Linking Global Flyways: Tourism’s Role in Conservation

A customer shops for bird-themed gifts  in our retail space.

This article was originally published in an abreviated version in the Summer 2026 issue of EarthCare Northwest, our quarterly member newsletter. Become a member today and receive our next issue. 

by Claire Catania, Executive Director

Whenever someone asks, “How’s it going downtown?”, I can’t help but smile. As we approach the one-year anniversary of our new space, I can say without hesitation that we’ve achieved our primary goal: making our bird-focused programs more accessible. Every day, we’re introducing new audiences to our conservation mission. I expected success, but I couldn’t fully imagine what it would look or feel like until we arrived. It has been exhilarating.

For years, Birds Connect Seattle has framed its work within the larger context of the Pacific Flyway and the global journeys birds make between the Antarctic and the Arctic. Now, with visitors to our headquarters from all over the world, we’re experiencing something just as tangible: how birds connect people from different parts of the globe to one another. While some might disparage these travelers as “just tourists,” they are as inspired by birds as anyone among our local membership.

What makes Birds Connect Seattle’s new nest especially unique, I think, is that, unlike a traditional nature center or garden store, downtown Seattle brings us people who hadn’t planned to engage with conservation that day. Many wander in while shopping, sightseeing, or passing the time before heading to the airport. No matter where someone is from or why they stop in, their curiosity sparks the moment we open our preserved bird specimen cabinets. Soon, the room fills with stories and questions: “You have these birds in Seattle? What about where I live?” “I remember seeing one like that at my grandmother’s house!”

Conservation Action Corner allows visitors to learn about ways to protect birds.

A visitor may spend only a few days in our region and arrive knowing little about Pacific Northwest birds, yet their curiosity quickly opens the door to conversations about migration, habitat loss, window collisions, and climate change. Because birds move fluidly across borders and along the Pacific Flyway, these conversations matter. When travelers return home—to another city, state, or country—they carry those lessons with them. Even if a bird never sets foot, or talon, in our region, the awareness of threats to birds and actions people take elsewhere can still benefit the species we share.

So while Seattle-area residents leave with invitations to future field trips, summer camp, and author talks, travelers leave with recommendations for bird and conservation organizations in their own communities. Now, more than perhaps ever before, Birds Connect Seattle truly is a local organization with a global reach.