[audubon-news] DECEMBER 2002 SPECIAL ISSUE OF AUDUBON FOCUSES ON IBAs
- From: "BIANCHI, John" <JBIANCHI@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To:
- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 17:41:22 -0500
Contact: Kristy Wright
212/979-3027
kwright@xxxxxxxxxxx
DECEMBER 2002 SPECIAL ISSUE OF AUDUBON
EXPLORES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS
New York, NY, Thursday, December 12, 2002 - Throughout the U.S. armies of
thousands are quietly massing. Armed with binoculars and data sheets, these
groups of dedicated volunteer foot soldiers seek not to find the enemy, but
to find where the birds are. Specifically, they seek the places in America
that are most vital to birds, those places that provide essential habitats
for feeding, breeding, and migration stopovers. The sites are called
Important Bird Areas (IBAs), and in the December issue of Audubon, Keith
Kloor's article Putting Birds on the Map takes readers along with birding
volunteers from around the country as they work to identify, monitor, and
conserve the most important bird areas. Photography by Katherine Lambert/
Illustrations by David Allen Sibley.
The program looks at conservation from a global viewpoint: as the world's
population booms and land becomes increasingly more fragmented and stressed,
there is a need to identify and preserve the remaining network of sites that
birds rely on for their lifecycle. These sites may range from a few acres
to several thousand, and must meet strict scientific criteria in order to
qualify as an IBA. IBAs have been established in more than 100 countries
through a coalition of more than 100 international groups, including
Audubon, which is spearheading the program in the U.S.
The December issue of Audubon <<http://magazine.audubon.org/index.html>>
also features a special pullout section that walks readers through the IBA
program from both a national and a local perspective. An illustrated map of
the U.S. positions select IBAs within larger ecological areas called Bird
Conservation Regions. By understanding how IBAs fall within a bigger
ecological picture, land managers can plan conservation projects that
address regional issues more effectively.
The pullout section also highlights 14 Important Bird Areas from around the
country, detailing habitat type, key species, and major threats facing the
site. Finally, a list of local IBA contacts is provided for each of the 46
states with an IBA program.
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat
that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers
and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of
areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of
all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.
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