Success Stories

There are numerous land trusts that have had exceptional experiences conserving both lands and birds; we interviewed some of these land trusts. Their stories have inspired other land trusts interested in becoming more involved in bird conservation and demonstrated how a land trust can benefit from bird conservation, including which first steps to take. We encourage you to read the stories of the land trusts listed below to learn more about their bird conservation efforts, and what they did to succeed.

  • Coastal Prairie Conservancy

    Encouraging people to explore the Katy Prairie Preserve and contribute data via eBird was one goal of Coastal Prairie Conservancy’s 2020 Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative small grant project.

  • Ag Allies

    Ag Allies partners with land trusts, landowners, and many other partners to ensure that Bobolinks and other grassland birds have the habitat they need to thrive in Maine and co-exist with sustainable farming practices.

  • Upstate Forever

    Upstate Forever (UF), South Carolina’s first nationally accredited land trust, developed baselines and management guidelines for grassland bird habitats in the Piedmont Ecoregion of Upstate South Carolina.

  • Driftless Area Land Conservancy

    Operating under the organizational support of Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC), Southern Driftless Grasslands (SDG) is a partnership that connects landowners to stewardship resources.

  • Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

    Biodiversity is a core value of Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC), which used small grant funds for bird-friendly habitat management and to establish a bird monitoring program.

  • Mississippi Valley Conservancy

    In 2019, Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC) spearheaded a collaborative effort to establish the Kickapoo Bird Habitat Initiative (KBHI).

  • Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

    Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy implemented low cost, minimal impact forestry practices to restore declining conifer ecosystems for the benefit of multiple species of greatest conservation need.

  • Connecticut Land Conservation Council

    Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice (EDIJ) efforts are an integral component of land conservation work at the Connecticut Land Conservation Council.

  • Westchester Land Trust

    Westchester Land Trust uses community partnerships, workshops, and eBird to facilitate conversations about bird conservation in Westchester County, New York.

  • Columbia Land Trust’s East Cascades Oak Partnership

    Columbia Land Trust brings together partners across the East Cascades in Oregon and Washington to shift oak conservation strategies to benefit birds and people.

  • Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

    The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast uses the Florida Scrub Jay as a keystone species for public outreach about habitat management and bird conservation in their community.

  • Mendocino Land Trust

    Mendocino Land Trust uses eBird, Merlin, and All About Birds to engage their community in citizen science for bird conservation.