesses, and conservation groups that advocated for the monument. More than 55,000 Audubon members contacted decision makers in support and Audubon’s Salton Sea and Deserts senior program associate, Rhian Reyes, introduced President Biden at the White House for the celebration event. The monument’s designation delivers benefits to birds, people, and nearby communities, including the preservation of biodiversity, stimulation of local economies, and much-needed equitable access to nature for residents of the Eastern Coachella and Imperial Valleys.

During Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session, Audubon Upper Mississippi River staff, chapters, and supporters advocated strongly for the passage of the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund and Legacy (Outdoor Heritage Fund) appropriations bills. Through bipartisan efforts and a special legislative session—bolstered by Audubon’s support—the Minnesota legislature passed the bills, directing millions of dollars in lottery and sales tax proceeds to environmental projects statewide, including Audubon’s Secretive Marshbirds Survey and habitat restoration in northwest Minnesota.

During this busy year, Audubon’s staff and supporters were engaged in many other initiatives. Here are a few of them:

• To help secure $16 billion for agricultural conservation programs, Audubon brought farmers and ranchers from seven states to Washington, D.C., in June, where they met with 38 congressional offices. The following month, programs key to improving habitat, access, and soil and water quality on private lands all received renewed funding.
• Audubon Vermont played a key role in shaping the U.S. Forest Service’s precedent-setting Telephone Gap project, which will apply ecological forestry and climate-smart practices to protect old forests and enhance bird habitat in the Green Mountain National Forest. In June, the Forest Service signed a final management decision that was based largely on our coalition’s comments. Audubon was broadly recognized as a partner in the advocacy leading to the decision..
• As new residents flock to North Carolina, Audubon and allies launched an effort to help communities save fast-disappearing city trees from development. Audubon North Carolina helped local Audubon chapters and other groups secure policies that promote environmentally friendly development. In 2026, we plan to release a policy toolkit that will help local advocates launch urban forestry campaigns in their communities.
• Audubon Southwest advanced legislation to facilitate responsible and water-wise housing through the “Ag to Urban” program. The program now helps the Phoenix and Pinal areas conserve their groundwater by transitioning agricultural lands to housing developments, which use less water.

• The South Carolina General Assembly passed a resolution urging people to shut off non-essential lights during migration, citing their impact on migratory birds. Audubon South Carolina drafted the House and Senate resolutions, identified and secured bill sponsors, and lobbied to get them introduced and passed.

Community Building

Expanding and engaging a community of bird lovers enables Audubon to drive transformative change throughout the hemisphere. In 2025, we connected across programs and borders to work together on the conservation concerns that affect us all. As our community grows, so do the ways in which we engage with conservation.

The Audubon on Campus program reached a new milestone this year when the Howard University Green Coalition became the 100^th campus chapter. Audubon on Campus provides support to student organizations at universities and colleges across the United States and helps students find the intersections between their academic interests and bird conservation.

Growing the community of bird lovers isn’t our only measure of success; we also need to connect them across the wide geographies that birds inhabit. Coordinating our work across the borders that birds inhabit led us to new collaborations this year. Last August, the Ciénaga de Mallorquín Ecopark in Barranquilla, Colombia, inaugurated its first educational bird gallery, made possible with support from Audubon. The series of 50 informational plaques highlight the ecological richness of the wetland area, which is home to more than 150 bird species, and promotes environmental education and conservation among its more than 300,000 annual visitors. The EcoPark—a “sister center” to the Audubon Center & Sanctuary at Francis Beidler Forest in South Carolina—also provides economic benefits to local community members, who work as docents and operate businesses along the boardwalk.

Audubon’s first-ever international Leadership Conference demonstrated the progress we’ve made in growing a hemispheric flock. More than 450 chapter leaders, partners, and staff gathered in Montréal, Canada, last July. Attendees from 11 countries, 48 states, and 22 college and university campuses gathered to make this conference a multigenerational and multicultural success. Audubon commissioned an artist to paint a mural of a Lesser Yellowlegs in Montréal during the conference, one of 34 murals that artists painted this year through the Audubon Mural Project, a public art initiative to draw attention to birds threatened by climate change.

With more than 500 Audubon chapters, 15 state and regional offices, 32 centers, and 1.9 million supporters across North and South America, local efforts to protect birds are too numerous to list. Here is a sample of just a few of them:

• Through a collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Ilisaġvik College, Iñupiat Heritage Center, North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation Science, and Tuzzy Consortium Library, Audubon Alaska launched the Utqiaġvik Birding Trail at the 2025 Utqiaġvik Migratory Bird Festival. This guide is designed to celebrate and support bird tourism, education, community stewardship, cultural traditions, and the connection between elders and youth in Alaska’s North Slope.
• For the first time in the Christmas Bird Count’s history, trends for select Latin American species will be available by the end of this year, expanding our understanding of bird populations across the hemisphere. Additionally, the Christmas Bird Count Trends Viewer now features updated species trends for the United States and Canada using the latest data and improved statistical methods.
• This year, the Audubon Photography Awards expanded to Colombia and Chile, alongside participants from the United States and Canada, with new prizes focusing on migratory species, habitats, and conservation. Through this exciting expansion, the winners and honorable mentions help tell the story of hemispheric bird conservation and highlight how birds connect people across geographies and ecosystems.
• Zumbro Valley Audubon Society, a chapter in Rochester, Minnesota, hosted a team of Guatemalan researchers as part of their ongoing partnership of five years that links Rochester to northern Guatemala and supports migratory science for several species that connect both places.
• Seward Park Audubon Center in Washington launched a new teen engagement program, Elevation, that connects underrepresented high school students to conservation careers through immersive field experiences. We connected 19 teens across five schools with a diverse suite of mentors for an impactful year of career and leadership development. Through Elevation, a new generation of young people is poised to take up the task of advancing environmental justice, protecting key ecosystems, and combating climate change.
• Audubon Delta’s GRITS Teen Program (Green Resilient Infrastructure and Technological Solutions), hosted at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center in partnership with Mississippi State University Extension Coastal Conservation and Restoration Program, provided high school students from across the Gulf Coast with immersive training in conservation science, coastal resilience, and applied technology. Through hands-on experiences and mentorship, GRITS prepares the next generation of environmental stewards to address complex ecological challenges in their communities.