Conservation Ranching in the Rockies

Our Goals
Stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers.
What We’re Doing
Working with landowners to support better bird habitat.
Greater Sage-Grouse display at sunrise in front of a herd of cattle.

North America's grasslands are among the most imperiled ecosystems in the world. America’s grassland birds have declined more than any other bird group in the continent, some species by as much as 80 percent. Because the vast majority breed on private lands, working with ranchers is our best hope for conserving them.

A wildlife habitat initiative of the National Audubon Society with a unique market connection, Audubon Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers. Audubon Conservation Ranching’s enrollment includes more than 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land. Incentivizing this habitat work for birds and biodiversity are consumers with an appetite for conservation, who support it by purchasing products grazed on these lands. Shoppers see a special package designation – the Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly seal – that sets these products apart. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.

Conservation Ranching Staff at Audubon Rockies
Dusty Downey.

Dusty Downey

Director, Conservation Ranching, Audubon Rockies

Photo of Cidney Handy.

Cidney Handy

Range Ecologist

A portrait of Trish Kerner.

Trish Kerner

Range Ecologist

A portrait of Louisa Kimmel.

Louisa Kimmell

Range Ecologist

News
Uplifting BIPOC Youth in Conservation Science, Regenerative Farming and Ranching
August 18, 2026 — Audubon joined FrontLine Farming’s Black Teen Cultivators in Denver for a two-day event centered on bird conservation and regenerative ranching.
The Audubon Rockies Conservation Ranching (ACR) team poses with the 2026 ACR Team of the Year awards.
Driving Cattle, Restoration, and Research
August 04, 2026 — In the Rockies, Audubon's Conservation Ranching team drives landscape-scale, science-based conservation on working lands.
A Lark Bunting perched on an annual sunflower.
2025 Conservation Ranching Bird Monitoring Results in the Rockies
November 20, 2025 — Scientists monitored 634 locations across 13 bird-friendly ranches this year. Here’s what they saw.
An individual on a boom lift installs Motus radio antennas.
Solving Migration Mysteries, One Motus Station at a Time
October 23, 2025 — The very first Motus tower to be installed on an Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly ranch is advancing bird science in eastern Wyoming.
A partial rainbow over sagebrush steppe landscape.
2024 Conservation Ranching Bird Monitoring Results in the Rockies
September 27, 2024 — Bird activity and sightings on Audubon Certified bird-friendly ranches in Wyoming and Colorado were noticeably higher this year.