Photo by Stephen Ramsden
Become a Habitat Steward
Birds Georgia is building places where birds and people thrive. We do this because the birds we love, the organisms with which they interact, and the habitats we share are facing unprecedented challenges. Restoring, preserving, and engaging around these spaces is vital for avian conservation and ensuring healthy ecosystems and informed populations for generations to come. While this work needs to take place on all scales, from the Chattahoochee National Forest to your patio planters, bird-friendly stewardship on larger, contiguous parcels of land is crucial as we stem the pressures of habitat loss and land development.
About the Program
The Birds Georgia Habitat Stewardship Program is a new conservation program geared toward both public and private land holdings and the people who own and manage them. Properties in any state of conservation are eligible, whether you are in the beginning stages of restoration or already manage healthy habitats. The program rubric offers flexibility to allow stewards to tailor management needs to their property. The program is designed to enable property stewards to make improvements to their land for the benefit of native wildlife while also connecting them to educational resources, technical assistance programs, cost-sharing and revenue-generating programs, engagement and research opportunities, perks associated with Birds Georgia membership such as early access and program discounts, recognition as an official “Habitat Steward” in our program, and more. Please see the full list of program benefits.
Program enrollees will submit annual monitoring reports near the anniversary of their initial application to reflect on what they achieved and areas for improvement.
Habitat Steward of the Year
Each year, we will select a Birds Georgia Habitat Steward of the Year to honor individuals that are going above and beyond to improve, restore, or manage wildlife habitats. The honoree will receive a plaque and have the option to host a field day at their property to showcase their stewardship efforts.
Enrollment Costs
Private and public lands in any part of the state that are larger than 10 acres are eligible for this program. The one-time fee for private landowners is $150 and for public lands is $250. This fee includes the Birds Georgia Habitat Steward sign, as well as a Birds Georgia membership. You may unenroll from the program at any time by providing written notice to the Stewardship Coordinator.
Certification Process and Timeline
Prior to Certification
About the Program
The Birds Georgia Habitat Stewardship Program is a new conservation program geared toward both public and private land holdings and the people who own and manage them. Properties in any state of conservation are eligible, whether you are in the beginning stages of restoration or already manage healthy habitats. The program rubric offers flexibility to allow stewards to tailor management needs to their property. The program is designed to enable property stewards to make improvements to their land for the benefit of native wildlife while also connecting them to educational resources, technical assistance programs, cost-sharing and revenue-generating programs, engagement and research opportunities, perks associated with Birds Georgia membership such as early access and program discounts, recognition as an official “Habitat Steward” in our program, and more. Please see the full list of program benefits.
Program enrollees will submit annual monitoring reports near the anniversary of their initial application to reflect on what they achieved and areas for improvement.
Habitat Steward of the Year
Each year, we will select a Birds Georgia Habitat Steward of the Year to honor individuals that are going above and beyond to improve, restore, or manage wildlife habitats. The honoree will receive a plaque and have the option to host a field day at their property to showcase their stewardship efforts.
Enrollment Costs
Private and public lands in any part of the state that are larger than 10 acres are eligible for this program. The one-time fee for private landowners is $150 and for public lands is $250. This fee includes the Birds Georgia Habitat Steward sign, as well as a Birds Georgia membership. You may unenroll from the program at any time by providing written notice to the Stewardship Coordinator.
Certification Process and Timeline
Prior to Certification
- Review the application rubric to ensure you understand the criteria.
- If you have any questions about the criteria or your property, contact the Stewardship Coordinator.
- If your property is less than 10 acres, consider our Wildlife Sanctuary Program.
- Once you have reviewed the rubric and determined this program is right for your property, sign up on our website. The end of the application will take you to our payment portal.
- If requested, the Stewardship Coordinator will schedule a virtual site visit. (Please note that an in-person visit may be an option depending upon scheduling circumstances).
- If your property already meets many of the criteria listed, you are eligible to receive a Birds Georgia Habitat Steward sign. If your property will be in-progress for many of the criteria listed, we will evaluate your annual monitoring report (see below).
- Near each anniversary of your initial application, you will be required to submit a monitoring report to provide updates on the criteria you initially selected and any other criteria you may have been able to work towards.
- There are no additional fees required for submitting monitoring reports. The reports will be reviewed by the Stewardship Coordinator and a follow-up virtual consultation can be scheduled if desired.
Please review the following documents before enrolling:
Click the button below to enroll in the Birds Georgia Habitat Stewardship Program.
Properties for this program will only be considered if they are over 10 acres. All property types above this size are encouraged to apply to the program. Smaller spaces should consider applying to our popular Wildlife Sanctuary Program. If you have any questions, please email Heather Levy, Stewardship Coordinator.
