Urban Bird Foundation

Last updated
Urban Bird Foundation
Founded2008
FounderScott Artis
Type 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
83-0675132
Focus Burrowing owl, native birds, habitat and wildlife conservation
Location
Area served
United States
MethodConservation, ecosystem restoration, education, research, collaboration, outreach
Website UrbanBird.org
Formerly called
Burrowing Owl Conservation Network

Urban Bird Foundation is a United States-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2008 by Scott Artis [1] [2] [3] with a mission to "protect, defend, rescue and conserve bird life" in and adjacent to urban and suburban areas. [4] [5] Formerly named the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, having changed its name in October 2013, [6] [7] [8] it was dedicated to "the protection and restoration of burrowing owls and promoting the preservation and careful management of habitat to prevent loss, foster healthy populations, and maintain intact natural communities for an ecologically sound future." [9] [10] The organization is active in California political intervention aimed at burrowing owl protection, and fundraising used for conservation, education and outreach, raptor research, and advocacy. [11] [12] The organization's efforts include habitat protection, ecosystem restoration, collaborations with private lands owners, government agencies and non-profit organizations, and installation of artificial burrows. [13] [14]

Contents

The organization was originally named "Friends of East Bay Owls" and its mission was focused on protecting burrowing owls and habitat in East Bay. [9] [15] The organization's mission and work has expanded throughout California and North America. [9] The organization is headquartered in American Canyon, California.

Conservation Strategy Petition

While operating as Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, the organization spearheaded a 2011 statewide petition for the "immediate development, release for public comment and implementation of a Comprehensive Conservation Strategy for Burrowing Owls." This petition was a joint project with Defenders of Wildlife and was signed by 22 other California organizations representing more than 209,000 Californians. [16] [17]

Earth Island Institute

Urban Bird Foundation was adopted by Earth Island Institute on July 24, 2010 as Burrowing Owl Conservation Network. [10] [13] Earth Island Institute provided the organization with fiscal sponsorship and administrative support for their grassroots efforts [18] until 2018 when Urban Bird Foundation incorporated in California as an independent nonprofit public benefit corporation and received 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. [10] [19] [20]

California Endangered Species Act Listing Petition

On March 5, 2024, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Urban Bird Foundation, Burrowing Owl Preservation Society, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Central Valley Bird Club and San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society filed a California Endangered Species Act listing petition with the Fish and Game Commission requesting protections for five populations of the western burrowing owl. [21] [22] [23]

The filed petition seeks endangered status for burrowing owls in southwestern California, central-western California and the San Francisco Bay Area, and threatened status for burrowing owls in the Central Valley and southern desert range. [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antioch, California</span> City in California, United States

Antioch is the third-largest city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area along the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The city's population was 115,291 at the 2020 census. The city has grown substantially more diverse since the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burrowing owl</span> Species of owl

The burrowing owl, also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open, dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the midday heat. Like many other kinds of owls, though, burrowing owls do most of their hunting during dusk and dawn, when they can use their night vision and hearing to their advantage. Living in open grasslands as opposed to forests, the burrowing owl has developed longer legs that enable it to sprint, as well as fly, when hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baja California desert</span> Desert ecoregion of the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico

The Baja California desert is a desert ecoregion of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. This ecoregion occupies the western portion of the Baja California peninsula, and occupies most of the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Baja California. It covers 77,700 square kilometers. The climate is dry, but its proximity of the Pacific Ocean provides humidity and moderates the temperature. The flora mostly consists of xeric shrubs and over 500 species of recorded vascular plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoreline Park, Mountain View</span> Park in Mountain View, California, United States

Shoreline at Mountain View is a park in Mountain View, California, United States. The city park was dedicated in 1983, some fifteen years after the City undertook the daunting task of planning a regional park that would provide citizens with environmentally savvy recreation opportunities, from a site that was originally a landfill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevens Creek (California)</span> Creek in Santa Clara County, California

Stevens Creek is a 20.9-mile-long (33.6 km) stream in Santa Clara County, California. The creek originates in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the western flank of Black Mountain in the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve near the terminus of Page Mill Road at Skyline Boulevard. It flows southeasterly through the Stevens Creek County Park before turning northeast into Stevens Creek Reservoir. It then continues north for 12.5 miles (20.1 km) through Cupertino, Los Altos, Sunnyvale and Mountain View before emptying into the San Francisco Bay at the Whisman Slough, near Google's main campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate Biosphere Network</span>

The Golden Gate Biosphere Network is a voluntary coalition of federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private partners within the Golden Gate Biosphere region. The Network aims to protect the region's biodiversity and conserve its natural resources, enhancing quality of life for local residents. The Network has been part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme since 1988 and is part of the US Biosphere Network and EuroMAB. It is recognized by UNESCO due to the significant biodiversity of the region, as well as the Network's efforts to demonstrate and promote a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere.

<i>Athene</i> (bird) Genus of birds

Athene is a genus of owls, containing nine living species, depending on classification. These birds are small, with brown and white speckles, yellow eyes, and white eyebrows. This genus is found on all continents except for Australia, Antarctica, and Sub-Saharan Africa. An evolutionary radiation of 4 species is also present in the Solomon Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for Biological Diversity</span> US nonprofit environmental organization

The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species through legal action, scientific petitions, creative media and grassroots activism. It was founded in 1989 by Kieran Suckling, Peter Galvin, Todd Schulke and Robin Silver. The center is based in Tucson, Arizona, with its headquarters in the historic Owls club building, and has offices and staff in New Mexico, Nevada, California, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota, Alaska, Vermont, Florida and Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elkhorn Slough</span> Body of water in Monterey County, California

Elkhorn Slough is a 7-mile-long (11 km) tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. It is California's second largest estuary and the United States' first estuarine sanctuary. The community of Moss Landing and the Moss Landing Power Plant are located at the mouth of the slough on the bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umbrella species</span> Species protected to aid further species

Umbrella species are species selected for making conservation-related decisions, typically because protecting these species indirectly protects the many other species that make up the ecological community of its habitat. Species conservation can be subjective because it is hard to determine the status of many species. The umbrella species is often either a flagship species whose conservation benefits other species or a keystone species which may be targeted for conservation due to its impact on an ecosystem. Umbrella species can be used to help select the locations of potential reserves, find the minimum size of these conservation areas or reserves, and to determine the composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rural Municipality of South Qu'Appelle No. 157</span> Rural municipality in Saskatchewan, Canada

The Rural Municipality of South Qu'Appelle No. 157 is a rural municipality (RM) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 6 and SARM Division No. 1. It is located in the southeast portion of the province.

SPAWN, the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, is a project of the Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Permanente Creek</span> River in California, United States

Permanente Creek is a 13.3-mile-long (21.4 km) stream originating on Black Mountain in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named by early Spanish explorers as Arroyo Permanente or Río Permanente because of its perennial flow, the creek descends the east flank of Black Mountain then courses north through Los Altos and Mountain View, discharging into southwest San Francisco Bay historically at the Mountain View Slough but now virtually entirely diverted via the Permanente Creek Diversion Channel to Stevens Creek and Whisman Slough in San Francisco Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve</span> UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada

The Redberry Lake Biosphere Region was established in 2000 as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covering 112,200 ha in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2019, the reserve expanded to become a region including the Redberry Lake watershed and surrounding land encompassing close to 700,000 ha of land. The regional landscape is composed of rolling prairie dotted with seasonal ponds and marshes along with aspen/shrub groves. The core area is Redberry Lake, a saline lake with several islands. There are small patches of natural mixed prairie which are very rare in this highly grazed and cultivated part of the prairies. The Redberry Lake Biosphere Region is committed to balancing conservation with sustainable development.

<i>Athene cunicularia arubensis</i> Subspecies of birds

Athene cunicularia arubensis, also known as the Aruban burrowing owl or shoco, is an endemic subspecies of burrowing owl in Aruba. Since 2015, the shoco has become a national symbol of Aruba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate Bird Alliance</span> U.S. non-profit organization

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.

References

  1. "Our Team: Key Staff". Urban Bird Foundation. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  2. "Managing California's grassland ecosystems for athene cunicularia hypugaea" (PDF). California Native Grasslands Association. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  3. "Burrowing owls make a comeback in hubbub of Silicon Valley". Bay Nature Magazine. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  4. "About Us". Urban Bird Foundation. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  5. "State Protections Sought for Vanishing California Burrowing Owls". Center for Biological Diversity. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  6. "Burrowing Owl Conservation Network Changes Name to Urban Bird Foundation". Urban Bird Foundation. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  7. "Financial Statement June 30, 2018" (PDF). Earth Island Institute. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  8. "State Protections Sought for Vanishing California Burrowing Owls". YubaNet. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 "About Us". Burrowing Owl Conservation Network. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 "Earth Island Reports: New Earth Island Projects". Earth Island Journal. 25 (3). 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  11. Greene, Jessica (January 4, 2010). "Speaking Up for the Owls". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  12. "Burrowing Owl Advocates Ask Attorney General To Stop Bird Evictions". KTVU Channel 2. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  13. 1 2 Gehlke, Roni (August 24, 2011). "East Contra Costa conservation group protects at-risk burrowing owls" (PDF). Contra Costa Times.
  14. Rodriguez, Suzie (July 28, 2011). "Helping the Valley's Burrowing Owl Survive" (PDF). Sonoma Press Democrat. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  15. Tam, Katherine (January 3, 2010). "East Bay owl advocates protest birds relocation" (PDF). Contra Costa Times.
  16. "23 Organizations Sign Petition". The Quail. 56 (9): 5. June 2011.
  17. "23 California Organizations Sign-On to Burrowing Owl Conservation Letter". The Burrow Guardian. 2 (2). April 2011.
  18. "Project Directory". Earth Island Institute. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  19. "Articles of Incorporation of a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation". California Secretary of State. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  20. "Urban Bird Foundation Profile". Candid Guidestar. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  21. "Fish & Game Commission urged to protect "imperiled" western burrowing owls". CBS News. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  22. "Burrowing owl faces 'death by a thousand cuts,' advocates say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  23. "Environmental groups seek new protections for burrowing owls, teetering near extinction". Bay City News. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  24. "Petition Before the California Fish and Game Commission To List California Populations of theWestern Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) as Endangered or Threatened Under the California Endangered Species Act" (PDF). Center for Biological Diversity. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  25. "Environmentalists ask California to protect burrowing owls". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 13 March 2024.