At the 2024 Georgia Bird Fest Summit held in Athens on Saturday, April 20, Birds Georgia introduced and presented three new awards: The Legacy Award, the Trailblazer Award, and the Organization Award. Legacy Award Recipient: Joy Carter The Legacy Award is awarded to a member who has been volunteering consistently for Birds Georgia over the years and who has made a lasting impression on both the staff and the community. The 2024 Legacy Award was presented to Joy Carter. Known for her helpfulness and dedication towards community, Joy has not only served Birds Georgia but other bird-related organization and is a vocal proponent of birds conservation. Joy is a past chair of the Birds Georgia Board of Directors and oversaw a remarkable period of growth for what was then Atlanta Audubon Society. She also heads up the InTown CBC, volunteers with Wild Nest Bird Rehab, and has been recognized for her work advocating for urban parks and conservation. Joy's work has left a lasting impact, and she is described as an authentic and dedicated community advocate who always finds ways to move forward. Trailblazer Award: Ella Seifert and Alex Stach The Trailblazer Award is presented to a new volunteer who has recently joined the organization and has dove headfirst into volunteering and participating in Birds Georgia event. This year’s Trailblazer Award was presented to our two teen field trip leaders, Ella Seifert and Allex Stach. Ella graduated from our Master Birder program in 2022 as the youngest graduate ever. Alex was on the winning team of the Youth Birding Competition in 2024. They both completed the Georgia Urban Ecologist program and then took the initiative to go through field trip leader training and become Teen Field Trip Leaders. They have been leading trips since fall of 2023 and have built a great community amongst the youth birders. Organization Award: Georgia Native Plant Society The Organization Award is presented to a partnering or local organization that consistently helps support our mission of building places where birds and people thrive through their collaboration with Birds Georgia or their own efforts in the local community. This year’s awardee is the Georgia Native Plant Society, which works hand in hand for over a decade to ensure that native plants are spread throughout the state to support pollinators and bird populations alike with native plant sales, habitat restoration and public education about native plants. The mission of Georgia Native Plant Society is to promote the stewardship and conservation of Georgia's native plants and their habitats. The organization has 8 chapters throughout Georgia engaging local communities in educational programs, native plant rescues, restoration, propagation, and advocacy. Our former Executive Director, Nikki Belmonte, now serves as Executive Director of GNPS, and we are building new programs and partnership opportunities between the two organizations.
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Photos R to L: A section of the campus that was treated for bird collisions. Amanda Janusz, Kaitlyn Tran, and Shivani Potdar have been leading the efforts at Georgia Tech. Photos courtesy Shivani Potdar. The student-run Bird Safe Campus Project at Georgia Tech (GT) aims to reduce bird collisions through two main methods: installing bird-safe film on campus buildings and turning off lights at night that disorient migrating birds. Over the past three years, the team consisting of Kaitlyn Tran (IE ‘23), Shivani Potdar (ChBE ‘25), and Amanda Janusz (CS ‘25), has raised awareness about this issue across the Georgia Tech community.
“The Georgia Tech campus serves as a valuable oasis for Atlanta wildlife. To date, more than 130 species of birds have been recorded via our eBird hotspot. These birds are a large part of what gives our campus character, and it’s devastating to see the lethal damage that our buildings inflict on our most beloved species, from tiny jewel-like Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to our majestic Red-tailed Hawks. It forms a pit in your stomach to see a bird on the ground just because no one thought to install bird-safe glass, or to turn off lights," says Amanda Janusz. Through educational tabling, collaboration with campus sustainability groups and Birds Georgia, and meetings with GT administration, the team encouraged students, faculty, and staff to report any dead or injured bird sightings to nationally-recognized data collection website dbird.org. Since the start of the project, more than 400 data points have been recorded so far on the GT campus alone. In 2022, the team succeeded in installing motion sensor lights in select campus buildings to prevent nighttime migration collisions. Most recently, in April 2024, the team completed a partnership with Georgia Tech campus facilities to retrofit a collision hotspot with bird-safe film. The group installed Feather Friendly film, which was provided at a discount as part of the Feather Friendly Project Recognition Program. A fully transparent pedestrian walkway connecting two classroom buildings was one of the campus’ major problem areas for the local bird population. The students raised 100% of the funds for the project through grants. This recent retrofit is the first instance of bird-safe film on Georgia Tech’s campus. “We want this to serve as a model for the future of GT’s campus. I hope this can help educate the community about bird collisions, and how it should be a consideration when it comes to designing ecologically-friendly buildings,” says Kaitlyn Tran. Shivani Potdar agreed, saying “Using the walkway installation as an example, we hope to now expand bird-safe film to other collision hotspots on campus. In the future, we hope to eventually have bird-safe film as a requirement in Georgia Tech’s building design guidelines.” Adam Betuel, Birds Georgia's director of conservation, has been working with these students for several years in an advisory capacity to help guide their efforts. "It has been a great experience working with these Georgia Tech students to make the campus safer for migrating birds. In recent years, Georgia Tech has made great strides to green and bring nature to campus, and this work will hopefully continue to aid in this progress. In the future, we plan to continue working with these and others students, as well as faculty and staff, to make this urban campus more bird friendly." Birds Georgia volunteers and Georgia Tech students have been monitoring the campus for collisions over the past nine years, detecting hundreds of birds. Successes like this film installation, as well as the bird-friendly Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, are steps toward a bird-safe campus. by Sarah Manning, Coastal Conservation Coordinator Over the course of a month, the bluebirds in my backyard went from hatched and helpless, to fully feathered and fledged! The best part? I got to experience it all through NestWatch. NestWatch is a monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. If you have a nest (or box) in your backyard, consider joining the effort. Participating in NestWatch is easy and just about anyone can do it. Simply follow the directions on the website to become a certified NestWatcher, find a bird nest using their helpful tips, visit the nest every three to four days and record what you see, and then share the information on the NestWatch website. This spring, I monitored my backyard bluebird box through NestWatch. Following Cornell’s guides, I visited the box every three to four days, monitoring its progression throughout the incubating and brooding stages. I reported my visits through their site and contributed to a program that, in 2023, recorded 36,035 nest attempts by 294 species in the U.S. and Canada. From my office, I watched the adults (all day long) dutifully pick insects out of my yard and carry them to the nest, leaving soon after with the young’s waste in tow. Being able to get a glimpse into the life cycle of these birds and knowing I can contribute to this project has made me feel even more connected to the birds in my backyard. It is also a great reminder that growing native plants contributes significantly to the reproductive success of your local birds since insects are the bulk of many baby birds’ diet. For example, Chickadees require 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to rear one clutch of young! NestWatch data is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals. Thanks to NestWatch data, we know that many songbirds are now nesting earlier in spring because of warmer temperatures brought about by climate change. Your observations will be added to those of thousands of other NestWatchers in a continually growing database used by researchers to understand and study birds. And while you are contributing extremely valuable information to science, you will learn firsthand about birds and create a lifelong bond with the natural world. Questions on how to participate? Contact Coastal Conservation Coordinator, Sarah Manning via email. On day 12, it’s looking a bit crowded here! The young bluebirds are nearly ready to fledge - NestWatch recommends against checking after day 12 so young are not forced to fledge before they are ready. I watched from a distance and on day 16, the young left the nest on their own. Photo by Sarah Manning. (L to R): Sparrow Field at Cochran Shoals CRNRA, by Gabe Andrle. Cochran Shoals CRNRA, by Adam Betuel. LeConte's Sparrow, by Adam Betuel. by Dottie Head, Director of Communications
Birds Georgia was recently awarded a Bill Terrell Avian Conservation Grant from the Georgia Ornithological Society (GOS) for a habitat restoration project that will restore riparian meadows and wildlife corridors along the Chattahoochee River. The restoration project will focus on restoring early successional habitat at the Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA). “We’re excited to receive this generous grant from GOS to restore bird-friendly habitat at Cochran Shoals CRNRA,” says Adam Betuel, director of conservation for Birds Georgia. “The Cochran Shoals Unit is a popular birding spot because it includes a mix of microhabitats, including riparian meadow, riparian woodland, and beaver-maintained wetland, making it possible to see a wide array of birds throughout the year, but particularly during spring and fall migratory periods.” Part of the project will focus on restoring the “sparrow field,” a roughly seven-acre portion of the area that is known to host an array of sparrows, including notable species such as Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, and LeConte’s Sparrow, among the more regular suite of species like Song Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows. Henslow’s and Grasshopper Sparrow are both listed as High Priority Species on Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan. “As part of the grant-funded work, Birds Georgia will not only restore some of the sparrow field, but also improve its ecological value by removing non-native species and introducing a greater diversity of native plants that would help beneficial pollinating insects including species like the endangered monarch butterfly,” says Adam Betuel, director of conservation for Birds Georgia. In recent decades, many birds that rely on open and early-successional habitats have seen a decline in population due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and a variety of other factors. Grassland birds in particular have seen a decrease in population by about 53% since 1970 according to a 2019 study (https://www.3billionbirds.org/findings) conducted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and other partners. In collaboration with the National Parks Service at CRNRA and the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy, Birds Georgia will improve and restore a minimum of 16.5 acres of bird-friendly habitat at the Cochran Shoals Unit of CRNRA, including the “sparrow field.” The remaining acreage will be treated for invasive plant species and opened up where possible to support early successional habitat acting as a buffer to protect the meadow space from problematic plant species. Birds Georgia’s Habitat Team and volunteers will remove non-native invasive plant species and knock back undesirable woody species, install new native vegetation, and promote the spread of currently existing native vegetation. In the future, Birds Georgia will be seeking grant funding to create a wildlife corridor connecting the historic “sparrow field” to a site that is being opened up and restored into more grassland habitat for the introduction of a federally endangered plant species. This will be done in partnership with the National Park Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Power, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other organizations. “The work that Birds Georgia will be doing at Cochran Shoals CRNRA is part of the greater Chattahoochee RiverLands effort,” says Betuel. “In partnership with the Trust for Public Land and other partners, Birds Georgia is working to improve the ecological health of the Chattahoochee River basin to restore bird-friendly habitat that will benefit birds and people, too.” Birds that will benefit from this improved habitat include Indigo Bunting, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, and overwintering sparrows, as well as other resident and migratory birds who utilize riparian meadow and woodland habitat. “In addition to the on-the-ground conservation work, Birds Georgia will engage, activate, and educate the public to understand Chattahoochee watershed concerns through community conservation work days, community science initiatives, and seasonal field trips,” says Betuel. “The Cochran Shoals Unit is one of the most birded locations in metro Atlanta (as evidenced by the more than 200 bird species and more than 4,500 check lists submitted via eBird at this location) and is an ideal candidate for additional education and engagement.” About Birds Georgia: Birds Georgia is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement. Founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club, the organization became a chapter of National Audubon in 1973, and continues as an independent chapter of National Audubon Society. About Georgia Ornithological Society: The Georgia Ornithological Society's (GOS) mission is to encourage the scientific study of birds by gathering and disseminating information on Georgia bird life. GOS actively promotes bird conservation by encouraging the preservation of habitats that are vital to the survival of resident and migratory birds. The GOS also gives scholarships, produces scientific publications, and provides fellowship among those interested in nature. Learn more at https://www.gos.org/home. Left photo shows Fall Stopover Hotspots for Bird Migration in relation to proposed Twin Pines Mine (in yellow); Right photo shows Spring Stopover Hotspots. Via Electronic Mail
Director Jeff Cown Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE Suite 1456, East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334 [email protected] Re: Comments Opposing Draft Permits for Twin Pines Mine Dear Director Cown: On behalf of Birds Georgia members across the state, we are writing today to ask you to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the St. Marys River by denying Twin Pines Minerals’ (TPM) application to strip mine for heavy mineral sands at the doorstep of the Okefenokee Swamp. Birds Georgia’s mission is to build places where birds and people thrive. We fulfill our mission through education, conservation, and community engagement. With more than 2,500 members and more than 5,000 National Audubon Society members from across the state, Birds Georgia represents a broad constituency united by a desire to protect birds and other wildlife. Our constituents include Georgia residents, frequent visitors, and concerned citizens who understand both the significance and beauty of the Okefenokee Swamp for birds and other wildlife. At 438,000 acres, the Okefenokee Swamp is one of the most wild, pristine, and ecologically intact places in America, sheltering more than one thousand animal and plant species within its vast labyrinth of cypress forests, pine islands, and blackwater channels. In addition to providing refuge to wildlife, the Okefenokee offers an escape to hundreds of thousands of people who fish, hunt, paddle, birdwatch, and camp in its wilderness each year. As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service put it, “The Okefenokee is like no other place on earth.” Twin Pine’s proposed strip mine endangers this world-class resource. Not only is the proposed mine dangerous in its own right, it would effectively open Trail Ridge to mining for decades to come, jeopardizing the long-term viability of the swamp. Georgia EPD, as the state agency charged with protecting and restoring Georgia’s environment, has both a statutory and moral obligation to say no. The stakes are too high, and the risks are too great. Twin Pines' proposal to mine deep into Trail Ridge adjacent to the national wildlife refuge will likely have lasting and irreversible impacts, eliminating roughly 300 acres of valuable wetlands, excavating up to 50 feet deep, withdrawing millions of gallons of groundwater, releasing air and light pollutants into the International Dark Sky Park, and discharging wastewater into the St. Marys River basin. Twin Pines has offered NO defensible assurances that; 1) their mining operations will protect the Okefenokee Swamp from permanent damage; 2) that they will protect threatened and endangered species, including Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Wood Storks, gopher tortoises, and many other species that nest and raise young in the Okefenokee Swamp; and 3) that they will safeguard the long-term interest of the birdwatchers, kayakers, hikers, and other nature enthusiasts who visit the Okefenokee Swamp each year. The Okefenokee Swamp is a diverse ecosystem that provides critical habitat for more than 200 species of resident and migratory bird populations, as well as many other plant and animal species. Below, please find a list of the specific species that Birds Georgia is concerned will be negatively impacted by the Twin Pines Mine.
Hydrology Concerns: Birds Georgia does not believe that Twin Pines has adequately proven that the proposed mine will not harm the water levels in the Okefenokee Swamp and surrounding Trail Ridge. The proposed mining project would dig pits up to 50 feet deep into Trail Ridge, a feature integral to maintaining surface water and groundwater hydrology in the Okefenokee, St. Marys River, and surrounding areas. More than 85 scientists, including UGA hydrologist Rhett Jackson, have concluded that the mine poses a significant risk to the swamp. Even a small reduction in the amount of water in the swamp could have far reaching impacts for the wading birds and other species that live there. As indicated above, many bird species are extremely vulnerable to reduction in water levels beneath nesting trees and many more rely on the Okefenokee for feeding and shelter. Twin Pines proposed is expected to (1) lower water levels in the Okefenokee Swamp and the St. Marys River by removing more than one million gallons of groundwater per day; (2) destroy the distinct geological layers of Trail Ridge, making it difficult to reestablish wetlands and potentially reducing long-term flows to the swamp; (3) increase wildfire risk in the vicinity of the swamp by exposing peat and by increasing the duration and severity of drought in the Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River; (4) contaminate ground and surface water in the vicinity of the mine by liberating heavy metals, radionuclides, and other contaminants that are currently stored in Trail Ridge soils; (5) degrade habitat and harm wildlife, including endangered sturgeon and migratory birds., Question: What steps will Georgia EPD take to ensure that the water level in the swamp is not negatively impacted by the Twin Pines Mine? Stopover Habitat for Migratory Birds: Along with other partners and researchers, Birds Georgia has been working with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University to use radar and satellite imagery to develop BirdCast, a bird migration forecasting tool. In addition to providing multi-day forecasts of bird migration patterns over the continental U.S., BirdCast also provides real-time data on the population density and direction of migratory birds flying over the country. An analysis of BirdCast data from 2000 to 2020 revealed that the Okefenokee Swamp and surrounding environment is a critically important stopover area for vast and diverse populations of migratory birds, both during spring and fall migrations. Particularly notable, portions of Trail Ridge which include and surround the proposed mining site are hotspots for spring migration stopovers. These areas provide migratory birds with needed shelter and key food sources as they travel to and from breeding and wintering grounds. The Okefenokee Swamp could be the first landfall for many of these Neotropical migrants that just crossed the Gulf of Mexico or arrived from the Caribbean Islands. The proposed mine would disrupt these critical stopover areas in a variety of ways, by destroying vegetation and soil structure, removing groundwater, generating light and noise, exacerbating wildfires, and releasing toxic contaminants. All of these disruptions are likely to negatively impact migratory birds and their habitat in and around the mining site, as well as the broader Okefenokee ecosystem. This is especially worrisome as our long-distance migrants are the species, in general, experiencing the steepest declines and encountering the higher amount of threats. Lighting Concerns: Birds Georgia remains concerned about excess nighttime lighting associated with the Twin Pines Mine. The Okefenokee Swamp is well known for its dark nighttime skies, and nearby Stephen C. Foster State Park is designated as a Dark Sky Park. Migrating birds are extremely sensitive to nighttime lighting which can act as a magnet pulling them off course and into brightly lit areas where they face threats ranging from building collisions to predation. Question: How will the Georgia Environmental Protection Division ensure that birds are not negatively impacted by nighttime lighting from the Twin Pines Mine? Birding and Outdoor Recreation: In addition to the many bird and animal species that rely on this diverse ecosystem, the Okefenokee Swamp is a popular tourist destination. Each year, more than 650,000 people visit the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to watch birds, camp, canoe, kayak, hike, and enjoy this unique natural area, generating roughly $88 million in economic impact in Charlton, Clinch, and Ware counties. In fact, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) provides more economic benefit to Georgia and Florida than any other NWR. Question: How will the Georgia Environmental Protection Division ensure that Twin Pines does not cause irreparable harm to this ecosystem and negatively impact recreational opportunities and tourism-related economic benefits from Okefenokee Swamp-related tourism? Overwhelming Opposition to Mine: Finally, no permit application in Georgia history has drawn as much opposition as this one. Since Twin Pines proposed mining Trail Ridge in 2018, public opposition has been overwhelming and unwavering, with more than 200,000 individual comments at the state and federal level as of April 1, 2024. Birds Georgia submitted comments during the March 5 Public Meeting and listened to the 3+ hours of testimony. Not a single person spoke in favor of the mine. In addition, people from across Georgia have written letters and called their legislators in unprecedented numbers, and at least nineteen local governments have passed resolutions calling for the protection of the Okefenokee Swamp. It is clear that Georgians DO NOT WANT the Twin Pines Mine near the Okefenokee Swamp. In closing, Birds Georgia feels strongly that the Okefenokee Swamp is a unique ecosystem that should be protected from activities that could disrupt bird life. We continue to encourage the Georgia EPD to deny these permits for surface mining along the Okefenokee Trail Ridge. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jared Teutsch Executive Director Birds Georgia will host the inaugural Georgia Bird Fest Summit on Saturday, April 20, from 8:30 to 2:00 PM, at the Classic Center, in Athens, GA. J. Drew Lanham, Ph.D., poet laureate, MacArthur fellow, and distinguished professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University will give the keynote address on Coloring the Conservation Conversation. The Georgia Bird Fest Summit will bring bird enthusiasts from across the state to share knowledge and inspiration about birds, birding, and related issues in Georgia. The Georgia Bird Fest Summit is part of the ninth annual Georgia Bird Fest which returns this spring with more than 40 events between April 6 and May 4. Participation in the Georgia Bird Fest Summit and Georgia Bird Fest events provides critical support for Birds Georgia’s conservation, education, and community engagement programs. The event will officially begin at 8:30 AM on Saturday, April 20, with the keynote address, entitled, Coloring the Conservation Conversation, by J. Drew Lanham. He will discuss what it means to embrace the full breadth of his African-American heritage and his deep kinship to nature and adoration of birds. The convergence of ornithologist, college professor, poet, author and conservation activist blend to bring our awareness of the natural world and our moral responsibility for it forward in new ways. Candid by nature — and because of it — Lanham will examine how conservation must be a rigorous science and evocative art, inviting diversity and race to play active roles in celebrating our natural world. Avid Bookshop, an Athens-area book store, will be on hand selling a selection of Lanham’s books that will be available for the books signing event. Drew Lanham, Ph.D., is a certified wildlife biologist, an academic, writer, artist, and public intellectual, from Edgefield and Aiken, South Carolina. He is an Alumni Distinguished Professor, Provost's Professor and Master Teacher of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University, where his most recent scholarly efforts address the confluences of race, place and nature. A 2022 MacArthur Fellow, Dr. Lanham was also named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by "The Root", in 2022. Creatively, Drew is the Poet Laureate of Edgefield County, South Carolina and the author of Sparrow Envy - Poems, Sparrow Envy - A Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts, and The Home Place - Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature. In addition, the Summit will feature six breakout sessions from which attendees can choose. To see the full schedule of events, please visit our website. Early bird registration (through April 5) is $100 ($50 for students with a .edu email address). After April 6, the registration fee increases to $125 ($62 for students). Refreshments and lunch are included in the Summit registration fee. Registration is now open for the Georgia Bird Fest Summit and other Georgia Bird Fest on our website. Birds Georgia would like to thank the following event sponsors: Georgia Power Company, Barefoot Garden Design, Bird Collective, BirdNote, Bonsai Leadership Group, eBird, Jekyll Island Authority, Lynx Nature Books, Patagonia, Sticker Mule, Southwire, and Vortex. Thanks to a generous grant from the Disney Conservation Fund, Birds Georgia has been working with Dr. Kyle Horton at Colorado State University (CSU) to measure migratory bird activity over the state during spring and fall migration. These maps were the result of that work. Each fall and spring, billions of migratory birds travel across North America making their way between breeding grounds and wintering grounds. These birds must constantly confront changes to the landscapes below caused by natural and man-made forces, including the rapid proliferation of brightly lit nighttime landscapes. While migration takes part in the skies, birds must stop along the way to rest and refuel. Birds Georgia wants to know WHERE these birds are stopping and to gain a better understanding of WHY they choose these locations. By pairing migration intensity measurements from nearby weather stations with other environmental variables, the CSU team was able to train a machine learning model that predicted migration intensity in Georgia during spring and fall from 2000 to 2020. With these predictions, they were able to establish regions considered hotspots of bird migration stopover and refueling. The darker areas on the maps represent higher concentrations of birds stopping over to rest and feed. In over 70% of the models that were created, skyglow (or night time lighting) was identified as a highly influential and consistently positive predictor of bird migration stopover density across Georgia and the United States. The findings of this study point to the ever-expanding threat that brightly lit night skies pose to birds, particularly during migration. In short, migratory birds are extremely sensitive to nighttime lighting which acts like a magnet pulling them into brightly lit areas and cities where they face threats ranging from building collisions to predation. In recent years, the Colorado State Team has been working with state organizations, like Birds Georgia, to provide state-level migration forecasts enabling us to issue Lights Out alerts on nights of peak migratory bird activity. Learn more about this project or view the nightly forecast for Georgia enabled by this technology on our website. by Dottie Head, Director of Communications
This spring, Birds Georgia will kick off the ninth year of Project Safe Flight Georgia, a project to study bird-building collisions across the state. Since the program began in 2015, volunteers have collected data from more than 4,200 birds representing 135 different species that perished after colliding with buildings. Recently, Project Safe Flight was extended to coastal Georgia with volunteers patrolling routes in Savannah and Brunswick as well as continuing routes in metro Atlanta. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue to be the most commonly found species, followed by Tennessee Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, and Ovenbird. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Common Yellowthroat, and Red-eyed Vireo round out the 10 most commonly collected species by Project Safe Flight volunteers. Current research estimates that between 350 million and 1 billion birds perish each year from colliding with buildings in the U.S. Attracted by nighttime lights and confused by daytime reflections of habitat in shiny windows, many birds become disoriented and fly into the buildings, ending their journeys and their lives prematurely. “Birds Georgia launched Project Safe Flight in 2015 to gain a better understanding of the bird-building collision problem across Georgia,” says Adam Betuel, Birds Georgia’s director of conservation. “We have been studying what species are most likely to collide with buildings, how many birds are affected, and what parts of the state are most problematic. Since the program began, we’ve learned a lot about how and where building collisions are occurring, and we’ve implemented some programs and changes to help reduce collisions and make Georgia safer for migrating birds.” Monitored sites included public sidewalks, private businesses, university campuses, and a handful of government buildings. Each spring and fall, Project Safe Flight Georgia volunteers patrol predetermined routes across the state collecting birds that have collided with buildings. Patrols run from late March through May each spring and again from mid-August to mid-November in the late summer and fall, covering peak migration months for many species. There are several ways the public can help. One of the easiest is to reduce nighttime lighting during peak migration periods. The Lights Out Georgia program was designed to encourage homeowners and commercial properties to turn off nighttime lights from midnight to 6 AM during peak migration. New migration forecasting technology has allowed Birds Georgia to predict nights of extremely high bird migration and issues Lights Out Alerts for evenings of peak migratory activity. For more information or to sign up, please visit our Lights Out Georgia page. More information on how to make your home bird-safe, to sign up as a Project Safe Flight Volunteer, or to report dead birds you find at your home or workplace, please visit the Project Safe Flight Georgia page. Birds Georgia will host a Project Safe Flight webinar on Tuesday, April 9, at 7:00 PM to share information about bird-building collisions and causes, and to discuss ways we can make our homes and cities safer. Sarah Tolve, Bird Georgia's coastal conservation coordinator, will provide an overview of Birds Georgia's Project Safe Flight program and share how volunteers can get involved. Learn how monitoring efforts are conducted on the ground, how to report sightings, what is being done with this data, and what we’ve learned (and how the program has grown) since Project Safe Flight Launched in 2015. The program is free to attend, and sign up is now available on our upcoming events page. by Dottie Head, Director of Communications
The ninth annual Georgia Bird Fest will return this spring with more than 40 events between April 6 and May 4. Join fellow nature and bird enthusiasts for exciting field trips, workshops, and other events to celebrate and enjoy Georgia’s exciting spring migration period. This year’s event will feature the Inaugural Georgia Bird Fest Summit on Saturday, April 20, in Athens, Georgia. Dr. J. Drew Lanham, poet laureate, McArthur fellow, and distinguished professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University will give the keynote address on Coloring the Conservation Conversation. Participation in Georgia Bird Fest provides critical support for Birds Georgia’s conservation, education, and community engagement programs. Georgia Bird Fest includes events across Georgia, from the mountains to the coast, including both in-person and virtual events and workshops. Some of the event highlights for Georgia Bird Fest 2024 include past favorites such as a tour of Zoo Atlanta’s bird collection; canoe trips on the Chattahoochee River; a Warbler Weekend in North Georgia; trips to Phinizy Swamp near Augusta and Harris Neck NWR on the coast; an overnight stay at the Len Foote Hike Inn in Dawsonville; and trips to other birding hot spots across the state. Some of this year’s virtual offerings include Birding 101, Warbler ID, Raptor ID, and a Building Your Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary webinars. This year, we’re excited to premiere a new addition to the Georgia Bird Fest lineup of events. On Saturday, April 20, Bird Georgia will host our inaugural Georgia Bird Fest Summit from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM at the Classic Center in Athens, GA. The Georgia Bird Fest Summit is designed to bring people from the state-wide birding community together to share knowledge and inspiration about what organizations are doing in Georgia's conservation, education, and community engagement programming. The Summit will consist of our keynote presentation and six breakout sessions from which attendees can choose. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. In addition, there will be activities in and around Athens on the day of the event. We’re delighted to share that Dr. J. Drew Lanham will be giving our keynote address with a talk entitled, "Coloring the Conservation Conversation." Dr. Lanham will discuss what it means to embrace the full breadth of his African-American heritage and his deep kinship to nature and adoration of birds. The convergence of ornithologist, college professor, poet, author and conservation activist blend to bring our awareness of the natural world and our moral responsibility for it forward in new ways. Candid by nature — and because of it — Lanham will examine how conservation must be a rigorous science and evocative art, inviting diversity and race to play active roles in celebrating our natural world. Drew Lanham, Ph.D., is a certified wildlife biologist, an academic, writer, artist, and public intellectual, from Edgefield and Aiken, South Carolina. He is an Alumni Distinguished Professor, Provost's Professor and Master Teacher of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University, where his most recent scholarly efforts address the confluences of race, place and nature. A 2022 MacArthur Fellow, Dr. Lanham was also named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by "The Root", in 2022. Creatively, Drew is the Poet Laureate of Edgefield County, South Carolina and the author of Sparrow Envy - Poems, Sparrow Envy - A Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts, and The Home Place - Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature. His memoir is a past winner of the Reed Environmental Writing Award (Southern Environmental Law Center), the Southern Book Prize, and a 2017 finalist for the Burroughs Medal. It was named a memoir and scholarly book of the decade by Lithub & Chronicle of Higher Education. His forthcoming works are Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves, The Bird I Became, and Range Maps - Birds, Blackness and Loving Nature Between the Two. Registration for Georgia Bird Fest opens on March 5 for Birds Georgia members and on March 12 for non-members. For more information or to view a full schedule of events, please visit https://www.birdsgeorgia.org/birdfest.html . Birds Georgia would like to thank the following event sponsors: Georgia Power Company, Barefoot Garden Design, Bird Collective, Bonsai Leadership Group, Jekyll Island Authority, Lynx Nature Books, Sticker Mule, Southwire, and Vortex. About Birds Georgia: Birds Georgia is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement. Founded in 1926 as the Atlanta Bird Club, the organization became a chapter of National Audubon in 1973, and continues as an independent chapter of National Audubon Society today. We look forward to celebrating the 100- year anniversary of our organization in 2026. Learn more at https://www.birdsgeorgia.org/. ### A copy of this letter was sent to the Speaker of the House and all State Judiciary Committee members in the Georgia House of Representatives on February 26, 2024.
Dear Representatives, On behalf of Birds Georgia members across the state, we are writing today to express our opposition to House Bill 370. This bill is a threat to more than 50 years of salt marsh protection in Georgia and could have catastrophic impacts on our salt marsh resources and the many species of birds that rely on them. Birds Georgia’s mission is to build places where birds and people thrive. We fulfill our mission through education, conservation, and community engagement. With more than 2,500 members and more than 5,000 National Audubon Society members from across the state, Birds Georgia represents a broad constituency united by a desire to protect birds and other wildlife. Our constituents include Georgia residents, frequent visitors, and concerned citizens who understand the both the significance and beauty of Georgia’s salt marshes for birds. Please consider the following: — This bill would effectively remove the marsh as part of the public trust doctrine. The new standard would open the door for more hardening of our shorelines, which would also remove native habitat, impacting wading birds and key migratory species that rely on the marsh for nesting and resting habitat. It would also make coastal Georgia more vulnerable to storm surge and king tides. — The unique curved coastline of the Georgia Bight results in large changes of water depth between low tide and high tide every day. This intertidal zone of extensive salt marshes, expansive sand and mud flats, and undisturbed areas of beach creates huge areas of potential food resources that are exposed by the receding tide. In recognition of the value to shorebirds in the Bight, there are three Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) sites encompassing much of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. The loss and/or development of Georgia’s salt marshes could threaten our state’s designation as a WHSRN. — The loss and/or development of our salt marshes in Georgia would have negative impact on the following bird species, to name a few: Saltmarsh Sparrow; Seaside Sparrow MacGillivray's subspecies, specifically); Nelson's Sparrow; Clapper Rail; Willet (the Eastern subspecies nests in Georgia’s marshlands); Marsh Wren (Worthington's subspecies, Georgia’s resident breeder); Eastern Black Rail (may already be extirpated from the state); Little Blue Heron; Tricolored Heron; Whimbrel; Roseate Spoonbill; Wood Stork; as well as other species of shorebirds that live year around or migrate through Georgia. The bottom line is what's bad for birds, is bad for people too. This bill has passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 5-4. It is now sitting in Rules. We implore you to help stop the forward progress of this bill by either ensuring it does not pass out of Rules or that it gets committed to the House State Properties Committee. HB370 should not pass. It goes too far and could destroy coastal Georgia's most iconic landscape and the birds on which they depend. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jared Teutsch Executive Director |
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September 2024
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