The existing network of bird conservation partners and resources provides an excellent opportunity for land trusts to engage in conservation at different scales. This Resource Directory is designed especially for land trusts: bringing many of the resources together in one place and helping navigate the resources to find what is pertinent to land trusts. The resources can be useful for land trusts’ funding proposals, community outreach, strategic conservation planning, land acquisition and easement justification, management plan development, and monitoring. The resources on these pages are organized by four categories – Engaging People, Planning, Management Guides, Presentations and Publications, and Belonging and Accessibility.
If there are additional resources that you’ve found helpful and would like added to the site, please email us with the resource name, category in which it should be listed, online link, and a description of how it’s useful to land trusts. We value your contributions!
eBird Status and TrendsSee seasonal abundance patterns that reveal migratory pathways and when and where species occur as well as where bird populations are increasing or decreasing at local and regional scales. Building knowledge about status and trends will also help us answer questions about climate change, using birds as environmental indicators.
- NBHCI Mapping Tool
The Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative has launched an interactive mapping tool using eBird data designed to aid northeastern conservation practitioners and organizations in advancing conservation.
- 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation
Every five years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services publishes a survey about the participation rate of Americans in recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching, and the economic impact of those activities. The section on wildlife watching begins on page 29 of the 2022 report.
- Land Trust Alliance: Framework and Resources for Change
The Land Trust Alliance’s Framework and Resources for Change is a flexible, adaptable roadmap for personal and organizational use. A comprehensive tool for developing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion competencies, the framework is a resource for land trust staff and board members in the U.S.
- Conservation Speed-Dating Workshop Guide
The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI) has worked with partners across three Regional Conservation Partnerships in Virginia to successfully build out a novel outreach approach that is accelerating the adoption of conservation best management practices in the region. Follow this link to learn more about VGBI’s Conservation Speed-Dating Workshops and download a guide to hosting an event in your region.
- Birding Hotspots Website
Birding Hotspots is a non-commercial, open-source project created by two birders that collects site descriptions, valuable tips for birding, and maps of eBird hotspots from local birders.
- 2022 Birding in the United States
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently published 2022 Birding in the United States, an addendum to its 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation that explores the demographics and economics of birding in the United States.
- Indian Country 101 Training
This tuition-free training series was designed for natural resource practitioners by The Nature Conservancy’s Washington State staff and The Whitener Group (TWG), a tribal member-owned consulting firm. The self-paced course is intended to help conservationists gain foundational knowledge for working and collaborating with Tribes.
- Priority Bird Mapping Tool
Four regional interactive mapping tools that display eBird Status and Trends data with strategic land conservation data layers to facilitate strategic land conservation, inform habitat management plans, and help guide landowner outreach and engagement efforts, all through the lens of bird conservation.
- State of the Birds 2025
The 2025 edition of the State of the Birds uses the latest scientific data to assess
the status and health of the nation’s bird populations, delivered to the American
people by scientists from U.S. bird conservation groups.
