Across North America, bird populations are declining at alarming and unsustainable rates.

Some grassland bird species have lost as much as 95% of their population since 1970, and we are working hard to reverse those trends. Many birds are migratory in nature, so research and conservation efforts must address the entire annual cycle of a bird’s life—on breeding and wintering grounds and across the places in-between, including international borders.

In 2023, we embarked on an ambitious strategic planning process that will advance our programmatic goals to support a healthy future for people, birds and land. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is poised to make major strides for conservation science over the next five years. This Strategic Plan is designed to elevate our important work into our fourth decade and beyond.

Our Vision & Mission

We believe the world needs birds.  

We envision a future where birds are forever abundant, contributing to healthy landscapes and inspiring human curiosity and love of nature. Our mission is to conserve birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of science, education and land stewardship. Our work radiates from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond.

Achieving Our Vision

Our strategic plan provides a roadmap to delivering the following outcomes:

  •  Leverage Biological and Social Science to inform management and conservation
  • Engage Diverse Communities and Stakeholders to Inspire Place-Based Conservation
  • Build Connected and Resilient Landscapes to Support Biological Diversity and Human-Values
  • Catalyze and Engage in Collaborative Initiatives that Solve Conservation Problems at Scale
  • Create a Resilient Organization to sustain effective conservation leadership

 Click the dropdown menus below to learn more about each Goal’s supporting strategies, tactics and outcomes:

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LEVERAGE BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

We are expanding our science using state of the art monitoring, technology and data to support decision making.

We will advance the scope of our work by integrating biological data and local knowledge in order to identify novel solutions to solve the complex conservation problems facing birds, land and people. We will weave this knowledge into our work and share it across diverse communities.

We will:

  • Identify the social and economic factors affecting bird populations to inform conservation actions.
  • Identify and address the social and economic factors that influence adoption and retention of conservation practices.
  • Develop collaborative science to monitor the effectiveness of conservation practices and improve decision-making.
  • Interpret and share diverse knowledge including data and stories to audiences across urban and rural landscapes.

ENGAGE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

We are committed to ensuring all people have access to outdoor spaces where they feel welcome and safe. We will provide opportunities to connect and engage with nature that are reflective of diverse cultures, traditions and knowledge. Our programs will continue to develop a sense of place and belonging, improve environmental literacy and inspire civic engagement for all communities.

We will:

  • Build authentic partnerships that honor cultures, knowledge, and values.
  • Increase equity, inclusivity, and accessibility to nature, science and conservation.
  • Cultivate communities of conservation leaders, scientists, and decision makers.

BUILD CONNECTED AND RESILIENT LANDSCAPES

We will continue to strategically expand our network of habitat and wildlife biologists and deepen our capacity to enhance, restore and conserve wetlands, rivers, grasslands and forests; working with landowners and communities to ensure healthy lands for people and birds. This includes the need to integrate and apply our knowledge and stewardship beyond our borders, working with local and international partners.

We will:

  • Cultivate a culture of voluntary land stewardship and community of practice.
  • Co-produce and implement scalable community conservation with diverse partners.
  • Integrate ecological, biological, and cultural data to inform decision making.

CATALYZE AND ENGAGE IN COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES

Our leadership has sparked regional initiatives and working groups such as the Central Grasslands Roadmap and Central Grassland Bird Working Group to ensure healthy populations of birds and resilient communities and habitats across the region. We’re building broader coalitions and expanding our portfolio of work across biomes and geographies; engaging diverse sectors from non-profits to industry, from regional and federal agencies to Indigenous Nations.

We will:

  • Convene and support diverse initiatives to stabilize and recover bird populations.
  • Lead paradigm shifts in conservation delivery, resourcing, and participation.
  • Build and engage in programs that address community health, well-being, and environmental justice.

CREATE A RESILIENT ORGANIZATION

We are recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly trained staff to increase engagement, diversity, accessibility, and inclusivity. As our reach increases, so does our physical need for room to grow. We will continue to support and expand our Environmental Learning Center in Brighton. We also have a vision of a collaborative wildlife campus in Fort Collins where our community can explore, learn, and grow with nature.

We will:

  • Elevate a diverse, value-based organizational culture that supports a healthy work environment.
  • Invest in a collaborative workforce that retains talent, fosters diversity, and inspires innovation.
  • Build a community of supporters that invests in innovation and transformational conservation strategies and supports a robust funding model.

Download Executive Summary

For more information:
Tammy VerCauteren
Executive Director
(970) 482-1707 x16

Photo:
Western Meadowlark

For 35 years, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies has worked to conserve birds and their habitats across the breeding, wintering and migratory ranges of birds of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. Private support is critical to addressing the great conservation challenges facing people, birds and land. We invite you to join our flock today and help kick off our next 35 years of bird conservation success!  You will be supporting the work of biologists, scientists and educators across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Mexico and beyond.  Together, we can give a legacy of conservation to future generations!