Advocacy Day is just around the corner! On June 8, Audubon members will flock to Raleigh to meet with lawmakers and advocate for our two priority bills--native plants and heirs property.

Registration has ended. Contact Engagement Director Kim Brand at kim.brand@audubon.org to see if late registration is an option in your area.

For our Mountain chapters--Blue Ridge Audubon, Transylvania Bird Club, and Highlands Plateau Audubon--Advocacy Day will be virtual. Mountain chapter participants will receive an email the day before Advocacy Day with Zoom links for your lawmaker meetings as well as links to watch the 8:30 a.m. briefing and 12:30 p.m lawmaker awards.

For all other chapters, here is the schedule for the day in Raleigh:

Advocacy Day Schedule, June 8

• 7:30-8:30 a.m. Coffee/socializing at the William G. Ross, Jr. Environmental Conference Center, 4th Floor, Nature Research Center at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 121 West Jones Street, Raleigh (Directions and parking info: https://naturalsciences.org/visit/directions-parking)
• 8:30 a.m. Policy briefing/pep talk in the 4th floor Nature Research Center conference room
• 9:15 a.m. Leave for lawmaker meetings in the Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building
• 11:30-1:30: Boxed lunches will be available in the 4th floor Nature Research Center conference room (vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options). Folks who want to eat outdoors can carry their boxed lunch out to the 4th floor patio, or the ground-floor patio outside the Nature Research Center.
• 12:30 p.m. Lawmaker awards in the 4th floor Nature Research Center conference room
• 4 p.m. Celebratory drinks at the Daily Planet Cafe, Nature Research Center Wing, 121 West Jones Street, Raleigh

Covid Precautions

Audubon staff will be wearing masks during Advocacy Day, because of the rising case count in Wake County. This is organization policy. Masks are optional for Advocacy Day participants. There wil be an option to eat lunch outside.

There will be many unmasked people at the legislature, including lawmakers you'll be meeting with.

Tips and Dress Code

We'll be advocating for two specific bills in our lawmaker meetings, but it's also important that you make a genuine connection with your lawmaker. You can tell a personal story about birds or connect on one of the things you have in common (maybe a book or photo in their office will reveal shared interest or hobbies, kids around the same age, etc).

It's okay if you don't know the answer to a lawmaker's question. They don’t expect you to be experts. Just make a note of their question and let them know Audubon staff will follow up, then be sure you include it in your meeting notes summary.

As for dress code, no need to wear a jacket and tie to these meetings; business casual is great.

Wear comfortable shoes - the legislative office buildings are a 5-minute walk from the Nature Research Center and we will walk a LOT.