Dear Friend,

 

There is consensus from the scientific community that North America has lost more than a quarter of its entire bird population; a staggering 3 billion birds. One-third of shorebird population has declined, fifty percent of grassland birds have vanished and migratory bird populations have decreased immensely. One of the main reasons for the devastating population loss is due to degraded habitat for native and migratory birds. Concurrently, efforts to protect raptors (like bald eagles) and waterfowl by conserving more habitat areas have led to increases in their populations.

 

Human actions have been the culprit in decreasing bird population, but people-driven conservation efforts offer solutions that are restoring bird populations.

 

From Fairy Chasm State Natural Area and Donges Bay Gorge in Mequon to the soon-to-be-acquired Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs expansion of the enormously successful Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve, you are investing in the conservation of habitat that will allow native and migrating birds to thrive while supporting our vibrant outdoor recreation traditions.

 

Nowhere is the success story more evident than our Forest Beach Migratory Preserve. Because of its vital location along the Lake Michigan flyway, the former golf course has been rapidly transformed to create and enhance diverse habitats for nesting and migrating birds. However, habitat conservation is an active and ongoing process. New threats such as invasive plant species and the disturbance of habitat diversity from climate change require our continued investment in this fundamental preserve.

 

Your ongoing support will help us continue to realize a radically successful vision that created Forest Beach Migratory Preserve through three objectives we aim to reach by 2024:

 

CONTINUED HABITAT IMPROVEMENT 

• By enhancing vegetative diversity across various habitats to improve quality and suitability for wildlife

 

PLANNING FOR A RESILIENT FUTURE

• By increasing the capacity of the preserve to support biodiversity through enhanced natural

• infrastructure and future acquisition of adjacent natural areas

 

ENHANCING VISITOR EXPERIENCES

• By improving visits through new stewardship facilities that support research
   

The time is now to act. Please consider making a gift that will allow us to fulfill our vision of Inspiring people to engage with nature by ensuring that habitats, working lands, and water resources are conserved, connected, and resilient.