More than 200 organizations representing Mexico, Canada, the U.S., and Indigenous Nations, came together for a multi-national summit on conserving North America’s Central Grasslands.
More than 50 million acres of grassland have been lost in the last 10 years alone as human development and climate change impact conservation efforts.
Researchers say birds are good indicators of environmental health and since 1970, grassland bird species have seen a 53-percent reduction in their populations —more than 720 million birds. Grasslands are being so severely impacted by human activities that they no longer support the same wildlife populations they once did.
The Central Grasslands Roadmap was launched in 2020 to guide and inform conservation for the benefit of grassland birds, pollinators and mammals, as well as to ensure viable human communities across the landscape of one of North America’s most biogeographically unique areas.
The Roadmap community includes a cross-section of leaders and experts that live and work in the Central Grasslands — including farmers, Indigenous/First Nations, federal, state and provincial agencies, foundations, industry, and nongovernmental organizations including land trusts, tribal representatives and academics.
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is one of 25 Roadmap planning committee member organizations. The Colorado-based nonprofit works to conserve birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of science, education and land stewardship. Their work extends from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond.