Santa Barbara Audubon Society, 11/12/20, Vol. 34

SANTA BARBARA AUDUBON SOCIETY

Mission Protecting area birdlife and habitat and connecting people with birds through education, conservation, and science

SANTA BARBARA AUDUBON SOCIETY Photo by: Jeremiah Bender

Nurturing a Connection to Birds Santa Barbara Audubon Society (SBAS) is a vibrant organization in the Santa Barbara area which works to strengthen our connection to birds and nature through education, conservation, and science.

SBAS was founded in 1963 when the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Bird Study Group became a chapter of the National Audubon Society.

Conservation

Protecting Our Birds

SBAS’s priority is our area birdlife and habitat.

We work to protect birds and biological diversity, conserve and improve bird habitat and natural ecosystems, and connect people with birds.

SBAS has over 1,000 members and is one of National Audubon Society’s nearly 500 local chapters. We are a non-profit organization and are financially independent of the National Audubon Society. SBAS’s education, conservation, and science programs are supported by chapter membership, donations from individuals and foundations, and grants.

Education

Photo by: Callie Bowdish

SBAS’s educational programs foster a connection to birds within our community.

We engage the public through monthly bird-related presentations, birds walks, and field trips. Our iconic educational program, Eyes in the Sky, is the only licensed raptor education program in the county. Our rescued raptors serve as avian ambassadors to the public. SBAS’s outreach includes the Winter Bird Count for Kids and Meet Your Wild Neighbor programs for elementary grades, upper grade classroom visits and field trips, and presentations at libraries and retirement communities.

Photo by: Mark Holmgren

Photo by: Mark Bright

Conservation SBAS provides guidance and input on local planning and management efforts and projects that impact birds including stewardship of open spaces, protection of important wetlands, and environmentally sensitive approaches to development. We collaborate with environmental partners in the county and, when need be, work to ensure that federal, state, and local laws providing protections to birds and bird habitat are honored.

Science SBAS advances our knowledge of birds through both citizen and research-based science. We assist locally with the oldest citizen science project in the nation, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count.

We monitor nest boxes and contribute to documenting local breeding bird activity to inform resource management. And we have conducted water quality and invertebrate research within local wetlands.

“You are what hope looks like to a bird.”

– David Yarnold, President & CEO, National Audubon Society

SANTA BARBARA AUDUBON SOCIETY

Become Involved Join as an SBAS Member

Chapter memberships are separate from National Audubon memberships. When you join the Santa Barbara Audubon chapter, 100% of your dues stay local and keep SBAS strong and sustainable so we can protect birds and their habitat now and into the future. You enable us to continue sharing the joys and importance of birds with all. Our El Tecolote newsletter, e-blasts, and website connect you to our programs and activities as well as opportunities to volunteer and become involved in SBAS. To learn more, please go to SantaBarbaraAudubon.org and click the “Join Today” button.

Donate to SBAS

Birds are good for the world around us: they control pests, pollinate plants, disperse seeds, scavenge carcasses, recycle nutrients, and provide a greater understanding of the earth’s diverse ecosystems. When you donate to SBAS, you protect birds and affirm that birds are essential to a rich, healthy, and sustainable environment. There are many different ways to donate to SBAS. To learn more, please go to SantaBarbaraAudubon.org and click the “Donate Now” button.

Adapted from an original design by Melanie Bélanger Santa Barbara Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, EIN 23-7051362.

SantaBarbaraAudubon.org • P.O. Box 6737 Santa Barbara, CA 93160 @SBAudubonSociety

@sbaudubon

@SBAudubon