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ANNUAL REPORT 20241WELCOME FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2PROGRAMS BLAIR WOODS NATURE PRESERVE 3 GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER RESEARCH 5 AUSTIN’S NEW BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING CODE 6 TRAVIS AUDUBON BY THE NUMBERS 7 PEOPLE 2024 BOARD AND STAFF 9FINANCES FINANCIAL STATEMENT 10 OUR GENEROUS MEMBERS & DONORS 11 OUR GENEROUS PROGRAM PARTNERS & SPONSORS 15JOIN US! 16CONTENTSOUR VISION is to inspire conservation through birding.OUR MISSION Travis Audubon promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of native birds through: • Inclusive environmental education • Habitat protection • Conservation advocacyAs we close out another remarkable year, we are filled with gratitude for the milestones we have reached together in conservation, education, and community engagement. This year has been one of growth, collaboration, and impact, and your support has been at the heart of our success.Our education programs have flourished, bringing people of all ages closer to the natural world. Whether it was a student visiting Blair Woods for the first time or a family attending one of our community events, we connected hundreds of students and community members with the environment in meaningful and lasting ways.Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and partners, we enhanced local habitats and protected wildlife through restoration projects, species monitoring, and infrastructure improvements. Together, we have made a lasting impact on the beautiful places that birds call home.We also took critical steps forward in advocating for a sustainable future by championing policies that protect wildlife and promote environmentally friendly practices within our communities. Our ongoing research and conservation initiatives continue to pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable world.As we look ahead to the new year, we are inspired by the progress we have made and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our members, volunteers and staff.On behalf of our Board of Directors, thanks for being part of this important journey. We look forward to continuing our efforts to protect the birds that enrich our lives and our environment.All the best,Mashariki CannonExecutive Director Travis AudubonDEAR MEMBERS & FRIENDS2BLAIR WOODS NATURE PRESERVEAs we reflect on the past year, we are proud to highlight the achievements and milestones that have advanced our inclusive environmental education work at Blair Woods. Our efforts to engage the community, foster environmental stewardship, and enhance our infrastructure have yielded remarkable results. Through field trips, community events, and collaborative projects, we have reached new audiences and helped hundreds of folks of all ages deepen their connection with nature.FIELD TRIPSThis fiscal year, Blair Woods welcomed over 340 students through fourteen field trips from diverse organizations, including elementary schools, after-school programs, homeschool groups, and summer camps. This year, we hosted our largest field trip ever, hosting 175 students from Magnolia Montessori over two days. Our collaboration with the ATX Kids Club summer camp, which focuses on character building and resilience, further extended our impact. These field trips provided hands-on learning in areas such as bird identification, water quality, and tree studies, featuring activities like pond water analysis and nest building. The geographic and socioeconomic range of our guests underscores our commitment to reaching underrepresented audiences and fostering a deeper appreciation for the natural world among youth.COMMUNITY EVENTSThis year, Blair Woods hosted fifteen community events that engaged over 350 people in various environmental education initiatives. Notable events included our Roots and Wings Bioblitz, a day of guided walks on fungi, insects, nature (in Spanish), and history, and our Nature Day, which was attended by over a hundred people and was make possible by partner organizations like Austin Wildlife Rescue, Austin Butterfly Forum, and Capital Area Master Naturalists. Other collaborations included a nature yoga event with Black Women Who, a celebration of inclusion and accessibility with Birdability, and a great backyard bird count with Families in Nature.“It was awesome! Loved the bird show and all the various activities/ booths you all had available.” — Guest at Blair Woods Nature Day3333COMMUNITY SCIENCEOne of our goals at Blair Woods is for it to serve as an outdoor learning lab; with the ongoing restoration work, we see in real time its benefits to biodiversity. The spring bioblitz was a standout event, with a dozen community scientists documenting 435 observations in iNaturalist and identifying 175 species across the preserve. Additionally, we partnered with Austin Bat Refuge to install bat detectors and a soft-release box for evening bats, which helps track their activity and support their acclimatization upon being released. Our ongoing monthly bird surveys also contribute valuable data on annual and seasonal changes to the preserve’s avian diversity. These efforts reflect our commitment to public engagement in environmental stewardship and scientific exploration.CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY WORKDAYSThis year, Blair Woods benefited from robust corporate and community engagement through impactful workdays. Our inaugural spring It’s My Park Day event, supported by Austin Parks Foundation, had thirty volunteers dedicate their 64morning to removing invasive plants, picking up trash, and maintaining the pollinator garden. Corporate workdays included contributions from Google, Tito’s, UT’s McCombs School of Business, and Yeti, resulting in over fifty service hours. Additionally, we were fortunate to host two Eagle Scout projects: one installing native bee boxes and contributing thirty additional boxes for our native bee workshop, and another constructing a bridge over the Chimney Swift Trail, enhancing access for maintenance and surveys.INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTSThis year, Blair Woods was the recipient of several infrastructure improvements. We installed a new bird blind, providing an enhanced space for wildlife observation and visitor engagement. The new historical marker interpretation sign, displayed alongside the existing marker, offers deeper insights into Blair Woods’ history. Furthermore, the bridge on the Chimney Swift Trail, courtesy of the Eagle Scouts, improved access for maintenance and bird surveys. These enhancements elevate visitor experience and support our ongoing conservation and educational efforts.455 GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER RESEARCH 35With continued stress on Golden-cheeked Warbler populations due to climate change, habitat loss, and other factors, it is becoming more crucial for us to learn more about the specific conditions needed for this endangered bird species to survive and thrive. In 2024, Travis Audubon helped fund field research designed to better understand and protect these iconic songbirds across their central Texas breeding range. The research was led by University of Missouri biologist Jennifer L. Reidy, who has been studying the breeding ecology and abundance of Golden-cheeked Warblers since 2002. It has long been known that Ashe juniper habitat is crucial for Golden-cheeked Warblers, but the optimal habitat requirements and conditions for the species remain unclear. By using remote sensing data and conducting field surveys, this new research aims to identify key habitat features and spatial patterns, such as the presence of adjacent oak habitat and amount of canopy cover, that influence the bird’s distribution and abundance. We are now awaiting an analysis of the research conducted by Reidy’s team in the past field season. The results will provide valuable insights for further conservation efforts, including identifying areas with the highest density of Golden-cheeked Warblers. This will help conservationists pinpoint locations for habitat restoration and protection and make better-informed land management decisions. By increasing our understanding of the complex relationship between the Golden-cheeked Warbler and its habitat, conservationists can develop effective strategies to safeguard this seminal species and its unique ecosystem. 5686AUSTIN’S NEWBIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING CODEMany American and Canadian cities have adopted “bird friendly” codes to reduce bird deaths in their locales. As a result, those cities have seen significant reductions in bird collisions with new and retrofitted buildings. Last spring, Travis Audubon recruited Heidi Trudell, a recognized expert in bird safe building design, to present to Austin’s commissions on the need for provisions in the city’s building code to prevent needless bird deaths from collisions with unwittingly designed buildings.Beginning in April, Heidi gave presentations to the Design, Environmental, and Zoning and Platting Commissions, as well as the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board. Jennifer Bristol, the Secretary of the Environmental Commission and a longtime Travis Audubon member, moved for the creation of a working group to recommend bird-friendly design building solutions. The working group’s members spanned environmental, construction, and development backgrounds, and its meetings were facilitated by Travis Audubon.This fall, the City of Austin unanimously passed the “Bird-Friendly Building Design” resolution. This resolution directs the City Manager and staff to “return to Council with updates regarding the City’s implementation efforts of Lights Out Austin, a City-wide initiative that aims to raise awareness of the risk of light pollution for migrating birds, explore bird-friendly building techniques including the impacts on cost and time on developments, and develop recommendations for amendments to City Code or guidelines to incorporate bird-friendly building standards for construction of new buildings.” Thank you to everyone who showed support for this bird-saving resolution!6TRAVIS AUDUBON BY THE NUMBERS12ACRES AT CHAETURA170MASTER BIRDERS33KIDS IN OUR ANNUAL YOUTH BIRDING CAMP32CLASSES7715ACRES AT BAKER351LIGHTS OUT TEXAS YARD SIGNS DISTRIBUTED10ACRES AT BLAIR WOODS10ACRES AT BLAIR WOODS277VOLUNTEERS345BIRDATHON PARTICIPANTSACRES AT BLAIR WOODS6,060VOLUNTEER HOURS359SPEAKER SERIES ATTENDEES2,020PURPLE MARTIN PARTYGOERS8167BIRD WALKS306NEW MEMBERSHIPSACRES AT BLAIR WOODSBIRDATHON PARTICIPANTS70GUESTS AT FIRST-EVER SWIFT NIGHT OUT PARTYNext >