Conservation Advocacy

Take Action: Advocate for Birds and People

Birds Connect Seattle advocates and organizes for cities where people and birds thrive. We frequently act on issues relating to urban forestry, environmental justice, bird-safe building design, pesticide reduction, and more.

Recent Initiatives

Do not site new pickleball courts at Lincoln Park

Large, mostly natural areas like Lincoln Park are our city’s most significant reservoirs of urban biodiversity. For example, more than 160 species of birds have been reported at Lincoln Park. That’s approximately 64% of all bird species that occur in Seattle from a park that represents just 0.25% of our land area.   

Large, mostly natural areas are also where residents and visitors go to experience and connect with nature. This is a critical benefit of urban natural areas, as opportunities to experience and connect with nature can improve physical and mental health and motivate conservation and climate action. Noise and light pollution both degrade habitat quality, and both would be increased by the addition of pickleball courts.  

SPR has an obligation and a responsibility to protect the urban biodiversity within its units. Other suitable locations can and should be found for new pickleball courts. They should be kept out of important urban habitat areas.  

Sign the petition, started by wildlife biologist and BCS member and volunteer, Kersti Muul, asking Seattle Parks and Recreation to not site new pickleball courts at Lincoln Park.

Read BCS’s letter to Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent AP Diaz here.

Seattle Needs Bird-Safe Building Standards

Window collisions kill tens of thousands of birds each year in Seattle. We can prevent these deaths.

Unfortunately, Seattle is behind the curve in addressing bird-window collisions. Dozens of jurisdictions have already adopted bird-safe building standards, including major West Coast cities like Portland, Vancouver, B.C., and San Francisco. Even New York City has bird-safe building regulations in place.

Join us in calling City leaders to establish bird-safe building standards for Seattle.

Take the Lights Out Pledge

Artificial light at night is known to attract night-flying migratory birds into urban areas where they can become disoriented, exhausted, and vulnerable to window collisions, cat predation, and other urban hazards.

Reducing artificial light is something we can all do to help protect wildlife. Take the Lights Out Pledge to receive guidelines and resources to get started!

Receive Advocacy Alerts

Join Birds Connect Seattle’s email list to be notified when you can advocate for Seattle-area issues that are impacting local birds and people. When you participate, you help Birds Connect Seattle become a stronger and more effective conservation organization.