HomeMy WebLinkAboutBird City WisconsinBird City Wisconsin
A coalition of several local environmental groups including Oshkosh Bird Club, Winnebago
Audubon, and Fox Valley Chapter- Wild Ones is pursuing designation of Bird City Wisconsin for
the City of Oshkosh. Bettie Harriman is leading the group. She will be presenting information to
the Sustainability Advisory Board on Aug. 2. To qualify, a city has to fill out an application to
show it meets at least seven of 22 criteria. We believe we can do this based on current activity.
The criteria are attached. I have underlined those criteria for which we might qualify.- Jan
Bird City Wisconsin is being promoted by Milwaukee Audubon Society, the Wisconsin Bird
Conservation Initiative and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology with funding from Together
Green, an alliance of National Audubon and Toyota.
Bird City Wisconsin is patterned after the nationally recognized Tree City USA. Currently,
Wisconsin boasts 177 Tree Cities, ranking the state third in the nation. Bird City Wisconsin will
certify urban/suburban/rural communities that apply and successfully meet criteria for education,
habitat management, species management, and limiting or removing hazards to birds.
Bird City's recognition year runs from April 1 to March 31. Applications for initial certification
and recertification must be submitted by Nov. 1, accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee
of $50 in a check made payable to Bird City Wisconsin. Communities will be notified if they
have qualified no later than Feb. 1.
When a community is initially certified as a Bird City Wisconsin, the following items will be
provided free of charge to publicly celebrate that recognition:
• Two, 24 "x 30" street signs with the Bird City Wisconsin emblem;
• A 3' x 5' all- weather Bird City flag that can be flown at a prominent civic location;
• A recognition plaque suitable for display at the municipal center;
• A prominent announcement on the BirdCityWisconsin.org web site;
• An electronic Bird City Wisconsin logo /emblem that can be used on appropriate
municipal web sites and printed materials, as well as the web sites of partner
organizations and local businesses; and
• Press releases to appropriate media.
Criteria for Local Governments to be Recognized as a "Bird City"
Bird City Wisconsin seeks to encourage communities to implement sound bird
conservation practices by offering high visibility public recognition to those that succeed in
doing so.To assist in achieving certification and public recognition as a community that is
"birdfriendly "and protects and enhances habitat for birdlife, "Bird City Wisconsin" has worked
withmunicipal officials and conservation organizations to compile a menu of best practices.
"Bird City Wisconsin" recognition is available to towns, villages, cities and counties and
is provided at two achievement levels.
Basic Requirements
To achieve initial annual certification as a "Bird City," communities will need to
demonstrate in a written application that they have met at least seven (7) of the following 22
criteria, including three (3) from Category 1 and one (1) from each of the other four categories:
1. Creation and Protection of Habitat
A. The community is in compliance with Wisconsin's "Smart Growth" law for land use
planning and resource management.
B. The community has a park system with habitat for birds of a number of species. This is
demonstrated by bird monitoring results and/or other data obtained from researchers or
local volunteers.
C. Existing bird habitat has legal protection.
D. Park planning seeks to provide additional bird habitat.
E. The community does not restrict "wild" or natural lawns and landscaping.
F. The community offers the public information on control and removal of invasive species
such as garlic mustard, buckthorn, and reed canary grass.
G. The community contains a segment of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail or
an IBA (Important Bird Area). Information on these programs is available at
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org
H. The local Chamber of Commerce (or similar group) takes an active role in the planning
process for protecting and enlarging favorable bird habitat.
L OTHER: Demonstrate in a narrative account some other municipal action in furtherance
of habitat creation or protection.
2. Participation in Programs Promoting Effective Community Forest Management
A. The community participates in the "Tree City, USA," program, sponsored by
National Arbor Day Foundation
B. OTHER: Demonstrate in a narrative account some other important municipal
accomplishment in this area.
3. Limiting or Removing Hazards to Birds
A. The community has an educational program in place to control free - roaming cats and/or
actively publicizes the American Bird Conservancy "Cats Indoors!" program.
B. The community provides easy -to- obtain information to property owners regarding
protecting birds from window- strikes.
C. OTHER: Demonstrate in a narrative account some other important municipal
accomplishment in this area.
4. Public Education
A. Schools in the community participate in Flying WILD, helping ensure that the nation's
students are knowledgeable about the conservation needs of migratory and other birds.
B. The community, through bulletin boards, community newsletters, city or county website,
or other media, provides information to property owners on methods to create and
enhance backyard habitat for birds.
C. The community provides links to other organizations with information on backyard
habitat programs such as Audubon at Home, the National Wildlife Federation, Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology, University of Wisconsin Extension, the Wisconsin Society
for Ornithology, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Humane Society of the
U.S., and "Beyond the Birdfeeder: Creating a Bird - Friendly Yard with Native Wisconsin
Plants," by Marlette Nowak.
D. The community presented in at least one bird monitoring program such as the
Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard Bird Count, or Swift Night Out.
E. The community sponsors an annual bird festival.
F. The community has a program that involves schools, garden clubs or other organizations
in bird conservation activities.
G. OTHER: Demonstrate in a narrative account some other important municipal
accomplishment in public education.
5. International Migratory Bird Day
The community adopts an official resolution and holds a celebration marking International
Migratory Bird Day(IMBD), celebrated on the second Saturday in May or sometime in the
week before or after that date A sample resolution can be found at
www. birdcitywisconsin. org /resolution. For ideas on
public celebrations see www.birdday.org and www. birdcitywisconsin.org /celebrations
Sustained Flight Awards
To achieve yearly recertification as a "Bird City" and "Sustained Flight" status, a
community will need to demonstrate that it continues to meet at least seven (7) of the above