As the voice for North Carolina’s birds, Audubon not only protects birds in need now, but also works to preserve the places they will need to thrive in the future.

Along with identifying and monitoring 96 Important Bird Areas comprising 4.9 million acres, Audubon works closely with the North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation to protect and manage habitats where birds rely on those natural resources in many of the state parks and natural areas.

The NC Division of Parks & Recreation promotes the protection of birds and wildlife – a mission aligned with Audubon’s mission of conserving and managing land for birds’ wellbeing. State Parks offers countless opportunities for people to interact with birds, wildlife and nature through recreation, education and appreciation. Ours is a natural partnership.

The map below shows clearly how Important Bird Areas overlap with many state parks signifying that the protection of state parks, in many cases, equals the protection of important bird areas.

Proper Land Management Insures A Future for Birds

Losing critical habitat and natural resources such as food, nesting sites and water can reduce bird populations. Long-term stressors such as these can even cause local populations of birds to decline or disappear completely.

This important map shows us where to focus our conservation efforts for the best long-term protection of birds.

By identifying and protecting the areas where Audubon and NC state parks overlap, we can amplify our resources. We can work together to find opportunities that sustain the habitats birds need while also connecting people to birds through first-hand experiences and asking them to engage in citizen science activities to protect birds.

Get Involved

Audubon is excited to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of one of the best park systems in the country while we look ahead to many more joint conservation efforts to help birds thrive for another 100 years.

Audubon encourages every North Carolina citizen to get involved and help protect North Carolina’s birds, state parks and IBAs with these activities:

• Adopt an Important Bird Area
• Join a citizen science project
• Create a Bird-Friendly Community
• Volunteer with your local Audubon Chapter

Every action you take today will provide a better future for birds across our beautiful state.

Visit our website to learn more about our conservation work through the Important Bird Areas program and how you can help protect birds where you live.