4th Wildlife Viewing & Nature Tourism Academy

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Audubon Texas embarked on a partnership for urban conservation more than five years ago, creating a new community certification program called Bird City Texas (BCT). Launching in Fall of 2019, with our first communities certified in January 2020, the goal of the program is to recognize and encourage effective, impactful native bird conservation where people live, work, and recreate. We know that birds, and many forms of wildlife, are facing tremendous challenges. We also know that every community, from large urban centers to small rural towns, can provide important, healthy habitat for birds. This presentation will discuss the importance of native bird conservation in Texas communities, from both the community engagement aspect as well as the ‘value-added’ aspects and how communities outside of Texas could consider launching a similar science-based program.