Conservation Ranching

Working with landowners to support better bird habitat.
Photo: Stacy Steinke

Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Lands

Audubon Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with farmers and ranchers. 

Why farmers and ranchers? The majority of grassland birds – whose populations have declined by more than 50 percent in the last 50 years – inhabit privately owned land. This is where we scale our impact.

Landowners voluntarily enroll in our program, and when they meet requirements centering on habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, they earn the Audubon bird-friendly land certification. Nationwide, more than 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as Audubon Certified bird-friendly land. 

Consumers with an appetite for conservation support these bird-friendly habitats. A special package designation – the Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal – lets shoppers know which beef or bison products come from these lands managed for birds and biodiversity. 

About Conservation Ranching
For Retailers and Institutions
For Retailers and Institutions

Learn why you should carry products that meet the desires of your eco-conscious customers.

Our Team

Melinda Cep

Vice President, Natural Solutions and Working Lands

Christopher Wilson

Program Director, Audubon Conservation Ranching

Farley Green

Marketing Manager, Audubon Conservation Ranching

Anthony Hauck

Communications Manager, Audubon Conservation Ranching

Thomas Schroeder

Senior Partnerships Manager, Audubon Conservation Ranching

A meadowlark sings while perched on a barbed wire fence post.
National Audubon Society and Heifer International Partner to Expand Conservation Ranching Program into Arkansas
September 18, 2024 — Bird-friendly certification aims to improve bird habitat & connect consumers to conservation
Grazing the Bar: Audubon Awarded $2.5 Million Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA
August 09, 2024 — Funding to propel grassland bird conservation on beef & dairy farms in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
Grazing Gone Wild: Hoskin Family Farm Earns Audubon Bird-Friendly Certification
August 06, 2024 — Rotational grazing is the key component to creating a patchwork of habitat for grassland birds
3 Calhoun Sisters Ranch Earns Audubon Certification for Bird-Friendly Habitat
July 29, 2024 — Herds create habitat for birds in Audubon Conservation Ranching program
Birds That Depend on Grasslands
! Priority Bird
Bobolink
Blackbirds and Orioles
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Pheasants and Grouse
American Golden-Plover
Plovers