Tucson Audubon Society

WE INSPIRE PEOPLE TO ENJOY AND PROTECT BIRDS THROUGH RECREATION, EDUCATION, CONSERVATION, AND RESTORATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT UPON WHICH WE ALL DEPEND.

AVIAN CONSERVATION: INCLUDING COMMUNITY SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACYPRIMARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2021 INCLUDE:A DECADE+ MONITORING OF SUCH SPECIES AS ELEGANT TROGONS, WESTERN YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, AND CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS IN GLOBALLY IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS ACROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA'S 5 DIVERSE BIOMES. OUR BIRD MONITORING AND SURVEY WORK INCLUDES THE USE OF SUCH TECHNOLOGY AS SOUND RECORDER ACOUSTICS, LIVE STREAM, MOTION ACTIVATED CAMERAS, AND MOTUS NETWORK ANTENNAS.A DECADE+ OF AVIAN COMMUNITY SCIENCE CONSERVATION EFFORTS LIKE THOUSANDS OF NESTBOXES FOR SUCH VULNERABLE SPECIES AS LUCY'S WARBLERS, AS WELL AS AVIAN COMMUNITY SCIENCE RESEARCH WITH SUCH SPECIES AS THE MIGRATING DESERT PURPLE MARTIN.THE ORGANIZATION HIRED A DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY, AND PROMPTLY JOINED A LAWSUIT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PLACEMENT OF A NEW (COMMERCIAL VEHICLE) INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TO BE CO-LOCATED WITHIN THE CORRIDOR OF AN EXISTING INTERSTATE, THEREBY AVOIDING THREATS TO GLOBALLY IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS, THE MUNICIPAL WATERSHED FOR THE GREATER TUCSON METROPOLITAN AREA, AND THE BIOCULTURAL RESOURCES OF SOVEREIGN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES SUCH AS THE TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION AND THE PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE.

NATIVE HABITAT & ECOSYSTEM RESTORATIONPRIMARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2021 INCLUDE: INTENSIVE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES MITIGATION, FIRE MANAGEMENT CONTROL, AND NATIVE HABITAT RESTORATION CARE FOR 1,000+ ACRES OF LAND AT 7 SITES (BOTH IN RURAL AREAS, AND AT THE WILDLAND/URBAN INTERFACE). ONGOING RESTORATION AT THE ORGANIZATION'S OWN PROPERITIES IN GLOBALLY IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS LIKE THE RIPARIAN HABITAT AT THE PATON CENTER FOR HUMMINGBIRDS ALONG SONOITA CREEK (A TRIBUTARY OF THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER).SCALING OF RESTORATION AND FIRE MANAGEMENT EFFORTS IN THE URBAN AREA THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION'S 'HABITAT AT HOME' PROGRAM WITH HOMEOWNERS AND HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS, AS WELL AS UPON FLOOD CONTROL AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC LANDS. INCLUDES LAUNCH OF THE ORGANIZATION'S "GREENWATER STORM INFRASTRUCUTURE," AS PART OF THE CITY OF TUCSON'S "STORM TO SHADE" CLIMATE ADAPTATION & RESILIENCY PLAN TO CONSERVE WATER, COMBAT THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, REFOREST THE URBAN AREA, AND LOWER UTILITY COSTS IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED NEIGHBORHOODS.

PATON CENTER FOR HUMMINGBIRDSWITH 180 BIRD SPECIES TYPICALLY RECORDED EACH YEAR, THE PATON CENTER WELCOMES THOUSANDS OF WILDLIFE WATCHERS FROM ALL 50 STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD. DURING 2021, AN ADDITIONAL 5 ACRES WAS PURCHASED AND ADDED TO THE CENTER, BRINGING THE TOTAL CONSERVATION LANDS OWNED AND MANAGED BY TUCSON AUDUBON WITHIN THE SONOITA CREEK WATERSHED TO APPROXIMATELY 13 ACRES. THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO REMOVE INVASIVE PLANS AND RESTORE NATIVE VEGETATION ON ALL ITS ACREAGE AT THE CENTER. WHILE PUTTING A PAUSE ON ITS FACILITY RESTORATION AND CONSTRUCTION PLANS ON THE PROPERTY DURING THE PANDEMIC-RELATED LABOR AND SUPPLY-CHAIN ECONOMIC IMPACTS, THE ORGANIZATION HAS NOW RESUMED ITS WORK WITH A LOCAL DESIGN-BUILD FIRM TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS PLANS TO ENHANCE THE CENTER'S VISITOR EXPERIENCE.

TUCSON AUDUBON SOCIETY OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES:1. WE PROVIDED 162 TRIPS FOR 1,460 INDIVIDUALS; A MIX OF 90 IN-PERSON AND ONLINE CLASSES FOR 8,716 PARTICIPANTS.2. OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM ENGAGED 204 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS, WHO LOGGED 7,417 HOURS OF SERVICE.3. OUR SOUTHEAST ARIZONA BIRDING FESTIVAL HAD 690 REGISTRANTS 154 ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS & PRESENTATIONS, AND SOCIAL EVENTS, IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL.4. OUR NATURE SHOP SERVED THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS, BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE, AND SOLD MISSION-FURTHERING MERCHANDISE SUCH AS BOOKS, FIELD GUIDES, BIRD FEEDERS, BIRD SEED, OPTICS AND FIELD GEAR.5. OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT PRODUCED 4 QUARTERLY ISSUES OF OUR VERMILION FLYCATCHER NEWS AND FEATURE MAGAZINE, WITH 32 PAGES AND 3,000 COPIES PER ISSUE, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 700 ON-LINE READERS; PROVIDED WEEKLY NEWS AND EVENT UPDATES TO 9,000+ SUPPORTERS; ENGAGED 24,200+ FOLLOWERS ACROSS 9 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.6. OUR MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM MAINTAINED AND SERVICED MEMBERSHIPS FOR 3,750 HOUSEHOLDS ESTIMATED TO REPRESENT SOME 4,800 INDIVIDUALS.