Wisconsin IBA Get Involved

GET INVOLVED

IBAs are a natural focus of volunteer, citizen scientist monitoring projects, which can lead to positive local stewardship and advocacy. Identification of a site as an IBA is both a tool for assisting private landowners and public land managers and a rationale for preserving habitat from threats. Most importantly, the IBA Program is a starting point for site-based conservation planning, involving stakeholders in a process that takes all interests into account.

Least Bittern © Mike McDowell

The actual conservation of specific IBAs takes place in many different ways and depends on the particular circumstances of each site (size, location, ownership, etc.). For example, public areas may be conserved by open-space acquisition and by working with land managers to improve habitat management practices for key species of birds. Private lands may be conserved through public-private partnerships such as easements, and through landowner education.

What can you do?

You can help identify and conserve Important Bird Areas in Wisconsin.

Get the nomination materials and instructions to nominate a site as an Important Bird Area.

Support the IBA Program through citizen science and stewardship. This may include conducting bird monitoring, volunteering to help land managers, and/or being a conservation advocate.

Help collect data at potential IBAs! Employ your valuable birding skills to good purpose. Take the IBA Field Checklist with you when birding at a potential IBA. This list, which is based on the IBA criteria, can help in several different ways: it can assist in determining whether a site is likely to qualify as an IBA; it can help provide necessary additional data for sites that have been nominated already; it can help provide valuable monitoring data for a site once it is designated as an IBA. Send your completed checklists to the IBA Coordinator.