Audubon Pennsylvania

Our Mission

To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity in Pennsylvania.

Our Approach—Science, Education, and Policy

Through our efforts in these areas at the state and chapter levels, Audubon Pennsylvania offers a comprehensive approach to conservation that achieves measurable results.

Science

Audubon empowers "citizen scientists" and other volunteers with the leadership, knowledge and tools to study, preserve, and restore the natural environment we all share.

Connecting People with Nature

For more than 100 years, Audubon has been connecting people with nature through the annual Christmas Bird Count, The Great Backyard Bird Count and Important Bird Area surveys, all of which provide scientists with critical bird population trend data and diversity records. Since 2001, 450 volunteers in Pennsylvania have received instruction in bird monitoring.

Identifying, Monitoring, and Conserving Bird Habitat

Pennsylvania is making an important contribution to the conservation of bird and wildlife habitat in the Western hemisphere. "Penn’s Woods" are critical to many interior forest birds, providing nesting habitat to 17% if the world's Scarlet Tanagers, 10% of Worm-eating Warblers, and 9% of Wood Thrushes.

Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Audubon, as the U.S. Partner for BirdLife International, has been working to identify a network of IBAs throughout the US. By focusing attention on the most essential and vulnerable areas, the IBA program promotes proactive habitat conservation which ultimately benefits birds and other wildlife.

IBAs range in size from 1 acre to over 500 square miles, and provide crucial nesting, feeding, roosting, or migratory habitat for birds. Pennsylvania developed the first Audubon IBA program in the United States in 1996. Since then, scientists have identified 81 IBAs across the Commonwealth encompassing over 2 million acres of public and private lands.

Stewardship Adoption Program

To help facilitate community involvement in the protection and conservation of IBAs, Audubon Pennsylvania developed the Stewardship Adoption Program. This enables an organization or institution to adopt a specific IBA and partner with Audubon Pennsylvania and other conservation groups to monitor and protect the site.Today. 30 different organizations have officially adopted over 50 of Pennsylvania’s IBAs.

Blue Mountain-Kittatinny Ridge

Blue Mountain – or Kittatinny Ridge – is Pennsylvania’s largest IBA at 185 miles long. It covers 500 square miles and crosses 11 counties from Northern New Jersey through central Pennsylvania almost to the Maryland state line. More than 150 species of birds use the Ridge for their annual migration to Central and South America. Audubon is leading a coalition of groups and agencies to protect this globally-important habitat and recreation corridor.

Education

Audubon PA is "connecting people with nature" by developing a network of Audubon Centers and using proven and innovative education programs to promote a lifelong conservation ethic.

John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove

John James Audubon’s first home in America is now the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove . In April 2003, the National Audubon Society and Montgomery County signed an agreement to enhance the appreciation and study of the life and work of John James Audubon and restore and preserve the natural and historic aspects of Mill Grove as well as the scenic nature of the property.

John James Audubon Center is maintained as a museum and bird sanctuary, with 5 miles of marked trails, and it welcomes 20,000 visitors a year. The Center hosts four major public events during the year and hosts schools and scouting groups from the suburban Philadelphia region

The Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail Guide

Despite its great cities, sprawling suburbs, and modern infrastructure, Pennsylvania is still "wild" at heart. The Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail Guide directs visitors to some of the very best places to observe birds and other wildlife in their natural settings and through the changing seasons. The trail was launched in cooperation with state agencies, non-profits, corporations and tourism promotion agencies. Trail guides are available to the public through Audubon Pennsylvania.

Policy

Audubon Pennsylvania’s mission of conserving and restoring natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, wildlife, and their habitats helps to shapes the Commonwealth’s conservation agenda. Working with state, local and federal officials, along with our network of chapters, volunteers and many partners, Audubon PA is protecting and restoring Pennsylvania's natural heritage.

Forest Health

With more than 60 percent of Pennsylvania in woodlands, the health of the state’s forests are crucial to overall conservation. Unfortunately, our forests face many threats, from fragmentation by roads and development that destroy the unbroken blocks that many forest species need to survive, to an overpopulation of white-tailed deer whose browsing has destroyed the understory across much of Pennsylvania, endangering everything from wildflowers to ground-nesting songbirds. Audubon Pennsylvania’s primary goal is to encourage local, state and federal agencies to implement strategies that improve the overall health of Pennsylvania’s woodlands.