Grantee Profile

National Audubon Society

Since 1998, the Mississippi River and its watershed have provided a rich and fertile habitat for innumerable species of birds, fish, and other wildlife. But in many areas, this habitat is threatened by irresponsible and short-sighted treatment of the very land and water that supports it. For the past eight years, the National Audubon Society has been organizing and educating hundreds of thousands of people to reverse this trend, showing people the value and the beauty of this natural habitat through its Mississippi River Campaign.

One tool in the campaign is a series of maps of the Great River Birding Trail. So far 15 maps, illuminating bird-watching sites from Minnesota to Arkansas are available; soon the series will reach the Gulf of Mexico. Audubon’s floating educational program is on-board the paddle wheeler named The Lilly Belle, which docks at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. In the future, a site near St. Louis will host an educational and docking facility for another Audubon Ark on the Mississippi River. And by engaging their intellects and imaginations, people see themselves as more than just listeners, but as participants.

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