Posted: March 19, 2024
Written by: Education & Outreach Coordinator, Hanna Meyer
Thanks to the work of Winneshiek County Conservation staff and supporters, Winneshiek County was designated a Bird Friendly Community by Bird Friendly Iowa in 2020 through a competitive application process. Communities that have earned this designation demonstrate a strong commitment to preserving and expanding bird habitat and to encouraging citizens to engage in birding, bird conservation, and related outdoor recreation activities.
Winneshiek County Conservation recently applied to recertify our community for Bird Friendly Iowa and received extraordinarily positive feedback from the Bird Friendly Iowa steering committee. To qualify for designation as a Bird Friendly Community, applicants have to meet a minimum number of criteria in several categories. Winneshiek County has exceeded these requirements in several categories! Most notably, Winneshiek County meets more than double the number of criteria needed to attain the High Flyer Status, which is the highest honor a Bird Friendly Community can earn.
From watching the Decorah Eagles livestream to building birdhouses for eastern bluebirds, Winneshiek County residents have proven their dedication to conserving and learning about bird habitat in northeast Iowa. Winneshiek County Conservation manages over 20 county natural areas, including many areas that are fantastic bird habitat from woodlands to marshes to prairies. Over 295 species of birds live in Winneshiek County, so this diversity of wildlife areas is essential to healthy ecosystems. As a community, we will continue to lead the flock in caring for our avian neighbors. You can learn more about Bird Friendly Iowa at https://www.birdcity.org/iowa.
We are proud of the hard work our staff and all Winneshiek County residents have put in to make our county an outstanding place for bird habitat and conservation. If you’d like to learn more about birding in Winneshiek County, check out https://www.winneshiekwild.com/thing-to-do/birding. Winneshiek County Conservation also has several birding hikes coming up at https://www.winneshiekwild.com/upcoming-events.
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