TestimonialsDoug is an entomological researcher, Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at University of Delaware, avid birder, award winning author (Bringing Nature Home) and popular speaker.
Cindy and I donate to Saving Birds Thru Habitat as opposed to other conservation organizations for two reasons. Saving Birds is a small, grass roots organization that works in large part because of the efforts of volunteers, so we know our donations are not being used to support a huge administration. We also love the educational programs of Saving Birds. The public doesn’t seem to realize that good earth stewardship is not optional. Saving Birds is helping to correct this misconception by teaching young and old alike that we all depend on healthy ecosystems.
Ted currently writes the monthly “Recovery” column for The Nature Conservancy’s Cool Green Science. He is the author of three books: The Insightful Sportsman, Wild Moments and Earth Almanac.
What propelled Saving Birds Thru Habitat to the short pile of the French Foundation's favorite grantees was the lessons it teaches. Not that the actual on-the-ground habitat work isn’t impressive and important, but showing the public the value of that work magnifies the contribution a thousand-fold. We consider Saving Birds Thru Habitat one of our very best investments for wildlife.
Greg Butcher is International Migratory Species Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service.
My favorite hat to wear is the one that says "Saving Birds Thru Habitat" for three reasons: 1) It reflects how I try to live my conservation life, 2) It shows my support for the most effective conservation organization I know because 3) the name and the mission are the same and both reflect a laser-like focus on making places better for birds.
Study after study has shown that habitat loss and degradation are the primary threats to healthy bird populations. Nothing else comes close. That's why I am such a strong supporter of Saving Birds Thru Habitat and its programs that teach so many people how to improve habitats for birds.
Co-author of three bird books, co-editor of the monthly Birding Community E-bulletin, columnist for Bird Watcher’s Digest, and an officer for the Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp.
Our migratory birds are going through some very tough times, and we need action at every level to turn things around. But it’s really not enough to demand action at every level on the nationwide, state, and local scene. Every concerned American can do things at home to make the world better for birds. It’s not simply preaching conservation; it is practicing it! Saving Birds Thru Habitat is doing just that. The use of as many native plantings as possible in our own yards – from grasses, to flowers, to bushes, to trees - is crucial. Protecting birds from window collisions and outdoor cats is part of the process. So is providing water in the yard and thoughtful bird-friendly shopping for the dinner table. Teaching and setting an example are weighty responsibilities, and Saving Birds Thru Habitat is showing the way.
Executive Director, Grand Traverse Regional Conservancy.
Saving Birds Thru Habitat is forward looking! It educates landowners, children, and the general public on the importance of native plants and the insect biomass they support, and why we need to protect and restore critical habitat for our bird species. Saving Birds has proven that installing native plants and winning the war on invasive species is not an insurmountable task. It can be done, and the joy of seeing bird populations thrive as a result of these efforts is inspiring.
Owner, Four Season Nursery, student of soil microbes.
What is Saving Birds? It is an organization making every effort to change the world, believing against the odds that they can actually do that. They changed the landscape at their local home in Omena hoping to create a better habitat for birds and it worked. Saving Birds out-reach through education and advocacy to improve habitat for birds has created a ripple effect touching so many people across the country. It’s been a call to action, a call to change in how we interact with our environment beneficially to impact not only birds, but people as well.
Editor and Senior Writer for American Bird Conservancy.
The focus and dedication of Saving Birds Thru Habitat reaches from the precious Charter Sanctuary and far beyond. The core principles of conserving not only birds' habitat, but our habitat is something often lost in the fray of North America's sprawling suburbs, urban centers, and rural expanses. Birds have been shut out, through habitat alteration, heavy pesticide use, and the lack of appreciation of their important natural goods and services -- both to their detriment and ours.
Saving Birds Thru Habitat provides a springboard for anyone interested in bettering their world for birds, which, in turn, bring most people happiness through their colors, songs, and interesting behavior and diversity. The best we can do to pay homage to the organization is to follow its tenets to make our homes birds' homes, in balance with the amazing forces of nature.
First Saving Birds Board Vice President and dedicated supporter and volunteer.
In June of 2001, a group of dedicated volunteers and friends came together to create an entity to educate people of all ages about habitats and birds. They gave it a name, Saving Birds Thru Habitat. They gave it the mission and they gave it a building by calling on all their friends and relatives to come help build a classroom. That building was begun in June and three months later, in September, it was dedicated for its educational purpose. Saving Birds Thru Habitat has been flying high ever since that September dedication day. Its mission is still its guiding beacon, and, like the deep roots of a prairie plant, that mission has become embedded in my very core. It has been a blessing to have been a part of all this. I am a teacher by trade and teaching is addictive. No " high" can match seeing the joy in discovery that lights up a child's face or the whoop of wonder when a grown-up has a "wow" moment of connecting to the lesson at hand. I will be an addict forever, teaching whenever, wherever, whomever I can, until these old toes are under the sod. And, I hope, even beyond that time. It is the reason I have left a legacy to SBTH so that its mission will continue for generations.
