“What is the extinction of the condor to a child who has never known a wren?” – Robert Michael Pyle, The Thunder Tree
Portland Audubon’s Work to Protect Our Urban Environment
Portland Audubon has been a pioneer in the field of urban conservation. Mike Houck, Portland Audubon’s visionary Urban Naturalist conceived of an interconnected system of “urban wildlife refuges” in the 1980s, a vision that over time evolved into the Regional Greenspaces System. Portland Audubon also successfully advocated for the protection of Oaks Bottom, Portland’s first urban wildlife refuge and many of the other natural areas that today spread across our urban landscape.
Our urban work has always been intersectional—we work with a wide array of partners and coalitions to create complete communities that have affordable housing, sustainable transportation alternatives, access to family wage jobs, access to nature, and a healthy environment. We place a high value on equity, ensuring that those who have traditionally borne the burdens of environmental degradation have a strong voice in environmental decision-making and reap the benefits of environmental initiatives.
Portland Audubon works at multiple scales to create a green, sustainable and equitable urban landscape. This includes:
- Providing the oldest Wildlife Care Center in the United States and the busiest in Oregon to provide care and treatment for injured wildlife.
- Providing expert advice on Living with Urban Wildlife to promote urban wildlife stewardship and resolve human-wildlife conflicts.
- Backyard Habitat Certification Program delivered in partnership with Columbia Land Trust to promote healthy habitats at the yard and neighborhood scale.
- Reducing Wildlife Hazards that create significant threats to urban wildlife populations