SS U C C E S S E S
S U C C E S S: W I N D O W C O L L I S I O N O U T R E A C H & A S S I S T A N C E
Building Or Remodeling? Or Just Installing New Windows?
If so, here’s some good news and an opportunity to prevent bird fatalities due to collisions with windows—a hazard that kills up to 1 billion birds annually in the U.S.
The non-profit Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) has recently modified its project standards to include certification points for bird-friendly design features in all five project categories: commercial, high-rise, green home, land development, and local government.
The modifications were at the request of Audubon of Southwest Florida, who worked with FGBC Executive Director C.J. Davila and collaborated on a short video to introduce the new standards.
Check out the bird-friendly standards at https://floridagreenbuilding.org/
Audubon of Southwest Florida also sends a huge "Thank You" to the Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers for its effort to save birds.
After finding dead birds on her morning walks around the building, CEO Sarah Owens recalled chapter president Gerri Reaves inquiring whether the architect for the Collaboratory had incorporated bird-friendly design features. After all, the innovative building has LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which offers a Pilot Credit 55 for such design. The answer was no, thus the glass hazard, but Owen set out to find a solution. The result is the dynamic micro-dot window film seen in the photo.
You’ve probably seen micro-dot film in windows (signage, energy savings) or on buses and other vehicles. Choices range from virtually invisible to decorative—and it doesn’t block the view from the interior.
For more on the bird-friendly pilot credit, go to https://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction-core-and-shell-schools-new-construction-retail-new-construction-data-75
S U C C E S S: R E S I L I E N C Y C O M P A C T
On behalf of Audubon of Southwest Florida, the Board thanks all our members and friends who in the past year have voted, emailed, attended hearings, and very loudly and clearly supported the creation of good conservation policy and actions by our local and state governments! Your dedication, efforts, and the work of ASWF volunteers like our Shorebird Stewards and colleagues have consistently yielded positive results.
In this past year during the pandemic, we celebrate our region's success in joining the Southwest Florida Regional Resiliency Compact: The Southwest Florida Regional Resiliency Compact is an agreement between its members, county and municipal governments in Southwest Florida, to collaboratively identify, prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate climate change impacts.
We are happy to announce that this effort has resulted in the formation of The Southwest Florida Regional Resiliency Coalition, centered at the Water School of Florida Gulf Coast University.
Fourteen Jurisdictions in Southwest Florida Join the Regional Resiliency Compact
Audubon Florida is excited to announce that all fourteen coastal jurisdictions in Southwest Florida have voted to join the Southwest Florida Resiliency Compact.
Lee County Votes to Join the Southwest Florida Regional Resiliency Compact
Lee County is the eleventh jurisdiction, and second county, to join the Compact; cities and counties that join commit to collaboratively identifying and addressing the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, intensifying hurricanes, and erosion.
https://fl.audubon.org/news/lee-county-votes-join-southwest-florida-regional-resiliency-compact
The dice don’t often roll this way for conservation, but certainly not because most people don’t support it. What’s the secret this time? Public involvement and support! Your clear voice, membership in a conservation organizations like Audubon of Southwest Florida, and financial support brought the victories. Let’s move on to our next wins!
A D V O C A C Y
Below are links to governmental bodies and agencies and conservation advocacy groups so that you may have easy access to stay informed and to voice your concerns regarding local conservation issues.
Lee County
Board of Commissioners
