Many birds flock, but only a relative handful fly in synchrony to create the mesmerizing, flowing aerial formations. Scientists are still unraveling the mystery of how hundreds of birds seem to abruptly turn together midflight, but why they do it is well established; they are stronger when they work together. There is much to be learned and gained by mimicking the birds we protect.

Changes to the flock
Audubon Nebraska’s flock has seen many changes in the past several years and may appear different to our long-time volunteers and supporters, but our foundation and mission to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow haven’t changed. Audubon Nebraska’s team is located from Omaha to Gibbon. This team has a mix of experience and talent that you will see in our nature centers, towns, and rural landscapes to deliver conservation and education.

What hasn’t changed
Audubon Nebraska has long been known for its two nature centers: Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, located near Denton focused on tallgrass prairie conservation, and Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary focused on Platte River conservation. These centers and sanctuaries will always be foundational to Audubon Nebraska as hubs of education, research, and action.

Beyond our centers, Audubon Nebraska is collaborating with Audubon Dakota to deliver a grassland program called Conservation Ranching that helps ranchers apply “bird-friendly” grazing practices. Audubon Nebraska is working in many towns and cities to improve habitat and create bird-friendly communities. With our dedicated volunteers, we are also monitoring how climate change is impacting birds.

Our new look
With the addition of Allison Christenson, our communications coordinator, we are streamlining our communication and media. Allison has a background in journalism, advertising, and marketing and with her talent and skills, we will elevate Audubon Nebraska’s work while freeing other biologists and educators to better focus their talent. This Audubon Nebraska newsletter will consolidate the previous two center’s newsletters and highlight all the work across Nebraska.

I am excited for what the future holds and Audubon Nebraska’s ability to take on our most pressing conservation challenges. Stay tuned, as Audubon Nebraska elevates conservation.