Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Celebrating 100 Years of Bird Conservation…
and Launching the 100 Years
November 17, 2015
AFWA Webinar
Rachel Fisk Levin, National Centennial Team Lead
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty CentennialOverview
• August 16, 2016, marks the centennial of the Convention between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds
• This Migratory Bird Treaty and the three that followed - with Mexico, Japan and Russia - form the cornerstones of efforts to conserve birds that migrate across international borders
• The treaties connect partners who work toward conserving, protecting, and managing migratory bird populations and their habitats
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Create awareness, promote key actions, increase support, and expand opportunities for engagement in the conservation of migratory birds.
Centennial website:http://www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100
Partner recognition page – may we add a link to your website? http://www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100/partners.php
Centennial Celebration Goals
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
• Celebrate the remarkable gains we have made in protecting migratory birds and their habitats
• Engage our state and NGO partners, Service programs, Congress and the public to increase support and everyday actions for bird conservation across the nation and beyond our borders
• Launch the next 100 years (and beyond!) of bird conservation
Centennial Celebration Goals
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
• The Migratory Bird Treaty exemplifies our long history of cooperative conservation of shared resources
• Highlighting the Centennial is a way to build a unified voice for bird conservation
• There are many ways to celebrate & promote the Centennial
• We have tools to help you
• State agencies can leverage Centennial goals and messages and create your own marketing to appeal to your constituents
• It is easy for everyone to participate!
Centennial Celebration Key Messages to State Partners
Outcome: Awareness
•Create awareness among adults and children about bird conservation and that healthy habitats are good for birds and people
•Media stories about how birds and bird conservation benefit people•Tap into existing awareness of and support for certified bird-
friendly products
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Outcome: Action
• Promote key actions to help migratory birds• Expand home and building owner use of bird-friendly practices• Increase participation in citizen science programs• Increase sales of Duck Stamps and other wildlife stamps
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Outcome: Support
• Increase support for migratory bird conservation programs and initiatives• Strengthen international partnerships• Increase knowledge and understanding of key bird
conservation actions, including legislation• Highlight investment by hunters and other sportspeople in bird
conservation
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Outcome: Engagement
• Increase opportunities for engagement in birdwatching, hunting and other conservation activities• Participate in International Migratory Bird Day
festivals & events• Host bird walks & festivals for all ages• Increase number of youth bird-related
events
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty CentennialWe Need You Because…
• Birds cross geopolitical borders, including international ones. We cannot reach all those audiences alone.
• So much bird conservation happens at the state & local level! We need state partners to help highlight this important work and make Centennial relevant
• Many great conservation efforts and events are already underway that can link with the Centennial
• Your agency has means of outreach and engagement with which we want to connect
• You are passionate about wildlife and habitat conservation and want to help raise awareness about bird conservation - past, present and future!
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
• By participating in the Centennial celebration, your agency’s bird and habitat conservation goals and objectives can be enhanced through:
• Opportunities to engage with non-traditional audiences
• Highlighting the importance and relevance of state fish & wildlife agencies to the public and nature enthusiasts
• Highlighting the important conservation work done by states historically - and the need for more resources in the future
• Media coverage and positive public image
• Through the lens of the Centennial you can reach a larger audience with your messages for a prolonged period of time, with support from many other interested partners
Why Should You Celebrate the Centennial?
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Centennial Resources
• Nestbox• http://www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100/nestbox.php• Key messages• Talking points• Templates• Multimedia content• And much more!• Adaptable, customizable and free
• Interactive timeline• http://www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100/timeline.php• History of bird conservation• Anything we should add? Let us know!
Tools You Can Use
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Centennial Activities
• North American Ornithological Conference
• Trilateral Committee for Wildlife & Ecosystem Conservation & Management
• State of North America’s Birds report
• News media & conservation publications
• Social media campaign
• Web-based stories, galleries, podcasts and videos
• Bird-friendly practices outreach
Highlights of Projects Underway
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Centennial Activities
• Online calendar of events http://www.migratorybirdday.org
• Branding & Visual Identity• U.S. & Canadian Embassy events• Corporate partnerships• IMBD & other events• Webinars• Citizen Science events• “100 Bird Walks”, “Flyway Ambassadors” &
other campaigns• Educational products
Other National & Regional Activities
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
• Use and share the Nestbox tools• Add Centennial messages in fact sheets,
products, speeches, etc.• Share Centennial content on social media
• USFWS_Birds, @USFWSBirds
• Deliver a Centennial PowerPoint• Participate in IMBD events• Hold a bird walk or other themed event• Pitch local media stories about bird
conservation and the Centennial
How You Can Get Involved
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
• For the Service• Plan additional webinars• Send regular updates via email• Second phase of the “Nestbox” – January 2016
• For You and Your Agency• Participate in future webinars• Use the Nestbox tools• Add events to the online event calendar• Get the word out about the Centennial and migratory bird
conservation• Contact us with questions or ideas:
• [email protected] or [email protected]
Next Steps
Migratory Bird Program - Conserving America’s Birds
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
• What other resources would be helpful for your organization as you celebrate the Centennial?
• What other topics related to the Centennial would you like to see in a webinar?
• What other events should we include on the interactive timeline?
• Do you have a Centennial website that we can link to?
Questions for Discussion
U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceMigratory Bird ProgramConserving America’s Birds
www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100 USFWS_MigratoryBirds @USFWSBirds
Thank you!
Rachel Fisk Levin
703-358-2405
Appendix Slide: Centennial Organization Structure of USFWS and our partners
Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial
Rachel Levin, USFWS Centennial Team LeadLead for overall strategy, design and implementation of
Centennial Celebration campaigns, events, and activities, and for internal and external partner relations.
National TeamMigratory Bird ARDs/staff, Regional External Affairs and other FWS Program staff, NABCI Coordinator
Implement Centennial goals at the regional level; plan strategic events and activities; engage with partners
at regional level
Core TeamFWS HQ Migratory Bird Program & External Affairs
staffCoordinate national strategy, messaging and
themes; engage with FWS programs and partners at national level
Jennifer Allen, Marstel-Day, Centennial Coordinator
Facilitate communication and collaboration among Core and National teams; HQ and the
regions; Service and partners
Social Media Subteam
High-profile Events &
Sponsorships Forum
Public Events Calendar Subteam
Partners Forum
Branding & Visual Identity
Subteam
HQ Welcome Center
Subteam
Education Products Subteam
FWS Programs, Conservation Partners (NABCI & others)
Current activities & products: Centennial toolkit | Website |Newspaper, magazine, newsletter articles | IMBD events |U.S. & Canadian Embassy events | Online calendar | Multimedia exhibit in FWS HQ Welcome Center | Trilateral meeting theme and event & much more