Audubon Lifestyles' Bird City USA Program working for Municipalities and Communities

Sept. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- The not-for-profit, Audubon Lifestyles Inc., based in Palm Harbor, Florida launched The Bird City USA Program to promote bird conservation and birding in municipalities and communities across the United States.  

The program was created to link all the local and regional birding activities into a national network, that Audubon Lifestyles is calling the John James Audubon Bird Conservation Network in honor of their namesake who is the famous artist and ornithologist.  Through their web sites and additional media outlets, members of Bird City USA will garner added national exposure for their bird related activities.  “These activities are economically important, and connect directly to our organizational mission of facilitating conservation action for the birds that need our stewardship,” said R. Eric Dodson, President of Audubon Lifestyles.

According to a study conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, birders spent an estimated $32 billion on wildlife-watching in 2001.  This estimate includes money spent for binoculars, field guides, bird food, bird houses, camping gear, and big-ticket items such as boats. It also includes travel-related costs such as food and transportation costs, guide fees, etc. This $32 billion that birders spent generated $85 billion in economic benefits for the nation in 2001. This ripple effect on the economy also produced $13 billion in tax revenues and 863,406 jobs.

“The designation of Bird City USA provides a simple and effective way for communities to become part of the national bird conservation movement and to begin reaping some of the economic rewards associated with being known as a community that cares about birds and promotes birding,” concluded Dodson.

The organization also fledged a sister program, called Bird Campus USA which is for college campuses and business/industrial parks.  

For information on the Bird City USA program, or to join visit the Audubon Lifestyles website at: http://www.audubonlifestyles.org

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Audubon Lifestyles is a non-profit organization based in the Principles for Sustainability, believing that the most natural way to foster sustainability is by working to balance the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet.