For her final capstone project, Rebecca Zimmermann from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service worked with Audubon Arkansas to create an outreach plan for Audubon’s Birds and Climate Change Report.
Zimmermann, of Jacksonville, Ark., surveyed 136 Audubon members and supporters around the state to determine how to best protect birds from the threats of a changing climate. The National Audubon Society’s groundbreaking study, Birds and Climate Change Report, was released last fall and highlighted the 314 species of North American birds threatened by climate change. Zimmermann’s research of both Audubon members and partners will assist Audubon Arkansas in implementing outreach efforts that will protect the future of Arkansas’s birds.
Audubon’s Birds and Climate Change Report utilized data based on over three decades of citizen science to create climate suitability models. Among the 314 species at risk are some of Arkansas’s most beloved birds including the bald eagle, the wild turkey, and the mallard.
As the state office of The National Audubon Society, Audubon Arkansas works to protect birds from the numerous threats they face, including the dangers of climate change. Working effectively with members, supporters, and partners is critical to the success of these efforts.
“The science tells us birds face great peril because of climate change,” said Brett Kincaid, Audubon Arkansas’s executive director. “Our challenge now is to take that message and bring it to life to a broad audience. Rebecca has helped us develop a plan to share our findings and to motivate people to take action on climate change.”
The capstone is the final of three field service projects required at the Clinton School.
About Audubon Arkansas
Audubon Arkansas’s mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. They are the state office of The National Audubon Society.
More information about Audubon Arkansas is available at http://ar.audubon.org/
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