Aug 11 Bird City Meeting in Ashland

On Thursday, August 11 at 6:30pm at Northland College's Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Bird City Wisconsin coordinator Carl Schwartz will be scouting out potential supporters for Bird City recognition efforts in the Bayfield Peninsula. Schwartz will be making a public presentation aimed principally at Ashland, Bayfield and Washburn residents interested in seeking Bird City status for their communities.

Modeled on the “Tree City USA” program, Bird City Wisconsin developed 22 criteria across five categories, including habitat creation and protection, community forest management, limiting hazards, public education, and recognizing International Migratory Bird Day. If a community meets at least seven criteria, it becomes an official “Bird City.”

There are 182 "Tree Cities" in Wisconsin, with some recognized for more than 30 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifyears, so the Bird City Steering Committee had anticipated that many communities would take advantage of their Tree City status to meet BCW's category 2 requirement: "Participation in Programs Promoting Effective Community Forest Management."

While Bird City also offers communities an opportunity to demonstrate some other important accomplishment in this area, Schwartz said Tree City communities not only understood the concept of a community recognition program but also appreciated the importance of habitat improvement in bird conservation.

Website: Wisconsin Bird City website