Bird City Texas, a partnership program between Audubon Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), is proud to announce that Galveston, San Antonio and Surfside Beach have been certified as Bird City Texas communities. These three communities join the inaugural 2020 Bird City Texas communities and will be certified through December 2023.
Bird City Texas is a community-focused certification program that was created to help people protect birds and their habitats. The criteria required to attain certification is designed to be impactful and efficient against habitat loss and other harmful factors impacting birds. The program is centered on science-based bird conservation initiatives and community action to help enhance and restore bird habitats, increase native plant coverage, reduce population-level threats, increase public awareness of the benefits and challenges of bird conservation and promote environmental stewardship.
“Intuitively, many people understand the value of nature and green spaces, and the need to escape to green spaces was highlighted in 2020,” said Audubon Texas Director of Conservation Strategy, Romey Swanson. “Communities that achieved certification in January 2021 did outstanding work in creating and maintaining places of respite for people and wildlife alike. Galveston, San Antonio and Surfside Beach all embody the conservation ethic and leadership both TPWD and Audubon Texas want for all our Texas communities.”
Working within local COVID-19 restrictions, Bird City Texas communities will provide virtual or socially distanced birding opportunities in the coming months and will conduct conservation work to the best of their ability. To learn more about Bird City Texas community programming, those interested can visit the Chamber of Commerce websites for each community, as well as the TPWD Bird City Texas website.
The 2021 Bird City Texas application cycle will begin in early summer. Communities interested in applying for certification can visit the Bird City Texas website for more information.
