2023 Migration Madness participants: 360 2023 Birdathon participants: 68 Species seen: 176 $$$ raised for bird conservation: $13,000 Scroll to see the prize winners and complete leaderboard for the 6th Annual Migration Madness Birdathon. June 5, 2023 — Congratulations to Joanne Bourque of Pomfret and Frank Mantlik of Stratford, the big winners in this year’s […]
News
Great fun for enthusiastic participants in 2023’s Migration Madness and Birdathon
Monday, June 5th, 2023Governor Lamont proclaims June 4, 2023, as Connecticut Audubon Day in the state!
Tuesday, May 30th, 2023May 30, 2023 — the state of Connecticut is celebrating our organization’s 125th anniversary with an official proclamation by Governor Ned Lamont declaring June 4, 2023, as Connecticut Audubon Society Day. Then on June 7, the celebration of the founding continues as Connecticut Audubon presents two programs in conjunction with the Fairfield Museum and History Center. It was on June 4, 1898, that the Audubon Society of the State of Connecticut held its first annual meeting of members. Two hundred and fifty people crowded into Fairfield Town Hall on that Saturday.
Rededication of Hartford Urban Bird Treaty creates a new agenda for conservation of the city’s birds
Friday, May 19th, 2023May 19, 2023 — A coalition of federal and city officials along with statewide and local conservation groups renewed their commitment today to improving Hartford as a place for birds to thrive and for people to enjoy them. Coalition members joined with city residents at Keney Park in Hartford to officially rededicate the Hartford Urban Bird Treaty. A program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Urban Bird Treaty is a national network that works to improve bird habitat in urban areas.
Re-dedication of Hartford Urban Bird Treaty set for Friday, May 19, at Keney Park
Friday, May 12th, 2023May 12, 2023 — Join us at Keney Park in Hartford on Friday, May 19, for the official 2023 rededication of Hartford’s Urban Bird Treaty — a multi-organization plan to improve bird habitat in the city and offer more opportunities for city residents to learn about and enjoy birds.
Heather Wolf, author and bird photographer, to judge 2023 Birdathon photo contest
Wednesday, May 10th, 2023May 10, 2023 — An undisputed highlight of Connecticut Audubon’s Migration Madness Birdathon, scheduled for May 20 and 21, is the annual photo contest. Each year, birders send us a selection of the best photos they took while participating in the Birdathon. We forward them to a judge — we don’t include names or time stamps, just the photos, so the judging is anonymous — who picks the winners. This year we are lucky to have Heather Wolf as the photo contest judge.
Connecticut school kids will get more outdoor science education thanks to federal grant from Congresswoman DeLauro
Wednesday, April 26th, 2023The number of school kids participating in Connecticut Audubon’s Science in Nature outdoor education program will increase dramatically in the coming years, thanks to a $750,000 federal grant received from the office of U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro of New Haven. Approximately 20,000 Connecticut students in grades kindergarten through 5th participate in Science in Nature now. That number will increase by at least 50 percent, to 30,000 students. And the total number of hours of science-based outdoor instruction will increase to 60,000 hours, from 40,000. Representative DeLauro announced the grant at a press conference on Friday, April 21, at Connecticut Audubon’s Milford Point Coastal Center.
A billion birds a year are killed when they crash into buildings. You can help by turning out the lights
Monday, April 24th, 2023It’s gut-wrenching to find a dead bird crumpled on the ground next to a building. Unfortunately, it is also all too common. Birds migrate at night and this spring there is a great opportunity for you to do something that directly benefits birds: turn out the lights.
Renewing Hartford’s Urban Bird Treaty
Friday, April 7th, 2023Hartford was designated an Urban Bird Treaty city in 2011. The designation is up for renewal and the Connecticut Audubon Society, Friends of Keney Park, and Park Watershed are collaborating on an update. The result will be better habitat for birds throughout the city’s parks, and more chances for city residents to learn about and enjoy them. The Urban Bird Treaty is a national network whose goal is to improve bird habitat in urban areas, and help city residents experience and learn about birds and the natural world.
For our 125th Anniversary, take the 125-Bird Challenge
Friday, March 24th, 2023March 24, 2023 — To encourage you to visit our sanctuaries during our 125th anniversary year, we’ve come up with a fun activity: the 125-Bird Challenge. It’s not a competition. We do hope however that it’s a good incentive. Many of our sanctuaries are big and unique, and are worth a special visit.
Nature on Display in New Exhibitions Celebrating Pulitzer Prize-Winning Writer and Photographer
Saturday, January 21st, 2023January 21, 2023 – More than half a century ago, naturalist writer and photographer Edwin Way Teale bought a rustic retreat in the heart of northeastern Connecticut. His work at Trail Wood, a 168-acre farmstead in Hampton, inspired a new generation of environmental conservationists to honor the land and continue his legacy. Two public exhibitions that mark Teale’s legacy are opening this month.
Connecticut Audubon’s newest preserve: Stratford Point, a conservation centerpiece in a rich ecological region
Monday, January 9th, 2023January 9, 2023 — Connecticut Audubon is kicking off its 125th anniversary year by announcing the acquisition of the Stratford Point preserve, a 28-acre coastal habitat in the heart of one of the state’s most important environmental regions.
December 2022: Winterberry
Thursday, December 15th, 2022Homegrown Habitat provides advice on what and where to plant, one per month, written by Sarah W. Middeleer, a landscape designer whose work focuses on ecology and designing for wildlife. Sarah serves as vice chair of the Connecticut Audubon Board of Directors. Write to her at homegrown@ctaudubon.org. Winterberry Ilex verticillata December 15, 2022 — […]
Keep up with how the media covered Connecticut State of the Birds and the Osprey Nation 2022 report
Tuesday, December 6th, 2022December 6, 2022 — Connecticut Audubon’s two recent, important reports captured the attention of the news media in the state and beyond. Both the Osprey Nation 2022 report (and the project itself) and the annual Connecticut State of the Birds report broke important news and explained trends in Connecticut bird conservation. Connecticut Audubon members and donors are responsible for the support needed to complete this important work.
Connecticut State of the Birds 2022: These Species Tell the Story of Conservation Over 125 Years, and Point to the Issues of the Future
Thursday, December 1st, 2022December 1, 2022 — Connecticut Audubon’s 2022 State of the Birds report, released today, looks at the health and future of five groups of birds, in Connecticut and beyond, whose conservation history is tied closely to the history of environmental conservation in the United States. Titled “125 Years of Bird Conservation Through Local Action,” the report marks the 125th anniversary of the Connecticut Audubon Society, which was founded in January 1898. (Bald Eagle photo by Julian Hough.)
Join us on Dec. 1 for “125 Years of Bird Conservation Through Local Action” — the official release of the Connecticut State of the Birds 2022 report
Sunday, November 27th, 2022November 27, 2022 — Join us on Thursday, December 1, 11 a.m., on Zoom for the official release of the 2022 Connecticut State of the Birds report. The authors of the report’s articles will join Connecticut Audubon staff to discuss the report and the history and future of conservation. It’s free but you must RSVP to get the link.
A Look Back: 125 Years and More of Assaults on Birds, and Solutions by Conservationists — Connecticut State of the Birds 2022
Tuesday, November 29th, 2022November 29, 2022 — To provide context for the 2022 Connecticut State of the Birds report, we are posting the report’s introduction and a conservation timeline. You’re invited to join the senior conservation staff of Connecticut Audubon and the report’s authors for a release-day presentation on Zoom, 11 a.m., Thursday, December 1.
385 Osprey Nation volunteers mapped 606 active nests in 2022, more than ever
Monday, November 21st, 2022November 21, 2022 — The number of Osprey nests in Connecticut continued to grow in 2022, and the Osprey Nation volunteer monitoring project grew with it, allowing conservationists to keep a close eye on the species and its recovery from near extinction.
Add your name to a letter supporting the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
Wednesday, November 16th, 2022November 16, 2020 — Conservation organizations like Connecticut Audubon are starting to make a final push to persuade the U.S. Senate to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. Those of us at Connecticut Audubon have added our name to a letter supporting passage. It’s important to include as many names as possible, so we’re asking you to please consider adding your name as well.
Tiny transmitters and powerful antennas give a fascinating glimpse of the birds migrating through Connecticut
Friday, November 4th, 2022November 4, 2022 — Some of the most interesting birds recorded at Connecticut Audubon sanctuaries during this year’s fall migration were birds that nobody even saw. These birds had been fitted with tiny transmitters that let researchers using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System follow their movements across thousands of miles. They were detected by Motus antennas at the Center at Pomfret and Deer Pond Farm.
News Release: Connecticut Audubon Members Elect Pamela Fraser, Ph.D., as New Chair of the Board
Monday, October 17th, 2022October 17, 2022 — Members of the Connecticut Audubon Society elected Easton resident Pamela Fraser, Ph.D., as the new chair of the Board of Directors, at its Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 15, in Sherman. Fraser succeeds Kathleen Van Der Aue as chair and will serve a 3-year term. Formerly vice chair, Fraser has served on the Board since 2018. In addition to Fraser, they also elected Sarah Middeleer of Newtown as vice chair and Gilles Carter of New Haven as secretary, and re-elected Harshad Kuntey of Glastonbury as treasurer. Newly-elected to the Board were Robert Lamothe of Hamden, Andrew Holmes of Brooklyn, N.Y., Elizabeth Ramsey of Fairfield and New York, and Kevin B. Ramsey, of Fairfield and New York.
