PRESS RELEASE (March 28, 2019) — Audubon announced this week that it is launching a significant new initiative on college and university campuses across the United States to provide educational, networking, advocacy, and career-development opportunities in science and conservation to interested students. Through the new “Audubon on Campus” program, Audubon aims to engage students in learning about birds and other wildlife and to make conservation an attractive career path for student leaders across the country.
“The level of interest in our Campus Chapter program has been overwhelming — we can hardly keep up,” said Audubon’s President and CEO, David Yarnold. “We soft-launched six months ago and worked quickly to meet demand, but as soon as we cracked the door open a little bit, student leaders kicked it wide open. We’re on track to have 50 affiliated campus chapters by the 2019 fall term and 150 a year after that.”
Yarnold continued, “Students are assuming leadership roles in conversations about the environment and climate change, and they’ve told us we can either keep up or be left behind. They also think birds are pretty cool. You put all that energy together with a brand like Audubon, and the sky’s the limit.”
Student leaders will:
- Build native plant gardens as part of Audubon’s “Plants for Birds” program and advocate for the adoption of native plant-policies in public spaces;
- Advocate for bird-friendly building practices such as ways to avoid window-collisions and implement “lights out” programs for migratory birds;
- Help defend our nation’s most successful bird conservation law — the Migratory Bird Treaty Act;
- Advocate for policies and practices that address climate-change;
- Participate in community science and data-collection like Climate Watch and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
“You know, to be honest, students have been here all along,” said Gustavo Figueroa, a campus-outreach associate recently hired by Audubon. “We are here, and we are ready, and this new Audubon program recognizes that.”
“We are people who are interested in the field and do this for more than just fun — we want to conserve these creatures — and that’s what we want from interested individuals and other chapters like us,” said Mackenzie Dorr, President of “Gators Ready for Exceptional Birding Experiences” (GREBE) at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
“Our 452 traditional chapters across the country have long been eager to bring younger advocates and birders into the fold, so they’re partnering eagerly with these student-led groups on field trips, native plant gardens, advocacy, and more,” Yarnold added. I couldn’t be more excited by this program — it’s going to revolutionize the way we care for birds and the places they need. I encourage people who are interested to start or support an Audubon campus chapter at a nearby college or university — or their alma mater.” See https://www.audubon.org/conservation/campus-chapters
In another example of student activism, members of Clemson University’s College Republican club partnered with Audubon to meet with lawmakers in Columbia, South Carolina, this week to lobby for the Energy Freedom Act, which would expand access to solar energy across South Carolina.
For more information, you can refer to the Audubon news release at https://www.audubon.org/news/national-audubon-society-gives-students-reins-new-campus-chapter-program.
