How Audubon’s Plants for Birds Program is Supporting Migrating Birds

Spring migration is now in full swing across the U.S. Birds are returning from their wintering grounds to North America to breed and feast on the abundance of budding plants and insects. Along their route they will need food, shelter, and safe spaces to raise their young. Audubon’s Plants for Birds program has it all covered. 

Fall native plantings will begin blooming in time to support birds on their migration routes, thanks in part to the habitat work and plant sales of our Audubon network of community and campus chapters. Important bird habitats—be it wetlands, forests, grassland or urban areas—have been restored or protected by volunteers who are central to community engagement, and local advocacy efforts continue to bring attention to the importance of native plants to birds and prioritize conservation.    

Everyone can take steps to help birds during spring and fall migration, creating a lasting impact for birds and other wildlife, and many Audubon chapters and centers are raising awareness in their communities. For example: 

• In Arizona, Yuma Audubon Society and partners gave a tour of different gardens using native plants that ended with a plant sale; 
• Halifax River Audubon in Florida held a successful workshop called “Your Yard Matters” with expert advice on why and how to include native gardening for wildlife in your own yard; 
• Lycoming Audubon Society in Pennsylvania gave an informative presentation called “Your Yard Can Be Good Bird Habitat” during a Master Gardeners Symposium at Pennsylvania College of Technology. 

Here are a few more recent Plants for Birds accomplishments from around the Audubon network: 

Arkansas

The Little Rock Audubon Center was selected to receive support for restoration of 8 acres of oak savannah as part of the Little Rock Garden Club (LRGC) Covey Project. Restoration is ongoing and includes seed collection, cleaning, and plantings with partners such as ACCESS Life, a program for adults with developmental disabilities. These projects would not be possible without the LRGC, whose dedication has raised awareness of habitat restoration in Central Arkansas. Their efforts have garnered support from the Garden Club of America through initiatives like Partners for Plants and Common Ground Collaborative. Audubon Delta has partnered with LRGC on The Covey Project since 2019.

Florida

The Eagle Audubon Society received a grant to address two ponds in Kings Point, a 55+ community in Sun City Center, Florida. Kings Point is home to 87 interconnected ponds that drain into Cypress Creek, Little Manatee River State Park, the Little Manatee River, and Tampa Bay. Due to pesticide and fertilizer runoff, these ponds lack birds and butterflies. The Florida-friendly plantings will improve the habitat, protect shorelines from erosion and sedimentation while enhancing the environment for wildlife. The work is being carried out in partnership with Hillsborough County Adopt-a-Pond, Sun City Center West Master Association, and Clublink, Inc.

St. Johns Regional Audubon (SJRA) worked with the City of St. Augustine to develop and install a new native plant garden in historic downtown St. Augustine. After two years of planning and design, the $35,000 St. Augustine Audubon Native Plant Garden was installed in Spring 2024, featuring over 25 native plant species as well as interpretative signage and individual plant identification signs with QR codes. The goal of this meadow-style garden was  to show residents and visitors that it was  possible to have a beautiful native plant garden in an urban, historic coastal area. SJRA hosts garden tours and events for the community and will maintain the garden for the next five years under its agreement with the City.

Pelican Island Audubon Society (PIAS) received an Audubon in Action grant to help create an accessible greenspace in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The project will eventually plant more than 1,500 native canopy and understory trees and shrubs at a new affordable housing development in Gifford, the largest Black community in Indian River County. Also, PIAS has planted four native plant demonstration gardens at high-traffic locations, including the IRC Commission and Pelican Island Elementary School, with the Main Vero Beach Post Office requesting a similar garden. Lastly, as part of their Trees for Life/Plants for Birds program, PIAS has distributed over 28,000 plants and trees to local communities which they grew at their native plant nursery in Indian River County, the only one of its kind in the area.

Georgia 

In 2024, the Birds Georgia Habitat Team planted more than 25,000 native plants while conducting habitat management and improvement work on 370 acres across the state. Since the organization doesn't own any land, they rely on many partners to prioritize and carry out this work. From restoring a 10-acre maritime grassland corridor on Jekyll Island to support painted buntings, loggerhead shrikes, and savannah sparrows, to working on over 100 acres of riparian habitat along the Chattahoochee River to support migrating and resident songbirds, the team has gone above and beyond to ensure habitats are becoming more hospitable for birds in the state.

Indiana

Over the past two years, Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society has more than doubled the number of volunteers and increased member registrations for its Plants for Birds project. In addition to purchasing wholesale native plants, they’ve utilized greenhouse space provided by the USGS Great Lakes Office at Indiana Dunes National Park to grow plants. The plants are sold as a chapter fundraiser at the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, with pre-arranged and leftover plants donated to nature sanctuaries for habitat restoration. This year, they plan to enhance their educational materials by focusing on the connection between birds and plants.

Maryland 

For Earth Day 2024, the Audubon Student Chapter at the University of Maryland led the transformation of an underused section of raised grass beds into a native wildflower garden dubbed the "Bird Beds." Around 75 student volunteers participated in the event, supported by Garden for Wildlife from the National Wildlife Federation, who donated 300 native wildflowers. The project was made possible through collaboration with the UMD Arboretum, UMD Community Learning Garden, and other campus groups, as well as support from Audubon staff. Ongoing maintenance is being supported through an Audubon in Action grant. The garden is now used to promote local biodiversity, serves as an educational space, and supports bird conservation efforts on campus.

Southern Maryland Audubon built a  1,200 square foot Gateway Native Garden in an underserved community with support from an Audubon in Action grant. The garden has led to meaningful partnerships, tripled the chapter’s number of our volunteers, and most importantly helped create a safe community gathering space with monthly educational and social events that connect local residents to nature. High school students from Forrest Career and Technology Center played a key role in building the garden, with support from Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, and local groups. The garden now provides habitat for birds and pollinators and also addresses water runoff issues. Monthly educational programs hosted in partnership with St. Mary’s County Library have taught participants how to clean and package native seeds, winter sow natives in recycled milk jugs, and start their own native gardens at home to attract more birds and beneficial insects.

Nevada

Lahontan Audubon Society continues to work with partners in maintaining The Valley Wood Wildlife Gardens in northwest Reno. The chapter had spearheaded the conversion of this acre of open space covered by turf into demonstration gardens for the community. Located between housing developments, this garden inspires and educates the community about plants that provide important and beautiful wildlife habitat in an area experiencing increased drought cycles. Thanks to a National Audubon Society grant, the chapter improved the area’s songbird habitat by adding fruit trees and shrubs. Last year, 124 volunteers donated 936 hours of their time to help with planning and on-the-ground work to enhance the gardens and trails, and hosted public tours that showcased the gardens to over 300 participants. Future plans include public bird walks and continued tours that provide education about the plants that grow well in the local climate and soils, and which can provide important nectar, fruit, and canopy cover to benefit Nevada birds. 

New York

The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center (TRSAC) launched the HELP: Habitat and Ecosystem Land Pro Endorsement Program in March 2024 to help landscapers use native plants and sustainable practices. The 15-hour program teaches ecological landscaping techniques like pest control and flood mitigation, aiming to restore natural habitats and ecosystem services in urban and suburban areas. Since its launch, five classes have been held, with 98 attendees and 23 fully endorsed professionals. The program has been taught at various locations, including TRSAC in Oyster Bay, NY, and the Greenwich Audubon Center in Greenwich, CT, and hosted by local chapter Delaware Otsego Audubon Society in Oneonta, NY. More classes are planned with the goal of expanding the program and eventually launching it nationwide through Audubon centers, chapters, and partners.

North Carolina

In March 2024, the Greensboro City Council unanimously adopted a resolution to make native plants a key component in all new municipal plantings and plant replacements. The policy, the first of its kind in North Carolina, also mandated the removal of invasive plants when possible. This resolution came about, in large part, through the dedicated advocacy efforts by the T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society, who first presented the idea in 2022. The chapter had previously worked with Greensboro City Deputy Manager and city staff to promote native plants, culminating in the declaration of Native Plants Week each October. While the adopted policy is a step forward, the chapter will continue to advocate for a higher percentage of native plants and will monitor City plantings to ensure compliance. 

Oregon

Lane County Audubon Society received a startup grant from the Upper Willamette Soil and Water Conservation District (UWSWCD) last year to fund their backyard habitat program, Habitat Haven, which serves the Eugene-Springfield community. The program’s goal is to support biodiversity by creating habitats for birds, pollinators, and wildlife in both back and front yards. By the end of 2024, the chapter had completed 60 site reports, all with volunteer help. They also received another grant from UWSWCD for this year and are approaching 100 enrolled land stewards.

Check out Audubon’s Native Plants Database for the best information on plants for birds in your area, as well as additional local resources and links.