Growing up outside Charlotte, Hannah Pursley’s hometown of Waxhaw was surrounded by farmland and forest. Today, what once was a neighborhood in the middle of nowhere has expanded into a sprawling-built environment.  

“Some of my favorite memories were walking barefoot in the creek and building forts in the forests next to my neighborhood,” said Pursley, Audubon North Carolina’s forest program manager. “This is where my relationship with nature began, but it has changed so much over the years.”  

Today, Waxhaw is six-times the size it was during Pursley’s childhood. With the growth has come the loss of intact neighborhood forests. 

The story of Pursley’s hometown is unfolding across North Carolina. Urban and suburban areas are growing fast, drawing in new people who are attracted to North Carolina’s bustling economy and natural beauty.  

This growth isn’t bad in itself, but how it happens is important. In many places, it has brought the destruction of forests—habitats critical to many of our state’s birds, from warblers to Wood Thrushes. By one estimate, North Carolina has 4 million acres of urban forest, but we are losing it faster than any other forest type. 

Protecting and Growing Urban Forests 

There is another way. That is why Audubon is launching a new urban forestry program, led by Pursley. We envision a future where healthy trees and forests in North Carolina’s towns, cities, and suburbs provide habitat for birds and clean air and green spaces for all people. 

To achieve this vision, we’ll be advocating alongside chapters and partners to protect and increase tree canopy and forests in our towns and cities, while also improving on-the-ground forest management practices to maximize benefits for birds. We’ll also be speaking up for bird-friendly, density-focused development instead of sprawl, which helps reduce habitat destruction and fragmentation. 

“The most common phone call we get at Audubon is from someone worried about the forest across the street getting cleared for development, because they know that Barred Owls or Pileated Woodpeckers are nesting there,” Pursley said. “This is something that North Carolinians see on a daily basis and are concerned about, and for good reason. We want to give folks the tools they need to act.” 

With a new executive order by Gov. Roy Cooper focused on conserving forests and wetlands, there is greater incentive to push this important work forward. The order, announced in February, aims to permanently conserve one million new acres of North Carolina’s forests and wetlands, restore or reforest one million acres of forests and wetlands, and plant one million new trees in urban areas by the year 2040. With this new program, Audubon and our chapters are well positioned to help reach this ambitious goal.  

Launching our Urban Forestry Program 

Urban forests provide habitat for birds throughout their life cycles, from breeding and nesting to foraging for food in the winter and having a place to rest and refuel during migration. Many of our threatened forest birds rely on urban forests throughout the year. 

For example, the Wood Thrush’s beautiful, flute-like song is a welcomed and much-anticipated sound each spring in backyards and forested lots across North Carolina. But without healthy urban and suburban forests, this declining songbird could soon be absent from our towns and cities. And Wood Thrush need all the help they can get. Populations have declined by 50 percent in the last four decades, driven by loss of healthy forests for breeding in North America. 

Healthy urban forest benefits extend to other wildlife and people as well, from providing shade and cooler temperatures to removing pollutants from the air and soil. They also suck up and store carbon and prevent costly erosion by absorbing rainwater, reducing the impacts of flooding. 

“The benefits of urban forests are wide-ranging and should be available to all, people and birds alike,” Pursley said. “Thats why urban forest conservation is a top priority for us at Audubon and that starts in the areas where we’re losing it the fastest, in our cities and towns.”  

Learn more about Audubon’s Urban Forestry program, how you can connect with your local chapter, and advocate for our state's urban forests here.