Over 100 Nature Organizations Call for Renewed Funding to Help Save Bird Lives!
Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City Certification Program first launched in 2021. In just five years, 37 municipalities have been certified as Bird Friendly Cities or Towns, with more than 70 Bird Teams actively working on actions to make their municipalities more bird friendly. These Certified Bird Friendly municipalities are home to 9.9 million Canadians, representing nearly one third of Canada’s national metropolitan population.
Across the country each Bird Team has tirelessly advocated for positive change to protect, defend and restore both local bird populations and nature at-large. This is conservation that works. Together, Nature Canada and 100 Nature Network organizations are calling on the Federal Government to continue to fund this critical work to support local bird conservation.
Our Bird Friendly City criteria is based on best scientific practices to protect birds. The program engages a variety of community members and explicitly seeks input from local Indigenous communities, all while measuring progress and robust implementation through time. The Bird Friendly City Program is volunteer-powered, and it directly supports Canada’s domestic laws including the Migratory Bird Convention Act and the Species at Risk Act, while addressing Canada’s commitments in the Convention on Biological Diversity to “halt and reverse biodiversity loss through meaningful actions that reduce human impacts and recover bird populations”. With nearly one quarter fewer birds in North America today than 50 years ago, there is no time to lose.
“I can’t imagine a city or town in Canada without the presence of birds or their beautiful songs each Spring. Birds and bird lovers are integral parts of every community in this country and we must ensure local and national bird conservation programming is continued and sustained for generations to come.” – Autumn Jordan, Senior Organizer – Bird Friendly City
“On behalf of the Selwyn Bird Team, we are so proud of the certification and all the hard work that went into it. Programs like these empower community members to protect the biodiversity around us. The goal of maintaining or improving certification status year after year allows Bird Teams to advocate with their municipal governments to ensure meaningful conservation initiatives are implemented. We hope that in Selwyn, we can be a part of lasting policy change to protect birds.” – Carly Davenport, Bird Friendly Selwyn, Uxbridge & Toronto Founder
But progress depends on sustained federal partnership. Without continued funding, many of our local teams will lose the backbone of support that allows us to succeed: from expert guidance to small grants, from national coordination to municipal recognition.
The Canadian Government has already helped build something remarkable: a continually growing national movement of diverse communities working together to make their towns and cities places where both people and birds can thrive.
We urge you to continue this investment so that the Bird Friendly Cities Certification Program can expand its reach, deepen its impact, and help Canada meet its biodiversity goals.
