Why Being a Bird City is Great


MISSION

The Bird City Maryland mission is to encourage all communities in Maryland to implement sound bird-conservation practices by offering public recognition to those that succeed in (a) enhancing the environment for birds and (b) educating the public about the interactions between birds and people and about the contributions birds make to a healthy community.

Our goal is to make communities healthier for birds and for people.

RATIONALE

While bird watchers and nature lovers understand the importance of protecting birds and creating healthy urban habitat, many others need a little convincing. For those people, we offer the top 10 reasons to become a Bird City:

  1. COMMUNITY PRIDE: Present the positive image that people want for the place where they live and conduct business.

  2. CONSERVATION REPUTATION: Promote and grow your community’s environmental reputation by participating in a state-wide conservation program and by displaying our beautiful Bird City Maryland signs in your community.

  3. SAVE MONEY: Without birds, we would have to spend more money on pest control and keeping natural systems in balance.

  4. MAKE MONEY: In 2011, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimated that spending by birders generated more than $900 million in industry output, 10,807 full-time jobs, and $88 million in tax revenue in the state of Maryland alone!

  5. ECOSYSTEM HEALTH: Sustain healthy natural ecosystems by helping to maximize the number of native species in your community.

  6. FAMILY AND EXERCISE: Birding and spending time in nature gets the whole family outside for fresh air, exercise, and relaxation!

  7. UNDERSTAND NATURE: Birds teach us about the interconnectedness of humans and nature and show how vulnerable wildlife can be to human actions.

  8. IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT: Managing green space to benefit birds not only creates better habitat for birds but also improves conditions for a host of other species… including people!

  9. DO IT FOR PEOPLE: Build community spirit, foster new public-private sector partnerships, and make your community a nicer place to live.

  10. DO IT FOR BIRDS: Conservation actions combat population declines in Maryland’s birds and the other species that use the same habitats.