The Bird Alliance of Oregon (formerly Portland Audubon) is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to bird and habitat protection across Oregon in the United States.
Founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1909, it is one of the oldest conservation organizations in the world. In February, 2024, the organization changed its name from Portland Audubon to Bird Alliance of Oregon to remove the name Audubon, due to John James Audubon's racist history, and change to Oregon to reflect their statewide work. [1]
The Bird Alliance of Oregon was founded to advocate for the establishment of Malheur, Klamath and Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuges. Today they work on issues like protecting imperiled species, fighting climate change, protecting and restoring habitat, and increasing equitable access to nature.
The Bird Alliance of Oregon owns 172 acres (0.70 km2) of woodland adjacent to Forest Park, managed as a nature sanctuary and features indigenous vegetation and fauna, including a small stand of old growth Douglas Fir trees. The sanctuary is open to the public for free. [2] Much of the sanctuary surrounds Balch Creek [3] near its headwaters and contains more than 4 miles (6.4 km) of hiking trails which connect to Forest Park's extensive trail system. [3]
Within the sanctuary is a nature center containing classrooms, retail store, wildlife taxidermy exhibits, auditorium, and a wildlife care center. The care center treats injured and orphaned native wildlife utilizing professional staff and more than one hundred volunteers. More than 4,000 animals are brought to the center each year. [4]
Displays of live educational birds are adjacent to the care center. Two birds are on display, having injuries or imprinting that prevent them from successful reintroduction to the wild. Currently there is a Great Horned Owl, and American Kestrel. There is also a Western Painted Turtle that was rescued from a pet store and now lives in a tank inside the Care Center.
In 2023 more than 450 volunteers contributed to the Bird Alliance of Oregon's efforts, [5] including visitor reception, trail maintenance, nature store attendant, clerical, conservation activists, and wildlife caretakers. [6] It is one of the most highly rated charities of its kind, based on operational and organizational efficiency. [7]
The Bird Alliance of Oregon is frequently consulted for expertise related to practical wildlife questions [8] and wildlife management practices. [9] [10] [11]
Portland birders created the John Burroughs Club in 1898. In 1901, birders in Astoria—Oregon's second largest city at the time—formed the Oregon Audubon Society. In 1902 the Portland group merged with them as Oregon Audubon Society. The named changed to Audubon Society of Portland in 1966 when members agreed to affiliate with the National Audubon Society. [12]
The society has long conducted letter writing campaigns to influence legislation. They helped pass the Model Bird Law in 1903, protecting native birds from being shot and sold. A 1925 letter writing campaign to President Calvin Coolidge successfully led to creation of Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge. The society takes credit for helping to establish several national refuges, including William L. Finley NWR, Three Arch Rocks NWR, Klamath NWR, Ankeny NWR, Baskett Slough NWR, and Malheur NWR. [13]
The Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a 76,000 acre national wildlife refuge located in south-central Arkansas in Ashley, Bradley, and Union counties. Felsenthal NWR is one of three refuges forming an administrative complex, which also includes Pond Creek NWR to the northwest and Overflow NWR to the east.
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world. There are completely independent Audubon Societies in the United States, which were founded several years earlier such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Indiana Audubon Society, and Connecticut Audubon Society. The societies are named for 19th century naturalist John James Audubon.
The Harney Basin is an endorheic basin in southeastern Oregon in the United States at the northwestern corner of the Great Basin. One of the least populated areas of the contiguous United States, it is located largely in northern Harney County, bounded on the north and east by the Columbia Plateau—within which it is contained, physiographically speaking—and on the south and west by a volcanic plain. The basin encompasses an area of 1,490 square miles (3,859 km2) in the watershed of Malheur Lake and Harney Lake. Malheur Lake is a freshwater lake, while Harney Lake is saline-alkaline.
The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and northern California near Klamath Falls, Oregon. It consists of Bear Valley, Klamath Marsh and Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in southern Oregon and Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, and Clear Lake NWR in northern California.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located roughly 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Burns in Oregon's Harney Basin. Administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge area is roughly T-shaped with the southernmost base at Frenchglen, the northeast section at Malheur Lake and the northwest section at Harney Lake.
The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading to breeding grounds, or travelling to overwintering sites.
The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,856 acres (751 ha) wetlands and lowlands sanctuary in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1992 and opened to the public in 2006, it is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Located in southeastern Washington County, 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Portland, the refuge is bordered by Sherwood, Tualatin and Tigard. A newer area, extending into northern Yamhill County, is located further west near the city of Gaston surrounding the former Wapato Lake.
The Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point is a nature center and bird sanctuary in Milford, Connecticut, established in 1995. Over 300 different species of bird have been observed at this location. The Coastal Center is located on an 8.4-acre (34,000 m2) barrier beach—the Smith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge & Bird Sanctuary—and is situated next to the 840-acre (3.4 km2) Charles E. Wheeler Wildlife Management Area at the mouth of the Housatonic River. The Coastal Center provides easy access to Long Island Sound and its many habitats: tidal salt marshes, barrier beaches, tide pools and coastal dunes, and utilizes these habitats for environmental education for youth and adults. These various environments and habitats support a variety of bird, plant and animal communities for observation and study. The Coastal Center also contains educational exhibits and live animals.
Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and is managed from Audubon National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge consists of Lake Ilo, surrounding wetlands and some upland range, providing habitat for hundreds of species of birds, and numerous fish and mammal species. An average of over 16 inches (40 cm) of precipitation falls annually, supporting a prairie ecosystem.
Oregon Outback is an unofficial term generally used to reference the high desert Basin and Range country of the central southern portion of the U.S. state of Oregon and covers most of Lake County, Klamath County, Malheur County, and Harney County.
The Massachusetts Audubon Society, commonly known as Mass Audubon, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "protecting the nature of Massachusetts". Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society (NAS), and was founded earlier than the NAS. Mass Audubon protects more than 40,000 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all with its wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers.
Malheur Lake is one of the lakes in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Burns, the lake is marsh fed by the Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake periodically overflows into Mud Lake to the west and thence to Harney Lake, the sink of Harney Basin.
William Lovell Finley was an American wildlife photographer and conservationist from Northern California. The William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge was named in his honor.
The John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge of the United States, located along the Narrow River on the southern coast of Rhode Island.
The Connecticut Audubon Society, founded in 1898 and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "conserving Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats." Connecticut Audubon Society is independent of the National Audubon Society (NAS), just as in the neighboring state of Massachusetts, where Massachusetts Audubon Society is independent of the NAS.
The Double-O Ranch Historic District is located west of Harney Lake in Harney County in southeastern Oregon, United States. At one time, the Double-O Ranch covered over 17,000 acres (69 km2). The ranch was owned by Bill Hanley, a well-known cattle baron and Bull Moose progressive. In 1941, the United States Government purchased most of the Double O Ranch property and added it to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The two remaining Double-O Ranch buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is a city park of about 141 acres (57 ha) in southeast Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in a floodplain along the east bank of the Willamette River near Sellwood, the park is known for attracting a wide variety of birds. In 1988, the park was named Portland's first wildlife refuge, and in 2004, it was designated the city's first migratory bird park.
On January 2, 2016, an armed group of right-wing militants seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, and continued to occupy it until law enforcement made a final arrest on February 11, 2016. Their leader was Ammon Bundy, who participated in the 2014 Bundy standoff at his father's Nevada ranch. Other members of the group were loosely affiliated with non-governmental militias and the sovereign citizen movement.
Boston Nature Center in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts is a 67-acre (27 ha) wildlife refuge of the Massachusetts Audubon Society that opened in 2002 with the dedication of a new building, the George Robert White Environmental Conservation Center. "On the former grounds of the Boston State Hospital, the Boston Nature Center is a community-based urban sanctuary. Trails and boardwalks traverse meadows and wetlands, home to over 150 species of birds, 40 species of butterflies, and more than 350 species of plants. Year-round programs help foster an appreciation for nature and the environment."
Golden Gate Bird Alliance is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization engaged in bird conservation and environmental awareness. Headquartered in the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California, Golden Gate Bird Alliance was formed in 1917 and incorporated into the National Audubon Society in 1948. With 3,586 members and supporters, Golden Gate Bird Alliance spans Northern California, with a particular focus on San Francisco County, West Alameda County, and West Contra Costa County.