As 2025 comes to a close, we're reflecting on the incredible efforts happening across California to support birds, habitats, and communities. From landmark habitat protection and working lands stewardship to advocacy leadership, science-driven studies, and youth leadership programs, this has been a year of progress.
Starting strong in January 2025, we celebrated the designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument, protecting more than 624,000 acres of Mojave Desert south of Joshua Tree National Park. Audubon was proud to stand alongside Tribes, community groups, local businesses, and conservation partners in a coalition that helped make this landmark protection possible.
Spring brought another exciting milestone: 10 years of BirdReturns. What began as a pilot effort has grown into an innovative partnership that turns the Central Valley into an "AirBnB for birds", bringing together private wetland managers, farmers, scientists, and conservationists to deliver habitat when migratory birds need it most along the Pacific Flyway. This year, that collective effort resulted in habitat at a scale that reflects both the urgency of the moment and the strength of our partnerships. With more than 210 participating land managers and over 48,000 acres of wetlands and farmlands enrolled across California, BirdReturns supported hundreds of thousands of birds throughout the annual cycle.
Across California, volunteers and chapters turned out for the triennial Tricolored Blackbird survey, helping locate active breeding colonies of one of the state's beloved, threatened species. Together, surveyors estimated a statewide population of 229,000 adult Tricolored Blackbirds across 170 locations—a 5% increase over the 2022 estimate and a 58% increase from the 2014 low of 145,000 birds.
Supporters also helped turn advocacy into durable, statewide protections. Community chapters in key districts called lawmakers, and people across California sent nearly 15,000 letters urging action on two major pieces of legislation that we co-sponsored, which will invest millions of dollars in key habitats, through the Habitat Conservation Fund, and strengthen crucial protections for migratory birds, by making the California Migratory Bird Protection Act permanent.
On working lands, Audubon Conservation Ranching kept building a future where birds, ranching communities, and healthy food systems thrive together. 15 ranches across California are now fully certified through the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, representing more than 263,000 acres of bird-friendly land across California.
At the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles, more than 28,000 community members were engaged through restoration, education, and events. Plus, over 5,000 California native plants have been distributed since the Los Nogales Nursery opened in August 2025. In the Bay Area, the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary team pushed coastal resilience forward by growing native and sensitive plants for restoration, monitoring dynamic marsh habitat, and helping Audubon Youth Leaders experience eelgrass ecosystems firsthand through kayaking trips that foster the next generation of coastal stewards.
Our new science brief synthesized seven years of surveys at the Salton Sea. Applying this kind of science-driven approach can help guide future habitat projects across the Sea, so conservation investments deliver the greatest benefits for birds and nearby communities. This year also marked a major milestone: for the first time, water began flowing into the Species Conservation Habitat Project, creating vital shorebird habitat while reducing harmful dust for nearby communities. We also celebrated the graduation of our first Salton Sea Leadership Program cohort!
We're grateful to every supporter, volunteer, partner, and community member who helped make this year possible. If you'd like to dive deeper, keep reading below for more highlights and links to the full stories from across California. |
No comments:
Post a Comment