Congratulations to the Hudson Environment Committee, and in particular to Le Nichoir, for achieving the Bird-Friendly Town certification!

Mark Gray, Hudson Town Councillor & Chairman of Environment Committee:
“Hudson is by its nature bird-friendly — with our canopied village and surrounding forests, our grasslands and wetlands, and the Ottawa River as a haven for aquatic birds.  Le Nichoir Wild Bird Conservation was born and raised here and has been working for wild bird conservation through public education and rehabilitation for the past 27 years.  We are delighted and very proud that our town has received this important recognition by Nature Canada.”

From Nature Canada:

Nature Canada and our partners have developed the Bird Friendly City and Town Certification Program to encourage Canadian municipalities of all sizes to become safer places for our feathered friends. The program’s ultimate goal is to reverse the decline in bird populations across Canada and help make our towns and cities places for biodiversity to thrive.

Birds play an essential role in maintaining healthy and resilient ecosystems in our communities and across the globe. However – their populations are still declining at alarming rates due to human activities such as climate change, pesticide use and habitat loss. As urban boundary expansion continues, municipalities must act quickly to ensure that North America’s bird populations are protected and supported for years to come.  Nature Canada’s Bird Friendly City and Town Certification Program encourages community leaders and municipal decision-makers to take action together to:

• Reduce the number of human-related threats to birds, such as free-roaming cats, pesticide use and bird-friendly building design legislation.
• Promote stewardship and nature-based climate solutions to maintain healthy and resilient natural habitats for birds.
• Engage and educate citizens about the benefits of bird-friendly practices through community events, participatory science and World Migratory Bird Day celebrations.

In each municipality seeking to become Bird-Friendly certified, volunteer Bird Teams are created, and residents are actively engaged in protecting, monitoring and celebrating their local bird populations.