Land Trust of North Alabama

Why Bird Conservation?

“We don’t have to do much to promote our bird blind, as word spreads like fire in the birding community when a unique species is posted there on eBird,” explains Hallie Porter, development director at Land Trust of North Alabama (LTNA).

An “army of volunteers” helped build the blind, notes Porter. They also helped Porter apply for a Land Trust Initiative small grant in 2021, which provided funding for the project. One of these volunteers, Bob Goss, sparked the idea for the project when he approached Porter about the small grant opportunity. Yet another volunteer shared information about LTNA’s Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve, telling Porter about the tremendous number and variety of birds that had been observed at the eBird hotspot.

Partially because there are several different habitats adjacent to each other, Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve attracts many species—especially during migration periods. It’s also an ideal site for a bird blind because it has a pavilion with bathrooms, making it one of LTNA’s go-to places for educational programs.

What started as a small project grew during the construction phase, with an expansion of both the blind itself and the water feature that attracts birds to the area. The project has also led to partnerships with new volunteers and organizations, building momentum with each person who visits the blind, and becoming popular enough to now be listed as a site on Alabama Birding Trails, a website that highlights the best locations for birding in the state.

Spotlight Resources: Volunteers, eBird, Demonstration Site, Collaborative Partnerships

“When applying for the grant, we knew we weren’t knowledgeable enough about bird conservation—in fact, we knew nothing about it, so we leaned on our core group of avid birders,” says Porter. One person who helped guide the project was Herb Lewis, an eBirder and a self-identified backyard wildlife and habitat enthusiast who runs the website CreativeBirding.com.

Lewis and other birders kept pointing LTNA staff to the number and variety of birds at Chapman Mountain, especially during migration periods, which was demonstrated by eBird checklists submitted at the site. Many species listed as vulnerable or near threatened by the IUCN Red List, including Cerulean Warbler, Rusty Blackbird, Golden-winged Warbler, and Chimney Swift, have been documented at the site.

Once LTNA secured funding for the project and had an established relationship with a core group of volunteers, connections with other birders came naturally. “Birders do a lot of word of mouth,” notes Porter. One of those connections sparked a partnership with a researcher who now does bird banding at Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve a few times a year, adding to the educational opportunities at the demonstration site. Another partnership has evolved with a botanist from Alabama A&M University, who is working to establish native plants around the blind to attract more birds.

Word continues to spread about unique birds spotted at the bird blind, and eBird checklists submitted at the hotspot enable Porter to track visitation to the site. Observations at the bird blind have inspired LTNA staff to start observing birds and interacting with birders who visit from all over the region.  

Making the Connection

Beyond the success of the bird blind, the project has also impacted the way LTNA looks at its other properties. “This is the first time we’ve really thought about what conservation looks like from a birding perspective,” notes Porter. “This project tapped into something and we’re learning in leaps and bounds because of it,” she says.

Now looking at their properties from a bird’s-eye-view, they consider how they can manage properties for birds by cultivating native plants to enhance food sources and provide refuge. The project also influenced how LTNA relates to its human community. Recognizing the value of community input, LTNA tries to steward relationships in a way that makes constituents want to be involved—and it’s working. In fact, LTNA does not need to pay docents to staff its bird blind, because the volunteers who helped build it are so often there.

The bird blind is also broadening LTNA’s base, attracting families with young children and older adults who come just to see what bird species are visiting. Located a few hundred feet from the pavilion at the site, the blind is relatively accessible. “Anyone can visit anytime, all year round, to see something phenomenal,” says Porter.  Many people have been visiting this season to see a Screech Owl who has taken up residence near the water feature.

“The blind helps people see what we have and begin to think about protecting it,” notes Porter. When it comes to biodiversity, Alabama is one of the country’s best-kept secrets, ranking number four in the nation and first in states east of the Mississippi. But since the state’s high ranking for biodiversity is not well known or promoted, there isn’t a lot of funding for conservation. “The bird blind helps put conservation higher on the priority list for our community,” Porter says.

Advice to Other Land Trusts

“If you build it, they will come,” advises Porter. She recommends thinking big when planning for a project like this, which means also thinking about potential costs for growth. When LTNA’s bird blind took on a life of its own and expanded, the organization had to raise more funds to cover the added costs, so Porter recommends thinking about where a project could go and creating different budget scenarios.

She also says it’s important to work with local birders and get experts at the table in the beginning phases of such a project. Bring in voices from local schools and people with accessibility challenges, too, to try to anticipate what their needs might be and add their voices to the planning conversation.

Next Steps

This project has opened many doors for LTNA, affecting the organization as a whole. Not only is LTNA thinking about adding video cams, expanded plantings of natives, and adding more seating to the bird blind, the land trust is also considering how to make the trail to the blind more accessible to people with mobility challenges. Additionally, LTNA is brainstorming the possibility of bird blinds or educational signs at Bethel Spring and Harvest Square, two other properties protected by the land trust.

LTNA is on the cusp of building a large nature discovery center, so planning and fundraising is currently underway for that project. Of course, the plans include bird viewing areas within the building and a bird blind with a water feature nearby.

“Who would have thought all of this would have happened because of an idea about a bird blind?” reflects Porter. The impact of this grant project has clearly far outreached what the organization anticipated.