Celebrating Biodiversity Day and the Climate Bond: Join Us!
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
| Kern's Comeback Cuckoos | Salton Sea Shorebird Fuel | Championing Chuckwalla | Biodiversity Week | Celebrating the Climate Bond | Policy Update | | | | |
Dear KAREN,
As summer draws to a close and we enter the peak of fall migration, what birds have you been enjoying? I've just returned from the Eastern Sierra, where Mountain Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers kept me company. I've also been thinking about the Eared Grebes, which are arriving at Mono Lake from their breeding grounds in Canada and Northern California. Mono Lake is an important staging area, where the grebes feast on brine shrimp and alkali flies and double or even triple their weight, before heading to their winter refuge at the Salton Sea or Sea of Cortez.
The season's transition highlights California's crucial role in the lives of countless species and traveling around this beautiful state reminds me of our remarkable biodiversity. And the timing couldn't be more perfect as September brings California's Biodiversity Week—a week dedicated to inspiring discovery and connecting with the state's natural beauty, organized by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California State Parks, the California Academy of Sciences, and many others. Throughout the week, dozens of in-person and virtual events will be held statewide to connect people with local biodiversity and promote conservation efforts.
Audubon California and local Audubon Chapters across the state are proud to participate in Biodiversity Day events that highlight the unique landscapes and species we strive to protect. Whether you're joining our team at the Audubon Center at Debs Park, taking part in a bioblitz with the San Diego Bird Alliance, or exploring Central Valley birds with the Sacramento Audubon Society, these events invite us to immerse ourselves in the richness of our environment. Each encounter and observation offers an opportunity to deepen our understanding and inspire a passion for conservation in the next generation.
As you celebrate with us, we invite you to imagine a brighter, cleaner, greener future for California. This November, Californians have an important opportunity with the Climate Bond (Prop 4). This measure will secure essential funding for conservation projects that protect the communities, landscapes, and birds we cherish. Prop 4 addresses urgent climate change challenges, funding initiatives from water conservation to habitat restoration. I urge you to learn about this bond, share its importance with others, and ensure your voice is heard in November.
Fall migration serves as a reminder of the remarkable journeys birds undertake each year, with California playing a pivotal role as a stopover. From the wetlands of the Central Valley and coastal shores, to the desert habitat of the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, the riparian forests of the Kern River Preserve, and the briny shores of the Salton Sea, these habitats are lifelines for countless species.
Our team at Audubon California is dedicated to protecting these critical areas, ensuring that while migrating birds find the refuge they need, we are working together to build a brighter future for everyone. Your support is crucial to this mission. There are many ways to make a difference—whether by joining a local Biodiversity Day event, volunteering for a restoration project, or learning about and advocating for the Climate Bond. Every action, no matter how small, contributes to the larger movement to protect California's natural treasures.
Andrea Jones (she/her)
Interim Executive Director & Senior Director of Conservation, Audubon California | | | | |
| Eared Grebe in stunning breeding plumage snacking on an insect. Photo: Corey Raffel/Audubon Photography Awards. | | | | |
| 3 Western Yellow-billed Cuckoos at the Kern River Valley in California handled for banding by trained and permitted staff from the Southern Sierra Research Station. Birds left to right: Cookie, Snickerdoodle, and Stroopwafel. Photo: Sasha Robinson/SSRS. | | | | | |
| Least Sandpiper wandering along the water's edge. Photo: Patricia Kappmeyer/Audubon Photography Awards. | | | | | |
| Audubon California staff Camila Bautista and Rhian Reyes hiking Painted Canyon, part of the 26,242 acres Mecca Hills Wilderness area in the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument. Photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon. | | | | Rhian Reyes, Audubon California's Desert and Salton Sea Program Organizer, shares her experiences in the fight to protect 627,000 acres of California desert. From flyovers of dramatic landscapes to engaging with local communities, she's seen firsthand why the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument is worth preserving. Read about her experience and help conserve these lands. | | | | | |
| From left: Costa's Hummingbird, California Condor, Greater Sage Grouse, Tufted Puffin, Vermilion Flycatcher, Snowy Plover, Spotted Owl, Yellow-headed Blackbird. Photos, left: Max Breshears, Marc Slattery, Peter Ismert, Tom Ingram, Linda Scher, Alecia | | | | Join us from September 7-15 for California Biodiversity Day! Audubon California and local chapters will host guided nature walks, community science projects, and more to explore the state's incredible diversity. Find events near you! | | | | | |
| Audubon California in the News: | | | | |
| ACR staff: Jenna Inouye, Pelayo Alvarez, Shana Rhisby, and the 3CalhounSistersRanch celebrating the sisters' Certified bird-friendly habitat designation. | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment