Category: Birds and Birding

Audubon Wins Lawsuit Upholding the MBTA

Posted on by Michael Brock

From the National Audubon Society:

Great news for birds.
National Audubon Society
Great Egret.
Victory! Federal Judge Overturns Bird-Killing Policy
Great news for birds! In 2018, Audubon, several other conservation groups, and eight states filed lawsuits challenging the U.S. Department of the Interior’s elimination of longstanding bird protections under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Yesterday, a federal court threw out the administration’s rollback of the MBTA, ruling the policy is contrary to the foundational 100-year-old bird protection law.

In 2017, the Department of the Interior overturned decades of bipartisan precedent to say that the MBTA’s protections apply only to activities that purposefully kill birds. The court ruled yesterday that this interpretation was “contrary to the plain meaning of the MBTA.” For context, if the administration’s legal opinion had been in place in 2010, BP would have faced no consequences under the MBTA for the more than one million birds killed in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This reality is underscored by the judge’s own words from the opening of the ruling: “It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a crime. That has been the letter of the law for the past century. But if the Department of the Interior has its way, many mockingbirds and other migratory birds that delight people and support ecosystems throughout the country will be killed without legal consequence.”

We may have won National Audubon Society v. Department of the Interior, but the long fight isn’t over yet—Congress must pass the permanent legislative fix to protect the MBTA from being weakened through administrative and regulatory changes. Take action today by asking your U.S. Representative to defend the MBTA from further rollback attempts by passing the Migratory Bird Protection Act.
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Great Egret. Photo: Michael Fahn/Audubon Photography Awards

 

Vote for Birds and Nature

Posted on by Michael Brock

Vote for the birds
Much has happened over the last several years, and now is the time to stop and assess how well our government has met our goals: OUR goals, the will of the people. Nothing is more important than electing representatives at all levels who will promote the values of the majority. But our government does not know the will of the people if we don’t vote! Voting, especially in Florida where so many elections are very close, is our most important way of declaring our sentiments and strongest beliefs.

David Yarnold, CEO of the National Audubon Society, made a passionate plea for voting in the Summer 2020 Audubon Magazine: “If you value birds, vote for candidates who will uphold laws that will protect them like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If you value clean water and clean air, vote for candidates who will uphold and strengthen the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.” He went on to encourage everyone to look at candidates’ plans concerning climate and energy.

These are important issues, and it’s critical that we use our voice, our vote, to elect candidates who will put environmental issues front and center. It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of life on our planet is at stake.

Here’s what you need to know:

Primary Election: August 18. Polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will be held from Monday, August 3, through Saturday, August 15. All locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters must vote in the polling place to which they are assigned. To find your polling place, use the Precinct Finder. For complete information, visit the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website here.

General Election: November 3, 2020. Polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must vote in the polling place to which they are assigned. To find your polling place, use the Precinct Finder. The voter registration and party affiliation change deadline for the General Election is October 5, 2020. Early voting will be held from Monday, October 19, through Saturday, October 31, with hours still to be determined.

Vote by Mail: Visit the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website here to vote by mail. The postal service recommends that voters mail ballots one week before the due date to account for any unforeseen events or weather issues and to allow for timely receipt and processing by election officials.

SQUIRREL WARS

Posted on by Trina Anderson

Since many of us may be paying more attention to our backyard bird feeders these days, you may have also noticed a competitor for the bird seed in the form of the Gray Squirrel.

A former NASA JPL engineer who became a bird-watcher noticed the squirrels and tried to do something about it by creating an obstacle course. You can watch the hilarious results on the video Mark Rober posted Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

AUDUBON MURAL PROJECT

Posted on by Trina Anderson

The Audubon Mural Project is a joint effort between the National Audubon Society and Gitler &__Gallery to create murals of climate-threatened birds within – and beyond – John James Audubon‘s old Harlem-based neighborhood in New York City. The project commissions artists to paint dramatic bird-murals to call attention to the climate-driven problems, and the effort has been widely covered in the media, including in The New York Times.

Follow the link above to read more about this project and to take a virtual tour of the works completed thus far.