Conservation Advocacy

Taking Action

Birds Connect Seattle advocates and organizes for cities where people and birds thrive. We frequently act on issues relating to urban forestry, bird-safe building design, pesticide reduction, and more. Read about our current and past conservation advocacy work here.

Current Action Alerts

Save the Black Lives Memorial Garden at Cal Anderson Park

Seattle Parks and Recreation plans to remove the Black Lives Memorial Garden from Cal Anderson Park in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood for the purpose of turf repairs.

Since the creation of the garden the community and the plants have flourished under the care of Black Star Farmers. It has become a community hub for mutual aid networks, food distribution, and education for serving the needs of the most marginalized in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Cal Anderson Park is already has more than three acres of mowed turf, which contribute to the urban heat island effect and are of little habitat value for birds and other wildlife. Birds Connect Seattle urges Seattle Parks and Recreation to stand behind their 2021 commitment “to continuing support for evaluation of wildlife concerns and opportunities within [Cal Anderson Park] and the corridor between Seattle University and Volunteer Park.”

Read Birds Connect Seattle’s Action Alert here and our letter to Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Andy Sheffer, Director of Planning and Development here.

Do not site new pickleball courts at Lincoln Park

Large, mostly natural areas like Lincoln Park are our city’s most significant reservoirs of urban biodiversity. For example, more than 160 species of birds have been reported at Lincoln Park. That’s approximately 64% of all bird species that occur in Seattle from a park that represents just 0.25% of our land area.   

Large, mostly natural areas are also where residents and visitors go to experience and connect with nature. This is a critical benefit of urban natural areas, as opportunities to experience and connect with nature can improve physical and mental health and motivate conservation and climate action. Noise and light pollution both degrade habitat quality, and both would be increased by the addition of pickleball courts.  

SPR has an obligation and a responsibility to protect the urban biodiversity within its units. Other suitable locations can and should be found for new pickleball courts. They should be kept out of important urban habitat areas.  

Sign the petition, started by wildlife biologist and BCS member and volunteer, Kersti Muul, asking Seattle Parks and Recreation to not site new pickleball courts at Lincoln Park.

Read BCS’s letter to Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent AP Diaz here.

Seattle Needs Bird-Safe Building Standards

Window collisions kill tens of thousands of birds each year in Seattle. We can prevent these deaths.

Unfortunately, Seattle is behind the curve in addressing bird-window collisions. Dozens of jurisdictions have already adopted bird-safe building standards, including major West Coast cities like Portland, Vancouver, B.C., and San Francisco. Even New York City has bird-safe building regulations in place.

Join us in calling City leaders to establish bird-safe building standards for Seattle.

Take the Lights Out Pledge

Artificial light at night is known to attract night-flying migratory birds into urban areas where they can become disoriented, exhausted, and vulnerable to window collisions, cat predation, and other urban hazards.

Reducing artificial light is something we can all do to help protect wildlife. Take the Lights Out Pledge to receive guidelines and resources to get started!

Join the Seattle Conservation Activist Network

The Seattle Conservation Activist Network (SCAN) email list is focused on local conservation news and action alerts. When you join and participate, you help Birds Connect Seattle become a stronger and more effective conservation organization. As a SCAN-er, we’ll notify you when opportunites arise to advocate for Seattle-area cities where people and birds thrive.